Organize Content by Using Modules

Modules offer and easy way to organize your class to make it easy for students to identify what is expected from them. Modules are like a table of contents with headers and sub-sections. Some instructors organize their modules by subject or theme, some organize by week.

Creating Modules

How do I create Modules?  Links to an external site.
Modules: Creation and Management Links to an external site. (video)

Adding content to your modules

Each module can link to various types of content or other areas of your course, like files, discussion boards, pages, or assignments and quizzes. 

How do I add items to Modules? Links to an external site.

Tips from Northwestern faculty: 
  • Put every element that you create into your Modules (all discussions, assignments, pages).
  • Organize modules chronologically, by week, unit, or lesson.

Customize Students' Access to Modules

As with many items in Canvas, you can decide to keep a module in draft mode or publish it when you are ready for students to see it. To unpublish a Module, simply click on the checkmark in the green circle to the right of the module, so that it turns into a grey unpublished symbol.

Screenshot showing Published and Unpublished pages in a Module

Remember: the module's publish/unpublish status overrides the status of items in the Module. If you publish a Module, all items in it will be published as well.

Locking a module until a specific date Links to an external site.
How do I add requirements to a module? Links to an external site.
How do I set up prerequisite modules? Links to an external site.
New "Assign To" Interface