Teachology Fall 2014 Edition | Page 12

Fall 2014 Edition Top 10 Ways to Use Canvas to Maximize Your Instructional Time By Olysha Magruder Instructional Designer Sometimes it can feel like there is never enough time in a class to cover all that needs to be covered. What can you do to make the most of your instructional time? Try Using Canvas! 1. Post your syllabus on Canvas  Canvas has a great Syllabus tool that will help organize your syllabus and make it digital.  You can also post it as a PDF or Word Doc. 2. Assign prep-work before in-class time  Provide videos, assignments, lectures, or other materials before class.  When students come to class, they will have all the materials they need to dig deeper into the material. 3. Try formative assessments  Use Discussions to provide a “Muddiest Point” exercise to check the level of understanding or confusion that students have about the material you have covered in class.  Have students write mock test questions based on this day’s lesson, and use them as a review at the beginning of the next class. 4. Use the Quizzes tool in Canvas  Provide low-stakes quizzes to see where students are and provide them with the opportunity to know where they stand with the material.  Get feedback from students through surveys and polls