Gamification in Canvas' Modules: Specify requirements and prior requirements 

eDU has developed a separate, small Canvas course where a teacher can learn how to specify requirements and prior requirements within modules, and not least experience for themselves how this functions. 

Sign up to the course and see for yourself 

Quizzes 

Several short tests or quizzes can contribute to making asynchronous learning more exciting, and at the same time such tests encourage students to think through what they have learnt. 

It is possible to make quizzes compulsory, but with relatively low pass requirements. In this way all students become involved, but a quiz is not felt to be an obstacle. 

By all means create frequent quizzes to check the progress of students: Observe which students are failing to keep up and which may be straining to get on and need more challenges. 

Read more about quizzes 

Use Discussions actively 

• If the teacher plays an active part at the beginning of the semester, this may encourage students to be more active in discussions. 
• The teacher may also encourage students to ask each other questions of a practical or technical nature, so that the teacher does not have to answer repetitive questions from many students. 
• The teacher may recommend students to activate notifications for discussions in their account settings, so that as many as possible are aware of what is being written. 

Go to “Discussions” in the Course Menu and click on “+ Discussion” to start a new one. It is worth noting here that you can create a “main discussion”, for example of issues to do with the course matter. If you want to highlight a discussion you can drag it up to the pinned discussions. 

Screenshot showing creation of a new discussion in Canvas 

Collaborative writing in Canvas 

Both the teacher and the students themselves can create collaborative written documents directly in Canvas. 

• Select “Collaborations” in the Course Menu 
• Click on “+ Collaboration” at the top right and select “Office 365” 
• Select document type (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) 
• Enter a name for the document 
• Select the people who are to participate 
• Remember to click on “Save” at the bottom right 

Students will now be able to click on “Collaborations” and find the collaborative documents that they are allocated to. 

Allow students to edit pages 

A teacher can allow students to edit pages in Canvas. This can be used for: 

• Collaborative writing 
• General activity 
• Enrolment for, for example tutorials, with students adding their names at times that suit them best. 

When you edit a page, you will see the option for letting students edit under the text field: 

Screenshot showing how to let students edit a page in Canvas 
Click on the image to enlarge it