Countdown to Course Launch Checklist
#10 - Gather Class Materials - CurricuNet & Bookstore
- Review your course's Course Outline of Record (COR) on CurricuNet to get an idea of the learning objectives, course materials and course components. Reach out to your Dean and faculty colleagues for advice on navigating and implementing your COR
- Place your course material orders with the Bookstorebefore the deadline.
- The sooner you place your orders the better to give students more advance notice of required materials, to give the Bookstore time to find the best deals for students, and to give the library time to order reserve copies.
- If you are using OER or ZTC materials, notify Jai Kumar (Bookstore Manager) at kumar@smccd.edu, and Sarah Harmon (OER/ZTC Coordinator) at harmons@smccd.edu.
#9 - Import the Cañada Course Template
If you're building a course from scratch or you're updating/reorganizing a course you've taught before, you might want to check out our Course Template. It offers fully customizable module, assignment, discussion, quiz and page templates for you to put together in whatever way works for you, your discipline and your students.
#8 - Set Up Your Getting Started Module
Our Getting Started Module Template is included in the Course Template, or you can import it separately. It comes packed with all of the essential Cañada information that students need to be successful each semester, and templates for you to fill in with your essential course information. You can also build your Getting Started Module from scratch with these essential elements.
#7 - Design Your Course Home Page
The Course Template includes Home Page templates that you might want to explore and customize, or you can design your own. Just be sure to set up a home page that welcomes students to your course and clearly directs them where to go next in your course.
#6 - Create an Accessible & Equitable Syllabus
Your syllabus is great place to set the tone for your course and for your interactions with students, while giving them everything they need to be successful in your course. This syllabus guide walks you through equitable syllabus best practices, essential syllabus elements and steps for making your syllabus accessible.
#5 - Set Up Zoom & Panopto in Your Course
- If you will be meeting synchronously with students during class times, or holding virtual office hours, schedule those recurring meetings in the Zoom integration in Canvas at the start of the semester. This way students will always be able to find the correct links to your Zoom meetings by clicking Zoom on the left in Canvas.
- Similarly, enable the Panopto Video link in your course navigation. This will ensure that any Zoom recordings will populate in Panopto. You can also use Panopto to host, record and edit any other videos for your course as well.
#4 - Set Up the Canvas Gradebook
Using the gradebook in Canvas is a great way to communicate students' progress in the course automatically and securely. The gradebook also offers features like weighted grading, the Speedgrader, and messaging students based on their submission status, that will save you a lot of time in your grading process.
#3 - Draft Your Welcome Email
Send out a welcome email to students before the course is published in Canvas to give them a chance to prepare for the start of the course. Our Welcome Email Template is great place to start when drafting your welcome email, but feel free to draft your own.
#2 - Put On the Finishing Touches
- Customize Course Navigation Menu (3 minutes) - Reduce the areas of your course that students can access to simplify navigation and keep student from viewing items in your course that they don't need to.
- View Your Course as a Student (4 minutes) - This process allows you to see your course as your students will.
- Check for Broken Links - Canvas' Link Validator helps you check all the links in your course at a glance for issues. It can be a little overzealous when it comes to finding broken links, so don't worry about removing all of them.
- Manage Course Start & End Dates (3 minutes) - Check when your course is visible to students and make any changes to that availability that you need.
#1 - Publish Items, Modules, & Your Course (3 minutes)
Publish the parts of your course that students need to see and remember to publish your course itself when you're ready for students to see it.
Congratulations, Your Course Is Launched!
Don't Forget to Send Your Welcome Announcement.
Our Course Template includes a welcome announcement template that you can send out to students once the course is published to invite them to jump into your course.