From basic Canvas settings to content organization to administrative tasks, this Canvas and course checklist outlines essential course tasks for every term at Portland State. This checklist is also available as an interactive Google doc. Make your own copy of the checklist for each of your course reviews!
Before the term: Course prep checklist
Suggested timeline: At least 2 weeks before the term starts
Use Canvas modules to organize content by week or topic. Give each module and item a descriptive title to support navigation and accessibility.
Publish all course items so students can access them. This includes all pages and links in your modules as well as assignments, quizzes, and discussions.
Update your Canvas profile, including name, profile picture, pronouns (if comfortable), and preferred contact methods. Students in all your courses can read your profile. (You only need to do this once!)
Log in to MediaSpace. If you’ve never used your Media Space account, be sure to log in at least once. This allows automatic copies of your Zoom meetings to be stored there. (Note: You do not need to do this each term -- just once during your time at PSU.)
Schedule your meetings from within Canvas if you’re using Zoom for class. This will create Zoom meeting links for your course that students can access directly in Canvas.
The first few weeks of the term are your chance to set the tone, build community, and help students feel connected to you and each other.
In all course formats:
Manage your waitlist. On the first day of the term, the automated waitlist function will stop. You’ll need to manually manage enrollment in Banweb by issuing registration overrides. (Learn more about waitlists.)
Track student attendance.The Department of Education requires instructors to document attendance for each course. Learn more in the Faculty Guide to Initiation of Attendance.
If you're teaching online:
Introduce yourself. Introductions can help establish a social presence — that someone is real and available. A video is a great way to do this, but even an image and a brief message can help students learn more about you.
Ask your students to introduce themselves. Invite students to share a bit about who they are. This supports community-building, open communication, and regular interaction throughout the course.
Record an orientation video. Create a short video overview of your course, including the syllabus, learning objectives, required materials, expectations for interaction, and key due dates.
Staying present in your course is key to student engagement and success. Here are some ways to stay connected:
Do a midterm check-in. Use a quick Google Form survey to gather student feedback on what’s working and what could be improved. Two simple, effective questions:
What is one thing your instructor could change to improve your learning in this course?
What is one thing YOU could change to improve your learning in this course?
Offer an optional office hour. Holding office hours—in person or via Zoom—can help build rapport and increase engagement. Plan an interactive element to encourage participation.
End of term: Checklist for course conclusion
As the term ends, here are a few things to do before you relax and celebrate your course success! This checklist outlines how to share grades with both your students and the registrar, and how to prepare for the next time you teach the course.
As you approach the end of the term, make sure your Canvas Gradebook accurately reflects students’ work and that all assignment grades are posted for student review.
If you’re using the Canvas gradebook
Confirm that the grading information in your syllabus matches your Canvas gradebook. A helpful way to check is by entering the maximum point value for each column in the bottom gradebook row for your Test Student. (Note: If you intended to weight grades, but instead have a point-based total, you can still switch to weight grades by assignment group.)
Enter all grades and post them for your students to review. By default, the Canvas gradebook totals only entered scores. Unsubmitted assignments show as dashes and are not factored into the final grade, which may inflate student totals. Enter zeros manually or apply a “missing submission policy” to assign zeros automatically
Extend access for all students in your course. By default, students lose access to a Canvas course on the first day of the following term (i.e. Winter term courses will be available to students until the first day of Spring term). If you want all students to have access to your course for longer, you can change your Course End date.
Extend access for a specific student. If you need to keep the course open for a specific student to complete the course, you’ll need to follow the instructions to grant an incomplete student access to a Canvas course.
Now that the term is over, take some time to relax and celebrate your course success!
In most cases, this won’t be the last time you teach this course. Take a moment to reflect on what worked—and what you might revise. OAI+ has many resources to support course improvement and experimentation. Here are some articles to explore:
The tasks listed in these checklists are just the basics, so don’t stop here! For more considered exploration, check out our many Teaching Guidesfor instructors at Portland State University.
You can also schedule a consultation with one of OAI’s instructional designers to help you enhance your course design. To schedule an appointment, submit a meeting request.
Frequently Asked Questions
This checklist seems very Canvas-heavy, but I'm not teaching online. Is this still useful to me?
Canvas isn’t just for online courses! Using Canvas for in-person or hybrid courses provides students with a consistent place to access materials, submit assignments, and track their progress in a course. For instructors, Canvas streamlines communication and simplifies the management of a course, making it easier to support students both inside and outside the classroom.
I'd like to start working through this checklist, but I don't see my Canvas course yet. When can I expect to have access to it?
Canvas course shells are typically created the week students begin registering for the upcoming term. Visit the PSU Academic Calendar, select the appropriate term, and look for the Priority Registration – Group A date. This is when you can expect to see courses begin to appear. Due to the number of classes created, Canvas course shell creation may take a few days. You may see courses show up on your Dashboard slowly throughout the week, instead of all at once. If you need a place to work on your course sooner or just want a sandbox where you can test new ideas, create a new Canvas course shell from your Canvas Dashboard.
