Posted 2:29 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, 2022
Don't forget those CATL resources!
By Tisha King-Heiden, Professor, Biology
Many of us have attended several of the various programs and workshops offered through CATL to utilize their expertise to improve some aspect of our teaching. Last spring (2022), I had a Canvas course evaluated through the CATL “Level Up Your Course Design” program – I would highly recommend doing this!
I am sure I am not alone in that because of the pandemic I have been forced to get to know Canvas a bit more… This has been good in that I now use it as more than just a “dump site” for power points and grades for my students. While I can put my Canvas site in “student view” to gauge how it looks, let’s face it, it is hard to find the time to really evaluate it from a student’s perspective, and as the creator I am biased. It was very helpful to get an external review of how I have laid out course content in Canvas, and I really learned a lot through this process.
Suggestions from CATL staff built on the strengths of my Canvas site to make it even easier for students to navigate. Some of the suggestions that were provided to me were things I know, but sometimes forget (e.g., disabling unused Canvas features). Most suggestions were associated with accessibility and were things I hadn’t even thought of before! Further, incorporating several of their suggestions would help save time when setting up my Canvas site for the next time I teach that course. For example, I often include a screen shot image of tables that are in my syllabus, but instead, I should create a table within the page of a module to make it more accessible. That also makes it easier when copying from year to year – I can just change the content of the table instead up uploading a new image. I can also make small formatting changes such as ensuring that headers span the page width and use sub-set headers to maintain a consistent hierarchy of material throughout, making it easier for students to navigate.
If you want someone from CATL to review your Canvas course from the exploring barriers to learning lens, check out the “Level Up Your Course Design” service. I encourage you to reach out. catl@uwlax.edu Bonus, you can even talk with the CATL staff about what Canvas changes they might even be able to make to your courses for you!