Quotes from the students' nominations
My instructor, Kelsey Torgerson, deserves this award because of the amount of detail she has put into her Canvas site and the content she teaches us! By far, this course has been the most organized - in terms of module layout, overall design, simplicity and ease of navigating. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a science class would be the most engaging and fun course I'd take in my college career. Science was never a favorite of mine growing up; it was complicated and abstract to me. Kelsey has given me a second look at how interesting science really is and I am finding myself craving to know more. Her video lectures of the topics each week are the highlight for me, truly. She brings the concepts to life and displays such passion and joy for meteorology that feels almost magnetic, drawing me in. I wish all instructors could take note from her and give (even just a smidge of) what she does. Thank you Kelsey, for inspiring a fresh take on meteorology (and, well, science in general), and for helping me find a deeper love for learning! I appreciate your professionalism, creativeness, and pure joy demonstrated in this course. A few more notes. Pertaining to my survey answers, group projects weren't necessarily implemented, however we had numerous discussion posts were we learned from each other. Additionally, Kelsey provided a "Cool Weather Things" page for us to create a community and post about neat things weather things happening in our area, resources we came across, interesting photos we took, etc. There weren't a ton of "bells and whistles" on the page, but that's the point. She stuck to giving us everything we needed to be successful in her class, and removed anything we didn't. I love how neat and organized her Canvas site is!! I really don't know how she could make it any better than it already is. Oh, and one last thing... her feedback has been top notch! She's not only responsive in a timely manner, but she goes above and beyond in her feedback on my assignments - which not only helps clarify concepts, assures me when I'm grasping those concepts, but also ENHANCES my learning experience by giving even more tidbits of knowledge and insight. She's a wonderful instructor.
Recipient Q&A
What are you most proud of in your Canvas course site?
I'm proud that my Canvas site is easy to navigate and well organized. By minimizing the amount of mental energy students expend navigating the site, they can focus more of their capacity on the actual content. As a result, they learn more, perform better, and are more engaged.
What is one lesson you learned while building or using your course site that might help other instructors who want to improve their use of Canvas?
Keep it simple. Great things don't have to be overly complicated. Have a clean and welcoming home page, clear getting started steps, and well-organized content navigation.
How have you noticed your Canvas site supporting student success? What does student success look like in your course?
My Canvas site supports success because students know what's expected of them, when things are due, and how to find information. I rarely answer questions about instructions, expectations, and due dates, and I receive lots of praise from students on how easy it is to navigate the Canvas site.
When building this course site, what was your process?
Over the years, I have developed a course preparation checklist for each course I teach. I make improvements to the lists each semester based on what's working and what isnt. Having a checklist not only makes course preparation more efficient but allows me to dedicate more of my energy to continuous improvement. Like most instructors, I copy the previous semester's Canvas site over as a starting point but then follow my checklist to update and clean things up prior to the start of each term. Once the semester begins, the Canvas site is on autopilot so I can focus on student engagement and providing meaningful feedback on assessments.
Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge that you collaborated with or who helped you on your course site?
I am grateful to all the students over the years who have offered their constructive feedback and to the many colleagues I've worked with for discussing ideas and/or sharing their Canvas sites. Hearing from others what's working and what isn't is incredibly helpful.
What were some of the benefits (or challenges) of using DesignPlus to build your Canvas course? What suggestions do you have for others to get started?
For this Canvas site, I used DesignPlus (Design Tools) minimally, mainly for the home page, although I have used it more extensively in other Canvas sites. The biggest benefit is that it makes the site look more aesthetic, modern, and polished. When used well, DesignPlus can enhance organization and student navigation. However, I find the biggest challenge is the learning curve. It takes a fair amount of time to learn how to use all its features. Because I already feel confident in the foundational organization and content of my Canvas sites, it's hard to justify spending the extra time to learn more about DesignPlus. My suggestion to others who are new to DesignPlus is to utilize the support resources and guides, then start small. For example, begin with a clean, welcoming home page. Use DesignPlus where it will genuinely improve clarity, navigation, and the overall student experience. However, never lose sight of the fact that the top priority should always be clear, well-organized content. Design to enhance, not to distract, because ultimately, clarity is kindness.