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Canvas has several built-in tools that can help students share ideas, work together and learn from each other. Here are a few simple ways to add more collaboration to your course. Discussions Discussions give students a space to contribute ideas and respond to each other. They work well for sharing examples, discussing a scenario, reflecting …
Have you ever found a simple way to solve a teaching problem, created an activity that worked well, or discovered a useful Canvas feature? It might feel like a small idea to you, but it could be exactly what another lecturer needs. You already have useful ideas Lecturers are coming up with ideas all the …
Organise Assessment Information in Canvas A Canvas Assignment provides a place for students to access and submit an assessment. It should include the information students need to complete the assessment, such as instructions, submission details, due dates, marks and assessment criteria. Sometimes students need additional information about their assessments. A Canvas Page is a useful place to provide this …
Have you ever had students skip important content and go straight to the assessment? Module requirements can help. They let you guide students through your course in the order you choose, making it clear what they need to complete before moving on. Why use module requirements? Module requirements can help students: How to add module …
Students should spend their time learning, not trying to work out where to click next. A clear module structure helps students stay on track, reduces repeat questions, and makes your course feel organised. Here are five simple improvements you can make today. Quick Check:Open one of your modules and ask yourself:Can students tell what this …
Contributing author: Christina Eloisa Masae Malo le soifua manuia. O lo’u igoa o Christina Eloisa MasaeO le nu’u o lo’u tamā o Paia ma Safotu i Gafaifomauga i Savai’i. O le nu’u o lo’u tinā o Saleilua i Falealili i Upolu. O lo’u galuega o le Pacific Learning Advisor. My role is to support all …
Although model answers, marking schedules, and rubrics are often used together, they each play a different role in assessment and marking. Let’s look at a simple example. Question (5 marks) Describe a duck to someone who has never seen one. Model Answer A duck is a waterbird with a broad bill, webbed feet, and waterproof feathers. Ducks …
With your marking schedule in place, it’s time to start marking. A well-designed marking schedule should do much of the hard work for you. It provides a consistent guide for awarding marks, helps reduce guesswork, and ensures students are assessed fairly against the learning outcomes. Is the question answered correctly? Check if the student’s answer matches the learning outcome …
A marking schedule outlines how marks are awarded for each question in an exam. It identifies the key points, concepts, or answers that markers should look for when reviewing student responses. Unlike a rubric, which is typically used for assignments, a marking schedule focuses on allocating marks for specific answers. Read more about different marking guides (and the duck test). …
Stimulus content in New Quizzes allows you to provide students with information such as a case study, article, image, video, scenario, or data set before they answer related questions. This feature is useful when multiple questions are based on the same content, helping students easily refer back to the information as they complete the quiz. …
Canvas LMS Gradebook (Marks) allows you to download data as a CSV file, providing a simple way to back up records or share results with administrators. Exporting grades makes it easier to organise, review, and report student progress outside the platform using Excel. Follow these steps to download your Markbook:
This tool helps you quickly turn content into interactive practise. It supports revision, catch-up, and extension. It also works well for blended and online learning in Aotearoa. You can: Review and edit Check everything carefully: You can share it through: What is the Benefit? Students can access the activity anytime. This helps them revisit material …
Managing deadlines each term can take time. However, bulk update assignment dates in Canvas helps lecturers change many due dates at once. This short video shows how to adjust assignment deadlines quickly so your course stays organised and up to date. Start by opening your course in Canvas. Then go to the Assignments page in …
You can update the due dates and availability dates for many assignments at the same time using the Edit Assignment Dates tool. This helps when course dates change or when you copy a course to a new semester. Note: You can only shift dates forward, not backward. If dates move too far, you must edit …
This guide provides a workaround to move your existing questions from Classic Quizzes into the modern Item Banks without manual re-creation. Item Banks are the standard for reusing, sharing, and standardising your assessment content in Canvas. If your courses still rely on Classic Quizzes, you’re missing out on key benefits like: While there isn’t a …
