Course Build Guide (Trad)

The first item on every Trad course's module page should be a Course Build Guide. These instructions will walk you through how to build a course using the CDT template. Instructors of residential courses, you may use your own discretion when referencing these instructions. Questions regarding these steps should be directed to the CDT department. For an explanation of the elements for a Non-Trad course's Faculty Course Startup Checklist, please visit the following guide: Article - Faculty Course Startup Chec... (letu.edu)

1. Go to the course home page and edit the course number and course name place holders.
   The course page is the first thing that students will see when they first enter a course. As such, you'll definitely want to update the course number and name here. 
   (click here for instructions on how to edit a page)
2. Add information about yourself to the Instructor Information page here.
   It's important for students to know how to contact you if they are having issues. Please include any information necessary for students to obtain help. Please also include a photo of yourself, as that allows students to feel more connected to you as instructor.
   (click here for instructions on how to edit a page)
   (click here for instructions on how to add an image)
    
3. Go to the Course Syllabus and insert the following:
   The course syllabus is where students can access all necessary information about your course. We recommend including as many details as you can for your course here. For your convenience, there are already links to each unit's Activities page in the Course Overview table.
   (click here for information on how to edit the course syllabus)
   • Course Name 
   • Course Number
   • Course Description (Taken from the university course catalog)
   • Program Outcomes (If Applicable)
   • Course Objectives
   • Student Expectations
   • Required Text(s) and Resources
   • Recommended Resources
   • Other Resources
   Alternatively, if you already have a syllabus in Word or PDF format, you can attach it to this page.  In this scenario, we also recommend embedding the syllabus so that it automatically opens in the page when students click on the file.
   (click here for more instructions on inserting course files into a Canvas page)
   (click here for instructions on setting your syllabus to automatically open)
    
4. Set up your Gradebook by going to to the Assignments Page and adding assignment groups.
   By creating assignment groups, you can set how much a group of assignments are worth out of the total course grade. For example, you could create a "Written Assignments" group for 60% of the total course grade and a "Quizzes" group for 40%. Set up this way, no matter how many quizzes you have in the "Quizzes" group, their sum will always be weighted at 40% of the total course grade. Within each assignment group, a percentage is calculated by dividing the total points a student has earned by the total points possible for all assignments in that group.
   (click here to find out how to add assignment groups)
   (click here for more details on how grade weighting functions in Canvas)
    
5. Once your assignment groups are set up, add the individual assignments to the groups where they belong.
   Canvas allows for multiple assignment options, including quizzes and graded or ungraded assignments. Be sure to create the assignments in the appropriate assignment groups so that your grades calculate properly. 
   (click here to find out how to add assignments)
    
   • If building assignments that utilize TurnItIn, please follow this guide for instructions regarding Turnitin setup and settings. Note that you must configure each Turnitin assignment within both Canvas and Turnitin in order for students to be able to access the assignment. 
      
   • Recommendation: We recommend adding assignment groups and adding individual assignments to your assignment groups even if you are not utilizing Canvas for your assignments, as adding an assignment in Canvas as a "placeholder" allows you to manually enter grades for that item in the Gradebook, which then lets Canvas calculate the overall course grade for you. 
     (click here for information on manually entering grades in the gradebook)
     
6. Return to the Course Syllabus and fill out the course overview grid taking care to link to the assignments you created.
   In addition to the modules list, the syllabus is the primary way that students interact with a Canvas course. Be sure to include a link to each assignment in the course on your syllabus page.
   (click here for information on how to edit the course syllabus)
    
7. Add any Rubrics needed for the course to the Rubrics page.
   If you utilize rubrics for your assignments, you'll want to add them to this page so that students know what's expected of them.
   (click here for information on editing pages)
    
8. Review the Class Policies page to ensure that they match your department's policies. 
   The standard LETU class policies are pre-listed on this page. If your department's policies are different, be sure to update this page.
   (click here for information on editing pages)
    
9. Complete the Course Audit. 
   A course audit allows administrators and accreditation boards the ability to quickly and easily evaluate the course.
   (click here for information on editing pages)
    
10. Go to the Modules List and add in assignments, pages, links, and files in the appropriate units.
    In addition to the syllabus, the modules list is the primary way that students interact with a Canvas course. We recommend adding any course resources to the Modules list so that students can easily access them.
    (click here for information on modules)
     
11. On the Modules List edit the "Unit # Activities" pages to include all non graded activities.
    The activities pages is a place for you to include any additional items for the unit such as course readings, videos, websites, files, etc.
    (click here for information on editing pages)
    (click here for information on adding files to a page)'
     
12. If you have course lectures, visit Pages by clicking here and edit and publish the unit overviews and lectures.
    These unpublished pages are a place for you to add any lecture videos or other unit overviews.
    (click here for instructions on publishing items within Canvas)
     
13. Go to Grades, click the gear and then chose "Arrange Columns by due dates."
    While not strictly necessary, arranging columns by due dates in Grades will make interpreting the gradebook easier.
     
14. If there are additional files, pages, and links for student use not included in the units add them to the Course Resources module.
    The Course Resources module is a place for you to add any additional items for your students that do not fall into the specific Unit sections above.
     
15. Add any TA or graders you may need for this course.
    (click here for instructions on adding TAs or Graders)
     
16. If the course is unpublished, publish the course.
    Students are unable to see anything in a course that is unpublished, including the course itself. Be sure to publish your course and any elements of the course that you want your students to be able to access.
    (click here to find out how to publish a course)