Checklist: Launching your LMS subject

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Access your current Subjects and Communities

• Availability: Your required Subject(s) are available to you.
• Dashboard review: Update your Dashboard for this semester.
• Staff access: Check that all staff have been added to the Subject, each with the appropriate level of access.

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.

• Copy Forward: Copy subject content from previous delivery if applicable.
• Banner and Subject Card: Use the Banner Tool to create a banner for the Home page and Subject Card for the Dashboard.
• Home page: Provide a concise welcome text or video on the Home page, introducing the subject's overview, aims, assessments, and learning outcomes with links to Subject Overview and Modules pages.
• Subject overview and staff information: Create or update the Subject Overview and Staff Information pages using an LMS template.
• Module naming: Optimise student experience with logical module names (weeks/ topics etc).
• Modules requirements: Apply module rules if appropriate, checking configurations for each module and adding requirements if needed.
• Review and update content: Ensure content is current.
• Minimise files: Content is embedded in pages rather than attachments whenever possible.
• Reading Online: Verify the Readings Online link and update the reading list, adding links to individual readings in pages as necessary.
• Accessibility review: All pages have been checked for accessibility (click the Check Accessibility icon while editing a page).
• Video review: Succinct videos are created or used as needed to explain or demonstrate key concepts.
• Manage videos: Upload and review video content into Lecture Capture or Kaltura using the Media Gallery or Lecture Capture link.
• Copyright review: Ensure compliance with copyright regulations for all images, videos, and materials used and that they are cited appropriately.
• External tools: Ensure proper setup and access of any external tools used in the subject. Create an External User to test student view with external tools.
• Review navigation: Hide unused menu items by adjusting navigation settings in Setting. We recommend always hide the people, files, and pages links.
• Validate links in content: In setting use the link validator to ensure they are working correctly.
• Check content is published: Review the Publish settings for modules to publish all required content pages.

Assessment and feedback

• Assignments are updated: Access Assignments in the subject menu and review assignment descriptions, dates, and other settings.
• Recreate LTI assignments: External tools for assessment such as Gradescope, FeedbackFruits or Cadmus need to be recreated for a new delivery, and published to students.
• Check Assignment Groups: Check the automatically created Assignment group weightings, and assignment are in their appropriate group. Delete any assignment groups from previous deliveries
• Check and update Quizzes: Migrated quizzes need to be reviewed carefully each semester. Check migrated quiz images are displaying as expected.
• Review Gradebook set up: Go to Grades from the subject menu and review the columns and settings applied. Set the Grade Posting Policy to Manual to ensure students do not see grades until released by staff.
• Check assignment weightings in subject overview: Go to Subject Overview in the subject menu and review the Assignments are weighted by group table.

Lectures

• Check Lecture Capture schedule: In subject menu go to Lecture Capture and check schedule is as expected.
• Set up Zoom meetings (if required): Go to Zoom in the subject menu to review the Upcoming Meetings Zoom schedule

Discussions

• Set up Discussions (if required): Ensure discussions and content are setup. For advice with designing and facilitating see using LMS discussions or Ed 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.

• Clean up Files area: Review and delete old files and utilise logical folders
• Check file permissions

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.

• Check accessibility: The 'Check Accessibility' button has been clicked on every page, and any necessary updates have been made.
• Check style: 'Heading' and 'paragraph' styles are used throughout text.
• Check images: All images contain alt text or are marked as decorative.
• Check link descriptions: All hyperlinks contain meaningful descriptions.
• Content in pages: Content is contained within Canvas pages rather than uploaded as files (eg PDF).
• Check colours: Ensure sufficient colour contrast. Be wary of colour combinations that may impact screen readers and those with low vision.
• Review guidelines: You are familiar with the University of Melbourne Brand Hub web accessibility guidelines.

Preview with Student View (or as an external user)

The following should be checked using Student View within your subject. For more information see how do I view a course as a test student using Student View?

• Check assignments: The Assignments area displays as expected.
• Check grades: The Grades area displays all assessment items appropriately.
• Check navigation: Appropriate links are available in the subject menu.
• Check content availability: Open all pages, including Subject Overview and Staff Information.
• Check module availability: Modules are published and available as expected.
• Check attachments: Attached documents and media (audio/video) can be accessed and viewed.

Mobile app

With the Canvas Teacher app you can manage content, announcements and more.

• Install app: Install the Canvas Teacher app on a mobile device.
• View subject: Verify that your content is displaying correctly by viewing the available areas.

Make the subject available to students

Student enrolment and management

• Check enrolments: Go to Enrolment Change Log in the subject menu and ensure students appear appropriately.
• Check Sections: Go to Sections in the subject menu.
• Check Groups: Go to People in the subject menu and select the Groups tab.

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.

• Publish Subject: Go to Home and click Publish. See Subject publication and auto-publish management.

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.

• Attend or register for all relevant LMS workshop and webinars. See schedule of workshops
• Watched the recordings available for relevant LMS workshop and webinars. See Recorded webinars

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.