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Canvas Microcredentials Template

Cover Image for Microcredentials Template Guidance Page

About the Microcredentials Template

This page provides guidance on accessing, importing and using the Canvas Microcredentials Templates available via Canvas Commons. The purpose of these templates is to provide a framework for the online delivery of modules on Canvas that are delivered to both in-person student cohorts and remotely as a Microcredential, ensuring a consistent pedagogical experience for both groups of students. These templates are based on the original VLE Minimum Standards templates co-designed with QUB students.

This page provides guidance on the following:

Design Assets

The following folder contains design assets (including Course Banners and PowerPoint templates) that can be used to support the creation of courses using the Microcredential Canvas template: 

🔗   Microcredential Template Design Assets 

Contact

If you have any questions or need any assistance with this template, please contact add email here

Accessing and Importing the Templates

The Microcredentials Template can be found on Canvas Commons, accessed via the global navigation menu on the left-hand side in Canvas. There are two main options when it comes to drawing on content from Microcredentials Template course in QUB Canvas Commons. 

  • Option 1 – Full Course: Import the whole course template into an empty Canvas course (ie. a course that does not contain any existing content)
  • Option 2 – Individual Modules: Import individual sections (Canvas Modules) into an existing Canvas course (ie. a course that already contains content). 

Regardless of whether you are following Option 1 or Option 2, the process to copy content from Canvas Commons only takes a few minutes. Step-by-step instructions are outlined below to help you through the process. The Template Import Checklist also includes key steps to help you customise the template for your course. 

  1. Locate the Microcredentials Template in Canvas Commons (located in the Global Navigation menu on the left of the screen).
    Canvas Commons Icon
  2. Search for Microcredentials Template CHANGE NAME OF TEMPLATE HERE
  3. Once you have located the correct content in Canvas, select the Import/Download button on the right hand side.
    Import Download Icon in Canvas
  4. Select your course from the list or use the search bar to locate your course, and scroll down to select Import into course. 
    Import into course Icon

Insert Iorad tutorial

  1. If your DEVELOP space (Module Development Area) already contains course content, import individual canvas modules from Canvas Commons -this will prevent your existing course content being overwritten. 
  2. Locate the Microcredentials Template in Canvas Commons (located in the Global Navigation menu on the left of the screen).
    Canvas Commons Icon
  3. Search for one of the following Microcredentials Template module names:
    • CHANGE NAME OF TEMPLATE MODULES HERE
  4. Once you have located the correct content in Canvas, select the Import/Download button on the right hand side.
    Import Download Icon in Canvas
  5. Select your course from the list or use the search bar to locate your course, and scroll down to select Import into course. 
    Import into course Icon
  6. Repeats steps 3-5 for each individual module. 

Insert Iorad tutorial

The following is a checklist of initial steps to complete when importing the Microcredentials Template from Canvas Commons. Completing these steps will ensure the template is ready to use and course content can then be added. 

  1. Change the Course Banner image on the Homepage – Banner Iorad Tutorial to be embedded here
  2. Change the Course Card image – Course Card Iorad Tutorial to be embedded here
  3. Update the Learning Content button on the Homepage (this applies to Option 2 only) – 'Learning Content’ Button Iorad Tutorial to be embedded here
  4. The Home Page should be set as the ‘Front Page’ of your course. Select the 3 dots on the top right-hand corner of the screen and set ‘Use as Front page’ (Note this will already be set if you have imported the template as a full course as per Option 1).
  5. Once you have imported the template and completed the steps above, click Edit in the top right corner of any page to begin editing and adding content. 
  6. Explore the guidance in Using the Template Pages below for more information on the template content and how to start adding your course content.

 

Using the Template Pages

This section provides a breakdown and description of the sections/modules and pages included in the template, as well as further instructions where required.

Home Page 

The Home Page contains a banner, space for a welcome message and navigation icons for useful information, providing an opportunity to welcome students to the course, set context for their learning, and help them to locate relevant information in the course. 

  • Make this page is set as the homepage, and customise the homepage for your course by updating the banner image and learning content button. Refer to the Post-import Checklist for instructions.
  • Replace the text and video placeholder image with a welcome message and  welcome video for your course.
Assessment and Feedback 

Use this page to provide relevant information including a breakdown of assessments, marking criteria, and a feedback timescale for each assignment.  

Course Resources 

This page provides a space to add useful course related resources, including  Recommended Resources, Library Resources, Study Resources, and any other  resources that would be useful for your course.  

Timetable 

Use this page to outline the course timetable, including information on the kind of event (lecture, seminar etc.) date, time, and location.   

Help & Support  

This page provides information on accessing Help and Support for the course and for on Canvas. Provide any additional information as required. 

The ‘Week/Theme/Topic - Example 1' module is divided into three sections – ENGAGE, APPLY and CONSOLIDATE – to demonstrate how the learning material for a theme or topic can be presented to encourage a consistent  presentation of content throughout the course, and help create an engaging and active learning experience. This example module can be adapted as required.

🧩 Engage 

Learning Materials – Lecture Slides and Videos 

Use this section to provide lecture slides, video recordings of lectures, and any other  relevant learning material. The Learning materials page is presented with an accordion-style expanding menu that can contain this information.    

A link is provided to PowerPoint templates – use the relevant template for your  course and upload them to your Canvas course.

🧪 Apply 

Activity/Exercise Example 

Use this section to create an activity or exercise to apply the knowledge gained from  ENGAGE. A space is also provided to contain answers/solutions for the activity – use this space to upload any documents or videos that contain solutions and provide  explanatory information.

🛠   Consolidate 

Quiz Example 

Use this page to create a quiz that consolidates knowledge or checks the learning gained from this theme or topic.

The ‘Week/Theme/Topic - Example 2' module is divided into four sections – LEARN, APPLY, EXPLORE and CONSOLIDATE – and provides an alternative demonstration of how the learning material for a theme or topic can be presented to encourage a consistent presentation of content throughout the course, and help create an engaging and active learning experience. This module may be more suitable for subject areas where reflection and discussion is required. This example module can be adapted as needed.

📘 Learn

Learning Materials – Lecture Slides and Videos 

Use this section to provide lecture slides, video recordings of lectures, and any other  relevant learning material. The Learning materials page is presented with an  accordion-style expanding menu that can contain this information.  

A link is provided to PowerPoint templates – use the relevant template for your  course and upload them to your Canvas course. 

🔍 Explore 

Sample Content Page with Call to Action 

A sample content page that adopts the template style, including an additional call to action. This could be used to present supplementary learning materials to complement the lecture content in LEARN, alongside small tasks or 'calls to action' such as additional reading or research.

🛠 Apply 

Activity/Exercise Example 

Use this section to create an activity or exercise to apply the knowledge gained from  LEARN and EXPLORE. A space is also provided to contain answers/solutions for the activity – use this space to upload any documents or videos that contain solutions and provide explanatory information.  

💬 Reflect 

Sample Discussion 

Provides an example of a discussion forum page that adopts the template style. This is useful for general questions of if a particular theme or topic requires additional discussion or support, and opportunity to reflect on the knowledge gain from LEARN, EXPLORE and APPLY. 

The following pages are additional pages that adopt the style of this template and can be duplicated for use in your course, depending on the type of content or learning material you would like to present.   

Overview and to-do List 

This page can be used to provide some initial context to introduce a theme or topic. 

Sample Content Page 

A generic sample content page that adopts the template style. This can be used to present learning material. 

Sample Content Page with Table 

A generic sample content page that includes a template for a table in the suggested  style and format. This can be edited and updated with relevant content.  

Sample Discussion 

Provides an example of a discussion forum page that adopts the template style. This is useful for general questions of if a particular theme or topic requires additional discussion or support.  

Sample Assignment (Formative) 

An example of an assignment page that can be used to provide details of formative  assignments. This page includes additional notes and advice on assignments as well as useful links including ‘Canvas Resource for Instructors – Assignments' and advice on different kinds of assignments.  

Sample Assignment (Summative) 

An example of an assignment page that can be used to provide details of formative assignments. This page is setup in compliance with the QUB assessment guidelines and provides additional advice and a sample rubric for use in summative assessment.  

Wrap-up and Looking Ahead  

This page can be used to provide a summary of the content covered in a theme or topic, indicate how the content relates to the overall learning objectives of the module, and provide a brief overview of upcoming/follow-on content. 

Recommendations for Hybrid In-person/ Microcredential Canvas Courses

When designing and delivering a Canvas course for both in-person student cohorts and remote microcredential learners, there may be additional settings and considerations to consider. For example, you may wish to set up groups to help communicate to different cohorts, or use ‘requirements’ to track student progress. Here are some Canvas features and other recommendations you may wish to explore to help create a consistent online learning experience for your students.

Groups are a useful way to encourage student collaboration on Canvas, but they can also help instructors communicate with different groups of students. You may wish to set up groups to include either student that are attending your module in-person, or students that are completing your module remotely as a Microcredential. The Announcements section below provides instructions on how to send announcements to different groups.

  • To set up a Group, click People in the Course Navigation Menu.
  • In the top right, click + Group Set.
  • Enter a name the Group Set (for example 'In-person/Microcredential'). In this case, you will want to assign students yourself, so do not check the 'Allow self sign-up' box, and select Create Groups Later  in the Group Structure section.
  • Select + Group to add a new group, and name the group (for example 'In-person Cohort' or 'Microcredential Cohort').
  • Students can be to groups added manually or by uploading a CSV file (see below). To add students manually, search for a student in the Unassigned Students search bar. Click and drag the name of the student into the correct group.

Click here to view this video in a new window

  • You also have the option to Import CSV containing a list of student names with pre-assigned groups. Canvas provides a Course Roster CSV template which can be downloaded, updated with group information, and uploaded again to Canvas. Select + Import to access this file and upload the Group information.

If you would like to send an announcement to different student cohorts, you will first need to set up groups that contain the relevant students - see the groups section above for more details. Once these groups are created, you can send an announcement to a specific group via the Group Homepage.

  • In the Course Navigation menu, click People.
  • Click the relevant Group Set tab.
  • Find the group you want to message. Click the elipsis menu, then click Visit Group Homepage.
  • Select the +Announcement button in the top right. Now you can write your announcement message using the Rich Content Editor.

 Click here to view this video in a new window

You may wish to set up your Canvas course so that you can track how much of the course each student has completed. This can be achieved by adding Requirements to each Canvas module. Requirements allow you to specify actions that students must complete, such as viewing a page, marking a page as done, or completing another activity. If necessary, learning content can be locked until certain actions are completed. Once requirements are set, you will be able to track students’ progress through the course via the View Progress button (see below).

Setting Requirements
  • Go to the Modules section of course. Select a module, click the ellipsis on the right hand side, and click Edit.
  • Click the + Requirement button. (Prerequisites can also be set if required).
  • You can decide if the student has to Complete all of the requirements you set, or to Complete one. You can also decide whether or not the Students must move through requirements in sequential order.
  • One requirement can be set for each content item within your module. Select the Page, Quiz, Discussion or Assignment from the first drop-down menu. Then select the requirement from the second drop-down menu.
  • Different options will be available, depending on the learning content you select. For example, the options for Page are: 'View this item', 'Mark as done', or 'Contribute to the page', and the options for Quiz are: 'View the item', 'Submit the assignment', or 'Score at least...'
  • Click the + Requirement  button again to set additional requirements. Click Save when you are done.
Viewing Student Progress

Once requirements are set up, you can view the progress of students by clicking the View Progress button at the top of the Modules page. A list of students will appear on the right hand side - select the student you wish to view.

For additional insight into how students are interacting with your Canvas course, you can access Course Analytics. This provides data on page views, participation, assignment submissions, and other metrics that may help you assess student engagement and identify where additional support may be needed.

While Course Analytics can offer useful insights, it may not provide the full context, so it is important to consider other factors and gather additional information to develop a more complete understanding of students’ participation in your course.

Watch the following video for an overview of the data available in Course Analytics.

Recommendations for Video Content

Useful Links

List of useful links