Ohio University shares faculty experiences, insights into Canvas course templates

As we approach the next milestone in the Canvas LMS rollout (replacing Blackboard), the early feedback from faculty on course templates created by the Office of Instructional Design (OID) is notably positive with 85 percent reporting ease of use. This encouraging feedback suggests that the course templates are likely to simplify the transition for faculty and enhance the student experience within Canvas.

Lisa Kamody, First-Year Course Coordinator, shared: “The [templates] gave our courses a professional and finished look immediately and made it easy to see how to update materials. It also helped me to see the possibilities of how courses could look."

Bruce Hoffman, Associate Professor in Sociology and Anthropology said: "The workshop and the templates were excellent. I am not importing my course but rebuilding a better version in Canvas using the template and found them especially useful. Thank goodness for the templates.”

Exploring Canvas

As OHIO continues to roll out Canvas, we invite all faculty members to explore the potential of Canvas and the OID-designed templates. Whether you are preparing to teach in Canvas this summer or preparing for future semesters, now is the time to:

• Log in to Canvas at ohio.canvas.edu and familiarize yourself with its intuitive design and robust features.
• Request a test course to start experimenting with the platform and templates.
• Explore the implementation website and Canvas training materials page.
• Request support at Canvas Transition Website for assistance in leveraging templates and adopting pedagogical best practices.

To learn more about the rollout, timelines, and what support is available to you, please visit Canvas Learning Management System Implementation Website.