Checklist: Launching your LMS subject
Use this checklist to ensure your LMS subject is complete and ready for publication to students this semester.
This checklist has been updated for Semester 2, 2023.
Get started
Access your current Subjects and Communities
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Related information
- View your available subjects via the global navigation menu. Click Subjects, then select All Subjects. If you are unable to access a subject, contact the Subject Coordinator listed in the Handbook, or your LMS Faculty Representative
- Customise your dashboard from the All Subjects page. Use the Star icons to favourite.
- Manage staff in a subject using Staff Roles in the subject menu. View Staff roles and permissions for help.
Update your subject
Use our LMS templates for efficient content and layout creation in your subject or community.
We recommend to not roll over or copy forward assessments.
Content
If applicable, copy over subject content from a previous delivery.
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Related information
- Refer to the LMS subject creation and subject copy forward process for additional information on copying subjects
- For module set up guidance
- For module requirements see how do I add requirements to a module?
- For advice on creating videos see the creating your own media content DIY video guide
- Lecture Capture guides
- Kaltura - Managing media in the LMS
- Kaltura - Embedding videos in the LMS
- Review the LMS-specific copyright information.
Assessment and feedback
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Related information
- For help with assignments we suggest the following guides:
- Information on external tools for assessment are available via the learning technologies web pages.
- Check what options can be set in a quiz and update quizzes. Check settings when copying quizzes to other LMS subjects.
- To prevent students from viewing grades until they are released by staff, set the Grade Posting Policy to Manual.
Lectures
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Related information
- Inform students that all sessions are live-streamed by default. For more information on Lecture Capture see the Lecture Capture guides and the Schedule Assistant tool .
- Organise and make your lectures easily accessible by providing slides within Lecture Capture instead of uploading them to content pages. See Presentations in the Lecture Capture guide.
- See our guide on Zoom in the LMS.
Discussions
Files
For copyright compliance and best student experience, we strongly recommend providing subject information directly in pages rather than uploaded files.
We recommended hiding the 'Files' link in the subject menu from students.
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Related information
- Removing unused files to avoid exceeding the storage quota. For best practice, see managing your files and content in the LMS and tips for reducing file sizes.
- See information on restricting files and folders to students in Canvas.
Check your content and settings
Accessibility
Ally reviews LMS content for accessibility and offers guidance for improvement. It also provides alternative formats for students. Students do not see the speedometer or accessibility rating. Learn more about making your subject content accessible using Ally.
Preview with Student View (or as an external user)
Mobile app
With the Canvas Teacher app you can manage content, announcements and more.
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Related information
- See using Canvas on a mobile device as an Instructor for more information.
- Download the app from Google Play or the App Store.
Make the subject available to students
Student enrolment and management
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Related information
- Instructions for creating sections both manually and automatically can be found in the Sections guide.
- For information on creating Groups for group assignment submissions or other online collaboration, see How do I add a group set? and Bulk Group Membership tool.
Publish the subject
For students to access a subject in the LMS, it must be published. LMS faculty representatives handle auto-publishing and the opt-out process. Typically, subjects are published 10 days before the recorded start date in StudentOne at 10am. However, Subject Coordinators or Instructors can publish the subject at any time.
- A subject CANNOT be unpublished if a student has interacted with the content.
- Students will not see announcements or receive emails about announcements unless the subject is published.
Training and professional development
We recommend completing a combination of the following training options. For details on workshops, webinars, and online training modules, visit the LMS workshops section of our website.
Further support
LMS support
- Visit staff guides for step by step guides
- Visit LMS FAQs for answers to common questions
- Log in to the LMS and click LMS support in the global menu to access 24/7 Canvas support, guides, and more
Learning Environments support
- Visit the Learning Environments support centre for direct access to online resources and support forms.
- For guidelines on the development of online components for subjects read the framework for building or improving an LMS site.
This guide was last updated 02 Aug 2023.
Please report any errors or omissions in this guide by submitting an LMS support request.