By Paige Paulsen
Moving a course site from Chalk to Canvas requires rethinking the organization of the class. Chalk classes can hold a multi-level folder organization but Canvas presents materials using Modules, which are only one level. We believe that once the differences in organizational logic are clear, the process of switching can provide a valuable opportunity to reimagine the structure of the course site.
Organization options: our favorites that we’ve seen so far are Modules and the Syllabus. Modules act similarly to content areas in Chalk – you can create a folder which holds everything on a particular topic or for a particular week. We recommend putting all readings, assignments, media files, quizzes, etc. into a week’s module, or the section of the class covering a specific topic. The syllabus feature in Canvas automatically integrates with assignment due dates and calendar events – making it an excellent tool for laying out the course material and topics for each class period.
When adding files to the course – drag and drop! There have been several occasions where we have downloaded the files from the Chalk course to upload them into Canvas. Many faculty have chosen to organize their course using Modules – when adding material, select new file and then drag the file from your computer to add it to the course. It will automatically be stored in the designated folder in the Canvas course as well as displaying in the module.