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Utilize Canvas Checklist: Semester Start

The following checklist will help you prepare your Canvas course for the start of a new semester.

(PDF version available)

IMPORT YOUR COURSE CONTENT
  • When your course shell has been created by IT for the new semester, it should appear in your Canvas Dashboard. If you cannot find it there, go to Courses on the Global menu and select All Courses. Navigate to your course and click on the star in front of it to make it appear on the Dashboard. To remove a course from the Dashboard, click the star again.
  • If you teach multiple sections of the same course, you may want to cross-list them before you copy content over.
  • Follow these instructions to copy/import a course from a previous semester.
COURSE START/END DATES
  • Ensure your Semester Start and End Dates are correct. (Settings > Course Details tab). When your course is created, the course start and end dates are automatically populated. In most cases these dates are correct, but it’s always a good idea to double-check them and change them if needed.
  • Instructors have the ability to manually adjust their course start and end dates on their own, so feel free to open your course early if you want! However, make sure these dates align with those under the Section tab in Settings.
  • Please follow these instructions if you would like to give students access to your course after it has concluded.
EXTERNAL LINKS
  • Test all internal and external links in your course by running the “Validate Links” tool. (Settings > Validate Links in Content). This tool searches through course content and returns invalid or unresponsive links in both published and unpublished content.
COURSE SYLLABUS
  • Update your course syllabus for the new term.
  • Any changes made to your course syllabus must be reflected on your Canvas course page. (e.g., semester term, meeting days and times, office hours and contact information, dates listed in your course syllabus, and due dates for all assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc.).
  • If you have linked to a pdf version of your course syllabus you will need to unlink or delete the old link and add the new one.
DUE DATES
  • Check to see that the due dates for assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc., are correct.
  • If you adjust your assignment dates using the drag and drop feature in Calendar, note that the “UNTIL” dates don’t change, only the due dates change. You will need to adjust those dates in the Assignments section.
  • Visit the Canvas Guide about Dates for more information.
GRADEBOOK
  • You need to verify that all your assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc., appear in the Gradebook and that the total points in the Gradebook are correct.
HOME PAGE
  • Verify the course Home page is set up correctly.
COURSE NAVIGATION MENU
  • Confirm the Course Navigation Menu contains the appropriate items in the desired order.
  • Only necessary items should be visible to students to avoid confusion.
  • Course files will be visible to students if that menu item is active (not hidden). If you want students to have access to a centralized repository of files, the course-level files will facilitate that. When in doubt, view your course as a student to discern what they can see and how things look from their perspective.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • Announcements from the previous course will be copied when content is imported from another course.
  • Review content for accuracy, delete unwanted announcements, and adjust delay dates to reflect the new semester.
  • Create an announcement to welcome your student to your Canvas Course site.
DISCUSSIONS
  • Delete any discussion threads you do not wish to keep.
  • Check to make sure that discussion threads you will use during the current semester are posted.
  • Ensure that any discussion forums that you want available during the first day of class are visible to your students.
  • Check links referenced within discussions to ensure that they work properly.
STUDENT VIEW
  • Use Student View (Settings > Student View) to review the entire course. This is a good time to verify that all of your content is available to your students.
  • You may submit assignments or quizzes while in Student View to verify everything is working properly.
PUBLISH YOUR COURSE
  • Publish your course when you are ready for students to have access to it. Click on the course Home link on the Navigation menu and select Publish. Your course is now visible to your students.
  • It is good practice to double check that all of your assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc., have been published.
  • Unpublished assignments, quizzes, discussions, etc. will not be visible to students, will not show up in the Gradebook, and you will not be able to enter grades for them.
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