Students carry more than your module. A short audit of your Canvas course shows where you ask for attention that you do not need, so you can reduce the demand without lowering what students must learn.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this post you’ll be able to
- Identify four places where a course asks for students’ attention.
- Rate a sample week for attention demand.
- Choose three changes that cut demand and keep expectations.
What the Wonkhe piece argues
A Wonkhe piece by Helen Chilton, Polly Turner and Sally Hickson, dated 30 September 2026, argues that universities should help staff and students manage digital use rather than restrict it. The authors say screens are not inherently harmful. Their worry is what screen time displaces.
They cite Ofcom research, as the authors report it, that 18 to 24-year-olds average 6 hours 20 minutes a day on screens and 5 hours 5 minutes on smartphones, and that two thirds of people sometimes spend longer on their devices than they intended. They recommend awareness, more chances to disconnect and open conversations.
These are the authors’ claims. I have not checked the Ofcom figures against the original, and the piece gives no course design advice. The audit below is my own response to it.
The four-part audit
Open your course and count four things. Count first, then decide what to change.
Notifications
Count the announcements and messages you send in a week. Each student sets their own Canvas notification preferences, so you cannot switch theirs off, but you decide how often you trigger them. A single weekly announcement on a set day, with urgent items as the exception, is a good starting point.
Tools
List every tool or site a student must open in a typical week. Each extra one is another login and another place to check. Ask whether each earns its place.
Deadlines
Look at due dates for the next four weeks. Clusters of tasks on one day add pressure. Spread them, and choose a time students can plan around.
Weekly page length
Scroll a weekly page. If it takes many screens, split it with headings or move optional material under its own label. Driving Canvas: Modules vs Pages and One Page vs Pre-In-Post vs PANDA: Choosing a Structure for Your Canvas Week help you decide how to structure the week.
Put it into practice
Try it in Canvas
- Select Settings in Course Navigation, then Student View.
- Open the first module and scroll as a student would.
- Note how many tools, links and due dates appear in one week.
- Select Leave Student View when you finish.
Put it into practice
Your turn
Run the four counts on next week’s content and write the four numbers down. Which one surprises you most?
Rate a sample week
Not every demand costs the same. A tool that needs a new login weighs more than a heading that is slightly long. Try rating this sample week for attention demand. Choose the three changes you think would cut it most.
Try it yourself
Rate a sample week
Here is a sample Canvas week. Choose the three changes that would cut the most attention demand without lowering what students must learn, then show the effect.
Choose three changes, not thirty
You do not need to change everything. Pick the three biggest demands, change them, and see how the week feels. This is not about lowering expectations: the aim is to remove hunting, switching and waiting, not the learning. Refreshing Old Canvas Pages Without Rebuilding Them: A Before-and-After Checklist offers a checklist for tidying pages without rebuilding them.
Then ask students. A one-question poll such as “What took the most effort to find this week?” tells you more than a guess.
Use the check below to test whether a change respects attention or only shrinks the course.
Try it yourself
Does the change respect attention?
Read each change and decide what it does to attention demand and to expectations.
Check your understanding
Knowledge check
Which four things does the audit count?
Notifications, tools, deadlines and the length of weekly pages.
Why can you not switch off students’ notifications, and what can you control?
Students set their own preferences. You control how often you trigger them.
How do you cut demand without lowering expectations?
Remove hunting, switching and waiting, not learning activities.
Remember
Key takeaways
- The Wonkhe authors argue for help with managing digital use, not restriction.
- Count notifications, tools, deadlines and weekly page length.
- Change the three biggest demands first.
- Reduce friction, not learning.
Your next step
This week, pick one module and run the four counts for next week’s content. Change the single biggest demand, then ask students what took the most effort to find.
Reflect: which of the four counts would your students say is highest?
