Tech Talk

Recycling and Reusing Canvas Assignments

Posted September 30, 2021, by Jody Barr

One of the joys of my job is finding new ways to help teachers reduce the amount of work required to get things done. Teachers who have to do fewer mundane tasks tend to be happier and more productive because that allows them to shift brain power toward creative work--or just simply relaxing for an evening with the family; how about it?

Recently I watched a video on Youtube featuring Instructure learning services instructor, Cory Chitwood, called Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s lengthy (about 40 minutes), but provides a more detailed overview of the philosophy behind and contents of this article. Around that same time, I fortuitously connected with a few teachers who said they were struggling with the idea of putting everything in Canvas due to the amount of work involved, and my empathy was immediately triggered.  As a result of these events, I’d like to do a dive into the use of template assignments to increase the quality of student experience in Canvas while also reducing your workload.

Elements of a Quality Assignment

Quality assignments across all disciplines share several general elements. Those elements should answer the following questions including but not limited to:

• What are the students supposed to do?

• When is the assignment due?

• Why are the students doing the assignment?

• How should the assignment be submitted?

• How will the assignment be assessed?

• What helpful resources will benefit the students?

• How can the assignment be differentiated?

High quality assignments are not practical if they take too long to plan, build, or assess. Therefore assignments must also be reusable and recyclable.

A common set of elements provides consistency of structures and expectations which should increase the quality of work submitted as well as decrease the excuses for not completing work based on ignorance (wilful or otherwise) of the requirements.  These elements may also provide those who are supporting your students such as parents/guardians or exceptional education staff a way to quickly decide how they can best support the student.  In addition, these elements can help you quickly determine if an assignment is worth giving, or throwing out in favor of one that better meets instructional needs. 

Creating a Template

Creating an assignment template is as simple as creating a single assignment, but to use it as a template, you must create it without an external tool, as assignments created with external tools cannot be duplicated. You can add one to the duplicated assignment if you like. Be sure to give the assignment a name that identifies it as a template. Once the assignment is created, then you may add the elements of the assignment to the description using the Rich Content Editor (RCE). I’ve created a sample seen in the image below. I encourage you to include any standing links as resources such as The Writing Center or perhaps “How-to” guides for submitting certain types of assignments such as how to submit images of written work.

Once you’ve created the assignment with the appropriate elements and named it, then simply save it, but don’t publish.  Keep in mind that you can create as many template assignments as you like--each named differently and  containing a different set of elements and parameters, such as the submission type, points, assignment group, etc. Also, once the assignment is complete, you can choose the appropriate Canvas Rubric to attach, and yes, that rubric will become part of the template. Fewer clicks means more time saved. 

Templates in Action

1. Duplicate the assignment, and the duplicate will have show up as “AssignmentName Copy”

2. Click on the copy of the assignment and edit.

3. Edit the assignment to include the new name, all of your elements as well as any external tools you may wish to use.  Below, I’ve created  a Website URL submission type and placed it in the proper assignment group. You can also include standing links in the elements, especially for resources related to the assignment type.

4. Assign to the appropriate group and then click “Save and Publish.” when you are ready. Notice the rubric is still attached. Don’t forget to place it in the appropriate module.
   
   

*Full webpage images taken using GoFullPage Extension for Chrome

Quizzes, Pages, and Other Content Types

Keep in mind that you can create templates for multiple assignments as well as multiple content types such as pages, discussion boards, and even New Quizzes. This can be very helpful if you have routines that call for the same type of assignments which share elements and parameters such as an Exit Ticket, Quiz Type, Bell Ringer, etc.

Duplicate function in the more-options menu does not work for the following content types:

• Classic Quizzes

• Assignments made with external tools such as Google Assignments, Turnitin, etc.

Consistent Excellence and Convenience

Everyone appreciates consistency of structures and expectations.  This appreciation is what drives us toward establishments such as Chick-fil-A, where workers and owner-operators share the same commitment to high-quality food, as well as  prompt and courteous service..  By being able to quickly and consistently plan, build, and assess quality assignments can create that same sense of satisfaction among your class stakeholders, and allow you to reduce some of the mundane work that takes away from creative energy.

If you have any questions about this process, or would like to set up an appointment to meet with me, please email jbarr@ccsk12.com. 

Resources

• Webpage - Instructure.com: Creating Assignments

• Video - Youtube.com: Recycling and Reusing Content  

Canvas for the Long Haul

Posted Feb 25, 2021, by Jody Barr

One of the major attractions which drew me to CCS is its use of Canvas as its learning management system (LMS). Although LMS's such as Canvas are most commonly associated with postsecondary, online learning environments, Canvas provides a number of affordances for digital transformation of learning on all levels and in all learning environments whether face-to-face (F2F), fully online, or blended.

Major affordances of Canvas for digital transformation in all environments include but are not limited to:

• modularity

• selective permanence

• organization

• communication

Modularity

According to Oxford Languages, a module is defined as “each of a set of standardized parts or independent units that can be used to construct a more complex structure, such as an item of furniture or a building”.  All quality LMS’s provide an ability to arrange content according to modules, which serve to create student-friendly structures and flows of multimedia, activities, and assessments around specific learning objectives.  Once modules are created, they may be imported into new classes, reused, mixed and matched, and/or modified without disturbing the content or structure in the original course from which it came.  This benefits you by limiting the need to recreate course materials from year to year.  Since you can import from courses other than your own, it also allows for collaboration among teachers through the sharing of resources, alleviating the silo effect and improving efficiency.

Selective Permanence

Like stone tablets, the slate and stylus or pencil and paper, the idea of making information permanent has always been critical to education.  Such information may be plans, grades, artifacts, and communication.  Due to the way that digital content is now hosted, there are multiple copies of data on multiple servers created from which a user can retrieve data.  If a Canvas server goes down in, say, Chicago, another server in perhaps, Boston, is available to dish up that same data--often without you even being aware of the outage. Inadvertently deleted items can quickly be restored, and all assignment submissions in Canvas may be viewed by the instructor--not just the latest one.  Since both content and how it is taught should be dynamic in light of current and future research of content area knowledge and how people learn, the affordance of selective permanence combined with modularity allows teachers to recycle current content and effective instructional activities while affording ease of replacing outdated elements.

Organization

The affordance of well organized information is that it allows users to focus on the learning process and less on how to use the learning tools. The Canvas interface allows students to manage their overall workflow efficiently by showing upcoming assignments in the sidebar and calendar. Commonly formatted landing pages make it easy for students and teachers to intuitively access frequently accessed information.  As stated above, Canvas facilitates best practices in course design through the use of modules and provides grading tools connected to assessments and outcomes.  The formatting features available allow teachers and designers to implement principles of universal design which is especially helpful for those with exceptional learning challenges.  (course link here)

Communication 

Canvas contains a number of tools that afford opportunities for rich communication among teachers, students, and parents. In addition to traditional messaging using the Canvas Inbox, Canvas provides an integrated system for class discussions which allows student-to-instructor and student-to-student communication which are two of the most important aspects of a healthy learning experience in blended environments.  Teachers may also use the feedback tool in Speedgrader for each assignment that is submitted.  According to Hattie and Timperley (2007) feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, and that feedback can be from teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student.

Moving Forward

Given the affordances of Canvas as a quality LMS, we see it continuing to be the technology centerpiece of teaching and learning at CCS for the foreseeable future. As we move into the spring semester our conversations about Canvas usage will center around these affordances with a specific focus on the construction and use of modules for organization.  To facilitate these conversations, the Center for Educational Technology will be offering sessions throughout the coming months.  These sessions will provide examples of the ways modules can be utilized as well as guided practice in module building.  These sessions will begin during the first week of April and will be offered during your planning periods where you may have time to collaborate with peers both within and outside your subject area(s).

*HBR, 2020