(Peer) Advanced Course Design

Session Description:

Introduction: This workshop provides resources to help you work smarter, not harder, to make your courses stand out. Better courses lead to better outcomes.

Purpose: Enhance your Canvas courses' visual appeal and functionality by leveraging the power of creativity, HTML, and strong graphic design.

Target Audience: Educators and instructional designers using Canvas LMS.

Section 1: Don’t Underestimate the power of the homepage. Brief overview of Canvas LMS and its page design capabilities. Importance of aesthetics and functionality in online learning environments. Seeing your homepage as the door to your classroom.

Section 2: Don’t Fear the HTML Introduction to HTML: Canvas Cheats and how to use them

Section 3: Custom artwork Tools and ideas from graphic design to make your pages pop. Sometimes less is more approach Color palettes and branding

Section 4: Accessibility and Best Practices Ensuring all pages are accessible to all students.

Best practices in design: Balance, contrast, and usability.

Conclusion: Summary of key takeaways. Encouraging creativity and experimentation. 

Additional Resources for further learning and exploration.

Live examples of HTML and CSS in Canvas.

Access to Canvas Course with Step-by-step guides for implementing design elements. Course Design Checklist Interactive Q&A session to address specific queries and challenges. This resource course has enabled open enrollment. Students can self-enroll in the course once you share with them this URL: https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/KMADAF Links to an external site.. 

Alternatively, they can sign up at https://canvas.instructure.com/register Links to an external site. and use the following join code: KMADAF  You must create a free Canvas Account to enroll. You can also download the course from Canvas Commons into your sandbox course. Canvas Commons resource link https://lor.instructure.com/resources/c371f88a17264ebdb98e777558da4a43?shared Links to an external site.. You can download this course and add it to your sandbox if you would like.

Resources:

Presentation will be posted here if provided.

Amazing free resources:

Genial.ly (https://app.genial.ly/ Links to an external site.) - This website allows you to create unique interactive content to be added to your course. With the paid version, you can download reports on student interaction for $5 a month.

Adobe Express (https://new.express.adobe.com Links to an external site.) - This website/app allows you to create quick artwork for your courses

Canva (https://www.canva.com/ Links to an external site.) - This website is similar to Adobe Express and can be used to create unique artwork.