Practical guides on learning design, assessment and Canvas, organised by the five PANDA stages. Sign in to see what you’ve read and save articles for later.
Introduction to Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction
A short introduction to Merrill’s five First Principles of Instruction, with practical ideas for applying them to a Canvas module.
Build Repeatable Canvas Pages With the Content Builder
The Content Builder takes the formatting effort out of the Canvas RCE. Here is how to use it to build recognisable page structures you can repeat across a whole course.
Using the PrettyJaded Quiz Builder With Canvas Quizzes and Item Banks
What the PrettyJaded quiz builder is for, where quizzes belong in good course design, and how to get reviewed questions into Canvas quizzes and item banks.
Plan for Student Note-Taking in Canvas Before Term Starts
Instructure has announced Notebook, built-in note-taking for learners in Canvas. Here is how to check it, shape your pages around it and keep notes out of your marking.
Three Canvas Changes to Check Before Marking This Autumn
Three small changes in the latest Canvas notes touch your autumn routine: excusing group submissions, a crossed-out eye icon and a backup reminder. Here is what to check.
Articulate: Connect the Outcomes with Prior Learning
Articulate is where students put their learning into words and compare it with what they knew before. Here is how to link outcomes with prior learning in Canvas without adding to your marking load.
Why Canvas Feels Clunky and What a Gamified VLE Could Do Differently
Canvas is reliable, but its inconsistent page building, exposed modules page and bolted-on gamification limit what you can design. Here is where it falls short and what to do about it.
Let Them Demonstrate Their Learning in PANDA
Demonstrate is where students show what they can do. Here is how to match tasks to outcomes and choose the right Canvas tools, from quizzes to recordings and group work.
WCAG 3 Is Still a Draft: What to Do in Your Canvas Course Now
WCAG 3 is a working draft open for review. This calm explainer covers what that means, what the W3C has and has not said, and an accessibility routine for Canvas that holds up under any standard.
Understanding the N in PANDA: Navigate
Navigate is the part of the PANDA framework that carries the substance of each week. Here is how to design it so students always know where to start, what to do and what comes next.
How to Activate Prior Learning Using PANDA
Activate is the PANDA element that gets students thinking before they meet new content. Here are three quick ways to bring prior learning to the surface in Canvas.
Tell Students Where They Stand on AI: An Assessment-by-Assessment Statement in Canvas
Students should never have to guess where they stand on AI. This post shows how to add a short, specific AI use statement to every assessment, with a worked example for a Canvas assignment brief.
