"Through elements within Canvas LMS like Discussions, Media Recorder, Media Feedback, Modules, Mastery Paths, and Pages, we have a wealth of opportunity as educators to create opportunities for students to express their understanding of content and to make decisions about how they learn and how they express that learning." - Marcus Painter & Eddie Small, Canvas LMS for Dummies
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Designing Mastery Paths
Designing Mastery Paths
Check out best practices when designing and implementing mastery paths in your classroom.
Planning a Canvas Mastery Path
Planning a Canvas Mastery Path
Canvas Mastery Paths allow teachers to:
Personalized Learning – Adjusts content delivery based on student performance, providing customized learning experiences.
Automated Differentiation – Assigns remediation, practice, or enrichment activities without manual intervention.
Self-Paced Progression – Allows students to move through content at their speed based on mastery.
Data-Driven Instruction – Uses quiz and assignment scores to determine the next steps for each student.
Flexible Content Delivery – Supports diverse learners by offering multiple pathways to success
⬇️Expand for Templates, Ideas, and Activities for Your Mastery Path
⬇️Expand for Templates, Ideas, and Activities for Your Mastery Path
Often the most challenging part of the Mastery Path is determining what activities to put in each group. Here are a few ideas and templates to help if you need ideas on how to differentiate!
Digital Breakouts - Whether in a form, Genially, or Google Site, a digital breakout gamifies the learning as students answer questions to solve a puzzle. (Example | Template | Recording Sheet Template)
Embedded Links Form - Provide optional links to hints for students who may need additional scaffolds (Example | Template)
Create Your Own Card Sort - Provide a starting stimulus for students to add additional details to before providing an explanation for their thinking (Example | Template)
Pick - N - Click - Students rotate assigned role cards as they work in a group to discuss and answer questions (Example | Template)
You Choose Your Review - Students work at their own pace to review questions in a Google Slides presentation with self-checking links to provide feedback (Example | Template)
These are just ideas, draw from your existing resources! The Mastery Path can be as simple as instructions on what students need to work on, digital or offline!
Creating Mastery Paths
Creating Mastery Paths
Create automatic differentiated instruction based on assessment data using New Quizzes and Modules. This is an excellent way to create independent learning experiences, practicing new question types.
Mastery Paths with Canvas How-To Guide
Mastery Paths with Canvas How-To Guide
Take differentiation to the next level with Canvas Mastery Paths! Whether you're reinforcing concepts, extending learning, or scaffolding support, this tool automatically assigns students to the right learning path based on their needs. Ready to personalize instruction? Follow the guide to get started today!
⬇️Expand for Helpful Reminders for Mastery Paths
⬇️Expand for Helpful Reminders for Mastery Paths
The pre-assessment should be assigned to Everyone.
The Mastery Path must be assembled before students complete the pre-assessment. The path cannot be assigned retroactively. You can create blank assignments and add to them later if you wish to setup the path before you've created all of the content.
The activities should be assigned to Mastery Paths.
An activity can be assigned to more than one path.
After completing the pre-assessment, it may take a moment before the mastery path assignments display for the student.
You can give students a choice in how they complete their mastery path with the And/Or option when setting up the Mastery Path.
Add module requirements if you want students to complete activities in the order you added them to their path.
Grade passback will not function correctly for assignments within the mastery path. Best practice is to use the post-assessment, or an assignment that all students complete if you intend to use grade passback.
Use the Test Student account to test the mastery path before giving it to students to ensure that activities will be assigned correctly.
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