Building Modules

Overview

The modules tool in Canvas allows you to have students proceed through the course at their own pace or at a required pace (e.g., Weekly modules). They are a good way to control the pace and sequential order of content. 

 

Video Overview

Official Canvas video- modules

Instructions

Image of accessing modules

1. Go to your Canvas course site and click Modules on the left-hand course navigation menu.
2. Click +Module on the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

 

Image of creating a module

1. In the pop up window, Enter the Name of the module.
2. Check the Lock Until box if you want to specify a date when it will open.
3. Click Add Module to finish creating the module shell.

 

Image of the two ways to add content to a module

1. To add content into the module, drop files into the space OR click Choose Files under the upload icon in the center of the page. Files uploaded this way will also go into your Files tool repository.
2. OR you can add content into the module by clicking the '+'button. You will be able to select content such as: assignments, quizzes, pages, and files.

 

Image of adding content to a module

A dialog box will open up. You can now select what content you want to put into your module.

1. Select the content type
2. Click the Add Item button

Repeat this process until you have all the content you want in your module. 

 

Publishing a Module

To publish a module, click the checkmark box next to the respective module. A green checkmark means it is published. A grey circle means it is not published.

Image of publishing a module

Note: The content itself is published,  BUT students will not see the content until The Module Itself  is published.

 

Setting Requirements 

After you create a module and added content, you can set requirements for each or some of those content artifacts.

Image of requirements setup

1. Go to your module and click the 3 dot icon (options)
2. Then select Edit from the dropdown

 

Image of adding requirements to a module

1. Click on the Add Requirement option

 

Image of specifying requirements for module content

1. You can specify that students complete ALL or specific content in the module.
2. Next, select the content item (quiz, page, assignment, file). Then select what task you want students to do with that specific content.

The following details what requirement types you can set for each content type.

Have students:

1. • •  Files - View
     • Pages - View or Mark as Done
     • Assignment -  View, Mark as Done , Submit , Score at least....
     • Quizzes -  View,  Submit , Score at least....
2. Once requirements are set, click Update Module

 

Setting Prerequisites

The module prerequisite feature allows you to have students complete a module before they can move onto the next module.

Image of prerequisites setting

In order for the prerequisites option to become available, you must first create more than one module. You cannot set this setting on your first module since there is no module before it, so start on the second module onward.

1. Go into the module options (3 dot icon)
2. Select Edit from the dropdown

The prerequisites option will open up in the dialog box.

Image of prerequisites

• You can now click on  Add Prerequisites

 

Viewing Student Progress

Image of viewing student progress

To view students' progress in the modules, click the View Progress located next to the add module button on your Modules main page.

 

Best Practices

• Use modules to have students progress through content sequentially using the requirements feature.
• Use Pre-requisites feature to open modules at certain dates.
• Use modules to keep everyone on the same pace.
• Easily add content into modules.
• Track students' progress using modules using View progress option (modules main page).

 

Additional Resources

Canvas Official Guide - Modules Overview Links to an external site.