The Syllabus in Canvas makes it easy to communicate to your students exactly what will be required of them throughout the course in a chronological order. The Provost requires that every Canvas course have a dynamic syllabus. A dynamic syllabus contains a 1-Text (HTML) syllabus, 2-Hyperlink to a printable syllabus, and 3-Assignments with due dates. Detailed instructions and tutorial videos for each step are provided below.
Note for users of screen readers: letters in parentheses in the instructions refer to corresponding areas on example images. If you have any questions about these instructions, contact eLearning for assistance.
1 - Create Text (HTML) Syllabus
Canvas provides a text box where you can manually type information or copy and paste from your Syllabus. We do not recommend copying your entire syllabus into this area, but summarizing important information such as instructor contact information, office hours, grading policies, etc. Watch the tutorial video or follow the instructions below.
- Click Courses (A) from the navigation menu and choose a course.
- Click Syllabus (B) from the course navigation on the left.
- Click Edit (C), at the top right, to edit the Course Syllabus.
- Manually type the desired information or Copy and Paste (Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V) select information from your syllabus document into the text box (D). Note that you may need to fix the formatting of pasted text and tables. [We reccomend only providing vital information such as Course name/semester, Instructor contact/office hours, and grading information in this text box and then providing a link to your full syllabus shown in the next section of this guide.]
- Click Update Syllabus (E) when you have completed formatting and adjusting your syllabus with the rich content text editor.
2 - Hyperlink to Printable Syllabus
Instead of having your entire syllabus pasted into the text box area, we recommend providing a hyperlink to your full syllabus file (document). Students will be able to click the hyperlink to preview or download the syllabus file. You can hyperlink text to a document you have already uploaded to your course files or you can upload a document from your computer. Watch the tutorial video below or follow the instructions for your situation below.
Hyperlink to a New File from Your Computer
If you have not already uploaded your syllabus document into Canvas, you can upload it and hyperlink it to the syllabus page at the time by following the instructions below.
- Access course Syllabus (A) and click Edit (B) on the top right if you have not already done so.
- Type the text you would like to hyperlink to the printable syllabus in the text box (ex. Please view/download the full syllabus) and select the text (C).
- Click on the Documents (D) icon and select Upload Document (E).
Note: Depending on the resolution of your screen, you may have to click the vertical 3 dots at the far right of the toolbar in order to see the documents icon. - A new window will appear. Click to browser and select a file or drag and drop the desired firl into the Upload File area. Click Submit at the bottom when the file is uploaded. The file will automatically link to the text that was highlighted.
- Click Update Syllabus (F) to save your changes.
Hyperlink to an Existing Course File
If you have already uploaded your syllabus document to your Canvas Course Files, you can hyperlink text to that document by following the instructions below.
- Access the course Syllabus (A) and click Edit (B) on the top right if you have not already.
- Type the text you would like to hyperlink to the printable syllabus in the text box (ex. Please view/download the full syllabus) and select the text (C).
- Click on the Documents (D) icon and select Course Documents (E).
Note: Depending on the resolution of your screen, you may have to click the vertical 3 dots at the far right of the toolbar in order to see the documents icon. - Click the desired file from the list of files. The selected text in the text box will briefly display a yellow box around it. This indicates that the file was linked successfully.
- Click Update Syllabus (G) at the bottom to save your changes.
3 - Add Assignments with Due Dates
This portion of the Canvas Syllabus page is automatically populated when you add assignments, discussions, quizzes and events with due dates in your course. This is essentially what makes the syllabus dynamic as this portion will automatically change if you modify assignment dates during the semester.
- Create an assignment, quiz, or discussion in Canvas. Learn more about creating an assignment by visiting the Canvas Community web page.
- Select the desired settings for the assignment, such as point value, submission type, or other preferred assignment settings.
- To set a Due Date, scroll down to the bottom of the assignment settings page and click the Calendar (A) icon in the Assign to (B) card section.
- Select the date/time from the calendar that you would like for the assignment to be due.
- Click Save (C) or Save & Publish (D) at the bottom. This assignment and date will now display in the Course Summary section of your syllabus. Repeat this step for every assignment in your course.
Four Weeks Prior
- Access the Canvas LMS and locate the upcoming semester’s course shell on the dashboard. If the course is not present, customize your dashboard and course list. If the course is not present in the Canvas course list, contact your Banner representative in the school/college.
- Copy course content or request that the previous semester's course content be copied into the current semester’s Canvas course shell. If you have developed the course content in a Canvas sandbox you can copy the sandbox course into the current semester course(s). Contact Tyler Weldon if you need assistance.
- Update assignment deadlines, dates, notification settings, and materials copied or imported into the course.
- Schedule an instructional design consultation for a course review either through your department or through the Division of eLearning and Professional Studies. Request eLearning’s services if you wish to work with the eLearning team.
Three Weeks Prior
- Select the academic technologies to use in your course. (i.e. polling software, iClickers, Zoom, ProctorU, Turnitin, GoReact, etc.). Include technology information such as how to access the technology and technical support information in the course syllabus.
- Schedule an in-person or virtual training session for any desired technologies.
- Customize the Canvas course navigation menu.
- Set up the Dynamic Syllabus for your course.
Two Weeks Prior
- Use the Canvas Request forms if you need to add an approved TA to the course.
- Setup Assignment Grouping and weighted grading distributions in Canvas based on those included in the course syllabus.
- Set up the course grading scheme.
- Check the external links throughout your course by using the course link validator tool.
- View your course as a Test Student to make sure students have access to the desired content.
- Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker to identify areas where additional information or adjustment is needed.
Prior to First Day of Semester
- Publish your course. Published course content will become available for students based on the date set for the course release.
- Update your Canvas Profile.
Prior to First Official Day of Class
- Email students a welcome message via the roster in BlazerNet. Include instructions on how and where to access the course in Canvas.
- Post or update a course Welcome Announcement within the Canvas course shell.
2023 Provost’s Transformative Online Course Award (TOCA) Winner
Dr. Scott Boyar, a Professor of Management in the Collat School of Business has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Provost’s Transformative Online Course Award (TOCA). Register to attend Dr. Boyar’s virtual presentation to faculty and staff on Friday, March 1, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
The Provost’s Award for Transformative Online Course recognizes online courses developed by full-time faculty members of the UAB community that exemplify best practices and innovation in online education. "Transformative" courses are defined as those that enhance the student experience through the use of innovative teaching strategies, fostering an interactive learning community that maximizes student engagement and outcomes.
Award
The award includes a cash prize (subject to composite fringe benefits) and a plaque suitable for display.
Eligibility
- Only courses developed by full-time UAB faculty may be nominated and must have at least 80% of the instruction in the course occurring online.
- All nominated courses must have been taught at least two semesters prior to being nominated and have evidence of impact on learner outcomes.
- A course may only receive an award once in a five-year time period.
TOCA Selection Criteria
The award shall be based solely on course excellence as demonstrated by:
- Course alignment with Quality Matters Standards. Additional information on Quality Matters is available on the UAB eLearning Quality Matters page.
- Incorporation of strategies into the course that support/promote faculty-student engagement.
- Incorporation of innovative teaching strategies into the course to achieve desired student outcomes.
Note: In this context, innovative teaching strategies are defined as the use of new evidence-based processes, tools, and methods that are designed and incorporated into a course to positively affect student learning and achievement of course outcomes. - Utilization of strategies to create an interactive learning community.
Note: In this context, a learning community is defined as the vehicle through which learning occurs online. In learning communities, strategies are used that require members’ dependence on each other to achieve the learning outcomes for the course. A learning community is defined as a group of individuals who are interested in a common topic or area and who engage in knowledge-related transactions as well as transformations within it. (Kahn, T. (1999, May 1). A New Model of Education: Designing Virtual Communities for Creativity and Learning. - Use of evaluation data (e.g., student evaluations, student feedback, etc.) to demonstrate impact on student outcomes and its use to improve the course.
An updated Application Assessment Rubric will be available soon.
Award Review Committee
The TOCA review committee is composed of previous recipients of the award.
2024 TOCA Timeline
- Friday, October 11, 2024: Submission of Nomination Form and Letter of Support due.
- Friday, October 18, 2024: Notification to eligible nominees.
- Friday, October 25, 2024: Nominee’s acceptance email due.
- Friday, December 6, 2024: Nominee’s complete application packet due.
- Friday, January 10, 2025: Committee review completed.
- Friday, January 24, 2025: Awardees selected and notified.
- Spring 2025: Awardee(s) presentation to faculty and staff.
TOCA Nominations
Courses may be self-nominated or nominated by a faculty member, student, or staff member of the UAB community. Courses may be nominated by completing and submitting the following items:
- Completed Nomination Form
- Letter of support by nominator. If self-nominating, please provide background on course and testimonials if available.
Completed nomination packet must be emailed to UAB eLearning by end of day, Friday, October 11, 2024.
Nominations will be reviewed for eligibility requirements and those meeting the requirements will be notified by end of day, Friday, October 18, 2024.
If nominee accepts nomination, they must notify UAB eLearning by end of day, Friday, October 25, 2024.
TOCA Application Packet
Nominee must complete and submit the following items:
- A faculty-written assessment (one - three pages) of how the course meets each of the selection criteria, as described above.
- Letters from students (one - three letters) who have taken the course, describing how the course affected their learning.
- Supporting document (three - 10 pages) including student feedback and evaluations of the course.
- Completed Canvas course access form.
Nominee must submit completed application packet to UAB eLearning by end of day, Friday, December 6, 2024.
TOCA Recipients
- Scott Boyar – Collat School of Business
- Jennifer Edmonds – Collat School of Business
- Lauren Rast – College of Arts and Sciences
- DeReef Jamison – College of Arts and Sciences
- Elizabeth Barstow – School of Health Professions
- Brenda Bertrand – School of Health Professions
- Eta Berner – School of Health Professions
- Christopher Edmonds – Collat School of Business
- Malinda Blair O'Leary – College of Arts and Sciences
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
UAB encourages those making awards, and those naming selection committees for awards to keep in mind the diversity, equity, and inclusion values and goals of both the UAB strategic plan and of the Strategic Diversity Plan. We strive to make sure everybody counts, every day, and that we actively seek varied perspectives in our decision-making, including when recognizing our faculty with awards.
The Office of Learning Technologies is a high quality, faculty facing, full-service center focused on enriching the academic experience. We are here to support faculty and staff with instructional design services, media production services, academic technology training and professional studies (continuing education) opportunities. Do not hesitate to contact the eLearning team for assistance with web-enhanced, blended, online, and continuing education courses.
The Division of eLearning and Professional studies is a high quality, faculty-facing, full-service center focused on enriching the academic experience. We are here to support faculty with instructional design services, media production services, academic technology training, and more. Check out some of the resources below.