What do Chapman students want to see in a well-designed Canvas course? According to a recent survey, students desire an organized structure,  assignments clearly communicated with due dates, and ease of navigation. These findings are in line with a recent Ohio University survey.

Melissa Samaniego of the Chapman University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning writes about this in her article, “Using the LMS Effectively to Reduce Logistical Challenges for Students,” which you can read in the October 14, 2024 issue of Faculty Focus.

In April 2024, we asked students to share examples of instructors with exemplary Canvas courses and tell us why they thought these courses made particularly good use of Canvas. The following themes emerged:

  1. Organization and Structure: many comments highlight the well-organized nature of the courses, including clear and accessible modules, chronological order, and easy navigation. Specific mentions of weekly organization and clear due dates help students stay on track.
  2. Communication and Announcements: informative announcements and reminders help students stay updated on assignments and course projects. Regular communication, such as weekly reminders and recaps of class discussions is appreciated.
  3. Accessibility and Ease of Use: courses are described as easy to navigate with features like colorful icons and clear headings to enhance the user experience.
  4. Support and Resources: there is a strong emphasis on supporting students’ success, with sections like ‘tips for success”, video tutorials, extra readings, supplemental materials, and detailed instructions for assignments.
  5. Engagement and Motivation: Interactive elements such as discussions and the inclusion of fun elements like memes or gifs adds a personal touch and makes the learning experience enjoyable.

🎉 Congratulations to the following instructors on your nominations!

Your dedication to enhancing the learning experience is truly inspiring. 🎉

 

Argyros College of Business and Economics

  • Bruce Dehning | ACTG-339-02

Professor Dehning laid out the course perfectly. Everything is in chronological order and grouped by their respective assignment / project groups. I can find everything I could ever need swiftly. — Gus N., ACTG-339 student

 

Attallah College of Educational Studies

  • Tara Barnhart | IES-492

The Canvas course is designed exceptionally well and is so organized. This is my third semester with Dr. B as an instructor and it is always the most put together and efficient canvas course. On every page, Dr. B includes a meme or a gif that is silly and related to the content. It always makes me smile. I appreciate the extra time and hard work she puts into all of her work. — Ally W., IES-492 student

  • Christopher Lewis | TCHR-532-01

He used canvas to provide us with every resource and any material we needed to succeed. He used canvas to support us better than I knew possible with a learning management system. — Natali A., TCHR-532 student

  • Joseph Pazmany | LEAD-310

The course is planned out and organized very well! Its easy to find all resources. — Lauren H., LEAD-310 student

 

Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences

  • Brittany Ingersoll | PSY-203

very organized and straight forward — Gili A., PSY-203 student

It’s simple and not confusing to get to different pages. — anonymous PSY-203 student

  • Andrea Wolfs | PSY-482-01

Dr. Wolfs goes above and beyond to make all of her resources on Canvas as accessible for her students as possible. In both her Forensic Psychology and Research Methods courses, she features a landing page on the home menu of the course page with colorful, easy-to-use icons that allow for simple, stress-free navigation of her courses. Aside from the necessary resources (syllabus, lecture notes, etc.,), Dr. Wolfs also provides course pages containing extra readings, words of encouragement, and supplemental resources that are pertinent to what we highlight in class. She even allows students to choose from a series of extra lectures based on overall interest and adjusts the course schedule based on the topics relevant to those lectures. From the sheer amount of opportunities and resources she grants her students, Dr. Wolfs’ passion for teaching and legal & forensic psychology is more than evident. — Lee M., PSY-482 student

Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

  • Bill Rosenthal | TWP-497-01

The way Bill utilizes canvas is an aspiring Television Writer’s dream. Our modules are fruitful with pilot and script readings. Our discussions are interactive and helpful, allowing us to discuss one another’s scripts. The announcements keeps us on a consistent schedules, encouraging us to meet important deadlines. — Ava T., TWP-497 student

 

Fowler School of Engineering

  • Clarisse Bonang | CPSC-298-06

Her modules are very well-organized and it’s easy to find lectures by the week and the topic. She also sends out weekly reminders of everything that is due or coming up for the week, which is super nice of her to do. It makes it easy to keep my week organized. And she has video tutorials on how turn turn in assignments, set up a coding environment, or compiling the code. Most importantly, her assignments are very straightforward and she always includes what our output should look like, which lets me know if I’m on the right track or not. I can tell that she puts in a lot of work into making sure that we can keep up with the class, and I really appreciate that! — Glenda T., CPSC-298 student

 

Honors Program

  • Ian Barnard | HON-365-01

Professor Barnard’s methodical approach to organizing and communicating course information plays a crucial role in enhancing the educational experience for students. By consistently sending announcements on Canvas shortly after each class, [Professor Barnard] not only recaps the day’s discussions and activities but also emphasizes key points and upcoming assignments. This routine communication serves multiple purposes: it reinforces the material covered during the class, ensures that students are aware of their immediate responsibilities, and keeps everyone aligned on the course’s progress. Such timely reminders and summaries help students digest complex concepts more comfortably and manage their study schedules more effectively.

Moreover, Professor Barnard’s strategic organization of the Canvas course modules by week significantly contributes to the user-friendly nature of the course materials. This structured approach allows students to access current, past, and future resources with ease, thereby promoting a more autonomous learning environment. It encourages students to review previous lessons at their own pace and prepare for upcoming topics, fostering a proactive attitude towards learning. The clear division of materials by week also simplifies navigation, making it straightforward for students to locate specific resources, lecture notes, or assignments without the need to sift through a cluttered repository of documents.

Together, these practices not only enhance the accessibility of course materials but also build a supportive learning atmosphere. This level of organization and communication can significantly reduce the anxiety and stress associated with managing coursework, leading to a more engaged and motivated students. — Daniel R., HON-365 student

School of Communication

  • Sarah Downey | COM-151-01

Super straight-forward and easily flowing modules. Clear due dates and clear rubrics/instructions. — Kayleigh G., COM-151-01 student

 

Schmid College of Science and Technology

  • Jean-Louis Bru | BIOL-317-01

I genuinely have never seen a Canvas course set up like this. It is so organized and easy to find every resource you need. He took canvas and made it completely his own. — Madison R., BIOL-317 student

It was so organized and easy to see what I needed to do each week – best canvas course I’ve had. — Riya B., BIOL-317 student

  • Kylie Deer | BIOL-208-04

canvas is very organized and easy to navigate! always sends out informative announcements! — Anonymous BIOL-208 student

  • Chris Kim | ENV-301-01

The organized format makes it easy to access everything and instructions are always clearly stated. — Alyssa K., ENV-301 student

  • Thomas Piechota | ENV-498-01

It is organized by week and it is very easy to find the information or documents you need. — Anonymous ENV-498-01 student

  • Hakim J. Walker | MATH 210-01

The “Lesson Schedule” page is very informative and helps you stay up-to-date with all assignments. It tells you exactly what you need to do by the next class session. It’s a whole page dedicated only to that. — Anonymous MATH-210 student

  • José Waterton | BIOL-204-01

I really appreciate how I can see my professorʻs care for his students via his Canvas page. He is a new professor here at Chapman but he really shows that he cares about our success. He includes a “tips for success” section and continuously emphasizes his availability and openness. His page is easy to understand and he ensures that we are able to read and understand the syllabus clearly. It helps when professors bold sections and make bigger headings and he also does that. — Mālaʻe M., BIOL-204 student

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

  • Patrick Cecil | HIST-112-01

Professor Cecil has everything put up for the semester: assignments, readings, resources, office hours, essay prompts, syllabus, etc. It’s well organized so no student ever feels lost. — Maia B., HIST-112 student

 

Prior Canvas Spotlight on Instructors

22-23 Canvas Spotlight Nominations

21-22 Canvas Spotlight Nominations