Course Set-Up Checklist | Center for Teaching and Learning

Updating Your Own Course

Instructors updating their own course content from a previous semester for the new semester.

Obtain Course Content
- If you have taught the course before or created the course in a sandbox, copy the course content opens a new website or request the course content be copied into the current semester’s Canvas course shell.
Syllabus and Schedule
- Update the syllabus for your course.
- Edit dates in your course assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc. in Canvas.
Review Module Pages
- Review content on all pages in the course and update as needed.
  - Edit or remove dates as needed.
  - Edit teaching assistant contact information and any text that references the previous TA/GA.
  - If you update text or other course content, keep accessibility in mind. Some students use a screen reader or other assistive technology.
  - Review course lectures and videos to ensure captions are available. Edit autogenerated captions as needed.
- Edit the course navigation menu opens a new website to include only items that students will need.
Check the accessibility of your course
- Use Panorama and the Canvas Accessibility Checker opens a new website to identify areas where additional information or adjustment is needed for accessibility.
- Review accessibility guidelines as needed.
- Make changes to improve accessibility.
- Submit a help ticket for assistance making your course accessible: go.uab.edu/getaccessible opens a new website.
Gradebook
- Check the grade scheme. Make sure this is set up in the course and matches what is on the syllabus.
- Review grade calculations on the Assignments page opens a new website to ensure the final grade will be calculated correctly and match the grading scheme and policy on the syllabus. Setup assignment grouping and weighted grading distributions in Canvas opens a new website based on those included in the course syllabus.
- Check the Grade Posting Policy settings opens a new website in the gradebook.
Groups
- Set up groups.
- If you assign projects or papers to be submitted as a group, make sure those specific assignments are set to be group assignments.
Communication
- Announcements
  - Create a welcome announcement and schedule it to post the first day of class.
  - Delete any announcements you will not use.
  - Schedule other announcements to post throughout the course as needed.
- Email before class starts
  - Communicate with your students a week prior to the term start date via email using BlazerNet.
  - Share with them the course syllabus, your office hours, the textbook being used, and your preferred method of contact.
- At any point in the term, you may receive an email from the UAB Disability Support Services (DSS) office notifying you that a student has been granted accommodations. Check your email so you can plan the appropriate accommodations.
- To customize the type and frequency of Canvas emails about course activity, update your Canvas notification settings opens a new website.
Note: As you communicate with students, author weekly course announcements, and make minimal changes to content, try to avoid slang terms, colloquialisms, and brand names that would not be widely known by people from different countries or even different areas of the same country. If you do use one of these types of terms or phrases, be sure to explain it.
Teaching Assistant/Grad Assistant Access
- Use the Add/Remove Users request opens a new website to add an approved TA or GA to the course.
Check Links Throughout Your Course
- Use the Canvas Link Validator opens a new website to check for broken links in your course and fix them.
Make Content Available to Students
- Publish module content.
- View your course as a Test Student opens a new website to make sure students have access to the desired content.
- Publish your course. Published course content will become available for students based on the date set for the course release.

Updating an Adopted Course

Instructors using someone else’s course content.

Find Your Course in Canvas
- Access the Canvas LMS opens a new website and locate your upcoming course on the dashboard. If the course is not present, customize your dashboard and course list opens a new website. If the course is not present in the Canvas course list, contact your Banner representative in your school/college.
Obtain Course Content
- See if your course has content.
  - If content has been pre-loaded, then you are all set to continue. If you are a new faculty member or CCI, discuss with your program director what content you should or should not change beyond updating the syllabus, course dates, and contact information.
  - If your course is empty and you have not taught the course before, reach out to your program director or department chair to request that course content be brought in and any advice regarding what should/shouldn’t be edited.
  - If you have taught the course before, Copy course content opens a new website or request that the previous semester's course content be copied into the current semester’s Canvas course shell.
  - If you have developed the course content in a Canvas sandbox, you can copy the sandbox course into the current semester course(s) opens a new website. If you need assistance, submit a Course Copy Canvas request opens a new website with the Office of Learning Technologies.
Syllabus and Schedule
- Update the syllabus for your course. If you are copying from another instructor, be sure to update the contact information.
- Edit dates in your course assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc. in Canvas.
Review Module Pages
- Review content on all pages in the course and update as needed.
  - Edit or remove dates as needed.
  - Edit instructor or teaching assistant contact information or any text that references the previous instructor.
  - If you update text or other course content, keep accessibility in mind. Some students use a screen reader or other assistive technology.
  - Review course lectures and videos to ensure captions are available. Edit autogenerated captions as needed.
- Edit the course navigation menu opens a new website to include only items that students will need.
Check the accessibility of your course
- Use Panorama and the Canvas Accessibility Checker opens a new website to identify areas where additional information or adjustment is needed for accessibility.
- Make changes to improve accessibility.
- Submit a help ticket for assistance making your course accessible: go.uab.edu/getaccessible opens a new website.
Review Technology
- Determine which technologies (in addition to Canvas) you need to use or the original instructor wants you to use in the course. Poll Everywhere, GoReact, and Respondus LockDown Browser are just a few of the 30+ technologies available at UAB. Ensure that the technology is working properly. Each technology has a support page of its own that can be the first place of assistance for you and students.
Gradebook
- Check the grade scheme. Make sure this is set up in the course and matches what is on the syllabus.
- Set up or review grade calculations on the Assignments page opens a new website to ensure the final grade will be calculated correctly and match the grading scheme and policy on the syllabus. Set up Assignment Grouping and weighted grading distributions in Canvas opens a new website based on those included in the course syllabus.
- Check the Grade Posting Policy settings in the gradebook.
Instructor and Course Introduction
- Create and post a short (5 minutes or less) video introducing yourself or compose a written introduction.
- Create a Course Overview and Expectations video (recommended).
- Embed videos in the Start Here or Getting Started module in your course.
Groups
- Check your course syllabus to see if groups are used and which tool is used – Canvas Groups and/or CATME. If either tool is used, set up groups accordingly.
- If you assign projects or papers to be submitted as a group, make sure those specific assignments are set to be group assignments.
Communication
- Announcements
  - Create a welcome announcement and schedule it to post the first day of class.
  - Delete any announcements you will not use.
  - Schedule other announcements to post throughout the course as needed.
- Email before class starts
  - Communicate with your students a week prior to the term start date via email using BlazerNet.
  - Share with them the course syllabus, your office hours, the textbook being used, and your preferred method of contact.
- At any point in the term, you may receive an email from the UAB Disability Support Services (DSS) office notifying you that a student has been granted accommodations. Check your email so you can plan the appropriate accommodations.
- To customize the type and frequency of Canvas emails about course activity, update your Canvas notification settings opens a new website.
Note: As you communicate with students, author weekly course announcements, and make minimal changes to content, try to avoid slang terms, colloquialisms, and brand names that would not be widely known by people from different countries or even different areas of the same country. If you do use one of these types of terms or phrases, be sure to explain it.
Teaching Assistant/Grad Assistant Access
- Use the Add/Remove Users request opens a new website to add an approved TA or GA to the course.
Check Links Throughout Your Course
- Use the Canvas Link Validator opens a new website to check for broken links in your course and fix them.
Make Content Available to Students
- Publish module content.
- View your course as a Test Student opens a new website to make sure students have access to the desired content.
- Publish your course. Published course content will become available for students based on the date set for the course release.

Creating a New Course

Find Your Course in Canvas
- Access the Canvas LMS opens a new website and locate your upcoming course on the dashboard. If the course is not present, customize your dashboard and course list opens a new website. If the course is not present in the Canvas course list, contact your Banner representative in your school/college.
Obtain a Course Template
- Copy a course template from Canvas Commons.
Build Modules
- As you build your course, keep accessibility in mind. Some students use a screen reader or other assistive technology.
- Go to the Modules tab in the course menu.
- On the Modules page, you will see a Faculty Resources module (do not publish), a Start Here module, a UAB Policies and Resources module, and 1 content or weekly module.
- Review each page in the Start Here module. Click Edit and use the Rich Content Editor opens a new website to update content on the pages as needed.
  Note: You will not be able to edit the Tips for Online Success or the Netiquette activity. If these do not apply to your course, you can unpublish or remove opens a new website them.
- Update Module 1. Each page, assignment, discussion, and quiz within Module 1 contains sample information highlighted in yellow relevant to the Canvas assignment or content type. These serve as examples.
  - Edit or delete each page, assignment, discussion, or quiz as needed. Add assignments, discussions, and/or quizzes opens a new website to the module as needed.
  - Include the due date for each assignment opens a new website, discussion opens a new website, and/or quiz opens a new website. You can also edit dates in bulk opens a new website.
  - Record videos and embed videos in Module pages using Kaltura. Ensure captions are available. Edit Autogenerated Captions as needed.
  - Use Panorama and the Canvas Accessibility Checker opens a new website to identify areas where additional information or adjustment is needed for accessibility.
- Duplicate Module 1 opens a new website to create the number of modules needed for the course.
  - Change the names of each module opens a new website.
  - Update the items in each new module as you did for Module 1.
- Publish modules and items within modules opens a new website when they should be visible to students. You may also lock modules until the desired date opens a new website.
- Edit the course navigation menu opens a new website to include only items that students will need.
Syllabus and Schedule
- Update the syllabus for your course.
- Option 1: Simple Syllabus tool (preferred)
  - In the course menu, click on Settings. Select Navigate.
  - Move Simple Syllabus to the top list. Move Syllabus to the bottom list. Save.
  - Click on Simple Syllabus in the course menu.
  - Edit your syllabus. View the UAB Simple Syllabus webpage for guides.
- Option 2: Canvas Syllabus tool with Word document
  - Download the UAB Syllabus Template Opens a word document..
    
    Go to your Downloads folder on your computer to find the document.
    
    After opening the document, you may have to click on Enable Editing at the top of the document.
    
    Update the syllabus document and save it to your computer.
  - On the Syllabus tab in your course in Canvas, select Edit.
  - Highlight the text "View full version of the syllabus" and hyperlink your syllabus document.
  - Update the content in the textbox. Click Save at the bottom of the screen.
Review Technology
- Determine which technologies (in addition to Canvas) you need to use in the course. Poll Everywhere, GoReact, and Respondus LockDown Browser are just a few of the 30+ technologies available at UAB. Ensure that the technology is working properly. Each technology has a support page of its own that can be the first place of assistance for you and students.
Gradebook
- Check the grade scheme. Make sure this is set up in the course and matches what is on the syllabus.
- Set up grade calculations on the Assignments page opens a new website to ensure the final grade will be calculated correctly and matches the grading scheme and policy on the syllabus. Set up Assignment Grouping and weighted grading distributions in Canvas opens a new website based on those included in the course syllabus.
- Check the Grade Posting Policy settings opens a new website in the gradebook.
Instructor and Course Introduction
- Create and post a short (5 minutes or less) video introducing yourself or compose a written introduction.
- Create a Course Overview and Expectations video (recommended).
- Embed videos in the Start Here or Getting Started module in your course.
Groups
- Check your course syllabus to see if groups are used and which tool is used—Canvas Groups and/or CATME. If either tool is used, set up groups accordingly.
- If you assign projects or papers to be submitted as a group, make sure those specific assignments are set to be group assignments.
Communication
- Announcements
  - Create a welcome announcement and schedule it to post the first day of class.
  - Delete any announcements you will not use.
  - Schedule other announcements to post throughout the course as needed.
- Email before class starts
  - Communicate with your students a week prior to the term start date via email using BlazerNet.
  - Share with them the course syllabus, your office hours, the textbook being used, and your preferred method of contact.
- At any point in the term, you may receive an email from the UAB Disability Support Services (DSS) office notifying you that a student has been granted accommodations. Check your email to see if you have received any so you can plan the appropriate accommodations.
- To customize the type and frequency of Canvas emails about course activity, update your Canvas notification settings opens a new website.
Note: As you communicate with students, author weekly course announcements, and make minimal changes to content, try to avoid slang terms, colloquialisms, and brand names that would not be widely known by people from different countries or even different areas of the same country. If you do use one of these types of terms or phrases, be sure to explain it.
Check the accessibility of your course
- Use Panorama and the Canvas Accessibility Checker opens a new website to identify areas where additional information or adjustment is needed for accessibility.
- Review accessibility guidelines as needed.
- Make changes to improve accessibility.
- Submit a help ticket for assistance making your course accessible: go.uab.edu/getaccessible opens a new website.
Teaching Assistant/Grad Assistant Access
- Use the Add/Remove Users request opens a new website to add an approved TA or GA to the course.
Check Links Throughout Your Course
- Use the Canvas Link Validator opens a new website to check for broken links in your course and fix them.
Make Content Available to Students
- Publish module content.
- View your course as a Test Student opens a new website to make sure students have access to the desired content.
- Publish your course. Published course content will become available for students based on the date set for the course release.