Introduction

When creating teaching and learning content for a diverse learner group, we need to make considerations for our digital learning environment to ensure consistency, clarity and simplicity. 

By building these considerations into our Canvas modules we can help to manage expectations and reduce the amount of time students spend trying to find information or to learn how to navigate each of their modules. 


What to expect

The following offers some tips and ideas on how to make Canvas, our Learning Management System (LMS), more inclusive. These tips are categorised under 3 key areas:

  1. Structure and consistency
  2. Communication and feedback
  3. Formatting and language

1. Structure and consistency 

Canvas units

Using units to organise your learning material by week, or by topic, can help students find the content they need. 

Use headings to further categorise the content in your units and indent the items under each heading to make the categories clearer.


Module Menu

Keep your module menu consistent and remove any unused links. 

Use the student view to check what redundant items might be showing up for your students.  


Module Links

Make use of module links to provide multiple ways of guiding students to your content. 

For instance, if you mention an assessment in an announcement, add the direct link to that assessment. 


A Step Further

Module home page

Adding a home page to your Canvas module can help to guide users to key information or important areas in your module.

A home page can also be used to help manage expectations by including notes about how you will be communicating with your students. 

Note: Very often, this home page content can be re-used in other modules with minimal updating - for instance, some internal module links may need to be changed but guidance around your communication preferences and where you typically add learning material would likely stay the same.

2. Communication and feedback

Communication

Let students know early on how you will be communicating with them and how you expect them to communicate with you. 

Make use of the tools in Canvas like the announcements feature to provide clear and consistent updates to students. 


Key Dates

Outline key dates and assessment deadlines early in the semester where possible. 

Consider adding these to the module calendar to help students prepare for busy periods in the semester. 


Feedback

Provide clear and consistent feedback for module assessments where possible. 

Consider using built in tools like speech recognition or media comments, like audio or video, which may be quicker and more convenient. 


A Step Further

Module Syllabus

The Canvas module syllabus offers a dynamic summary of the key dates and activities throughout the semester. 

The syllabus automatically adds information like assessment due dates and scheduled Zoom meetings which can give students an oversight of module requirements. 

Consider adding other key dates to the calendar as this will automatically populate the syllabus and will give students a view of important module milestones for the semester.

Note: If you create a page in Canvas, such as a list of supplementary reading materials, you can choose to add this to the student "to do" list by clicking "Add to student to-do" at the bottom of the page. 

You will be invited to include a deadline/due date and this will then be added to the module syllabus, as well as the student's "to do" list in their Canvas dashboard. 

3. Formatting and language

Formatting Tools

Use formatting tools within the Canvas to structure pages, announcements and assignments. 

Applying styles to headings, paragraphs and other text helps students to navigate your content easier. 


Heading Styles and Lists

When using headings, it’s important to follow a linear structure and not skip heading levels, for example moving from heading 2 to heading 4, as this will cause confusion for users. 

Format lists using the bullet or list options in Word to help maintain your structure and consistency. 


Font

Choose a sans-serif font no less than 12pt for text (12pt - 16pt is recommended). Left-aligned text is preferable with 1.5 spacing. 

Avoid using colour alone to highlight information and use the built in formatting tools to add emphasis.


A Step Further

Language and Terminology

Ensure text is written in clear, simple language throughout your module. 

Chunk content into short sections or paragraphs and use headings to make it easier to absorb or to scan quickly if needed. 

Try, where possible, to avoid unnecessary jargon.

Note:  It's difficult to avoid using complicated or specialised terminology in academic modules. Consider providing a reusable glossary as a Canvas page or uploaded as a Word document to act as a quick reference guide for students.