Getting Started Online

Whether you are teaching online for the first time or it’s “old hat,” the information on this page is intended to help you get your online class off to a great start for both you and your students. We can provide you with the support you need to help ensure that your online course is a quality learning experience for students and a rewarding instructional experience for you, as well.

If you are new to online teaching, please contact the Center for Integrated Professional Development (CIPD) for consultations, workshops, or other professional development opportunities.  Additionally, our colleagues at the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have created an excellent Access Self-Service Kits resource to help you develop or revise an online course.

1. Set the Foundation of Your Course

   First, consider your overall course design and learning objectives. Having a clear idea of your own goals and structure for the course allows you to decide on the best plan of action for setting up your course.

   • Determine Course Design and Learning Objectives

     Remember to write learning objectives (statements about what a learner will be able to do by the end of a course/module/lesson) that are clear and measurable. Consider planning your course using the Course Outline Worksheet so that your learning objectives, activities, assessments, and materials are aligned.

   • Check Your Syllabus

     Before you publish your course site, please make sure that your online syllabus is clear and includes all information for students’ success. Use the online syllabus checklist to reflect on all elements of your online course.

2. Build the Course Structure

   Once you have the foundation of your course set, start to build out the structure in your Canvas site using modules and other Canvas tools.

   If you are new to Canvas, explore ISU's Canvas help guides created by ISU and the guides from Instructure, the company that owns Canvas. For questions on how to use tools in Canvas or if something is not working as intended, contact the Technology Support Center, call (309) 438-HELP, email SupportCenter, submit a request via Web Form, or Live Chat at Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help.

   • Provide Structure through Modules

     Finish preparing your online course for launch. We recommend using the Modules tool in Canvas to organize course content and guide student workflow. You can set up your Modules by week, chapter, unit, etc., depending on how your course is structured. Once you’ve determined your course flow, you can start to create Modules.

   • Design an Orientation Module

     Design an Orientation Module that provides students with low-stakes orientation activities to practice the skills needed to use the tools required of them during the semester. Below are some examples:

     • Provide a "Getting to Know You" topic in your discussion board and ask students to share information about themselves so that they can learn how to use the discussion tool and engage in community building.
     • Collect information about your students by asking them to complete a survey or quiz using the Quizzes tool or submit a Student Information Sheet using the Assignment tool in Canvas.
     • Have students watch a video, download a podcast, use course-related software, visit the publisher textbook site, or anything that they might be asked to do that might have an associated "glitch." It's best to get those glitches resolved right away before students have to engage in high-stakes assessments and activities.
3. Communicate with Students

   Publish Your Course 

   Once you are ready for students to access the course, publish your course in Canvas! Note: Students will have immediate access to your course once you have published (opened it up for use).

   Remember to send any announcements and/or publish your Orientation Module!

   Share a Welcome Message

   Provide a “Welcome Message” (via email) with basic course information for your students. Doing so will save you a considerable amount of time and effort that would either be spent responding to students’ questions or handling distressed students who don’t “find” your online class until long after it has begun. Students in online classes may need explicit information about courses that is either taken for granted or easily found in conventional face-to-face courses.

   Our colleagues at UW-Milwaukee's Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning have created helpful suggestions for information to include in your message.

   Once you have published your course, send your Welcome Message to your registered students using the Announcement tool in Canvas. You can type directly into the textbox. We recommend sending this message about a week before your class begins.