Effective Canvas Sites
Below is a sample of effective Canvas sites created by SPH faculty. They exemplify best practices in course site design: clean look, clear and consistent organization, easy navigation, and good (ie. effective and efficient) use of Pages/Modules. The course sites have been replicated with instructors' permission. Some links have been removed to prevent dissemination of sensitive course content (test questions, exercise sets & answers, etc.). Click on the screenshots to explore the courses.
HMP 626
For this course, Dr. Creary used an easy-to-navigate linked page design. The navigation is pared down to the essentials, and all important components of the course are accessible from the home page. It is easy for students to find everything they need. Expectations are clearly stated on the home page, and each assignment includes a detailed description and a rubric. A single graphic that carries over on all the pages gives the site a polished and cohesive look. Explore this course design.
HBHE 663
Dr. Piette's course site features a module-based organization. Modules are very functional and easy to set up. Headers and indents help to make the organization of the material even clearer. The navigation is pared down to the essentials, and all important components of the course are accessible from the home page. It is easy for students to find everything they need. Explore this course design.
EHS 655
Dr. Neitzel's course site is a great illustration of the idea that "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful" (MIT professor and designer John Maeda). A simple page structure with content laid out by month. Clear, consistent organization. Everything the students need and nothing more. It's like a little haiku of a course site. Explore this course design.
BIOSTAT 501
This course, taught by Dr. Little, is fully online; students interact with the course material, with their instructors (Dr. Little and his GSI), and with each other only through Canvas and Adobe Connect. It is therefore particularly important that the course site be user-friendly, clear, organized, and scrupulously well-managed. Explore this course design.
EPID 503
With five instructors (Drs Kardia, Karvonen-Guttierez, Adar, Mendes de Leon, and Needham) and five GSIs, this blended course is a real team effort, and with so many moving parts, Canvas could be really messy. But it's not! All sections of the class are merged into one site where students can find recorded lectures, slides, readings, resources, and assignments on neatly organized and linked pages. Explore this course design.
NUTR 636
This course taught by Elizabeth Hudson features a simple, straightforward page-based design. Assessments include case-studies, journal critiques, exams, and oral presentations. Explore this course design.
