Canvas Baseline Practices: 2. Orientation to course
Help students get started with clarity and confidence.
What this practice involves
- Include a welcome message on the course homepage that introduces yourself, the course topic, and how to get started.
- Provide a short video or written tour that explains the structure of your Canvas course and how to navigate it.
- Link to key elements: the syllabus, weekly modules, assessment overview, and support resources.
- Add a visual or textual course map to show the flow of learning.
- Include clear guidance on how to participate—whether that’s attending lectures, posting in discussions, or submitting assignments.
- Use inclusive, student-facing language. Avoid academic or technical jargon in the orientation materials.
Why it matters
First impressions matter. Many students drop off or disengage early in a course due to uncertainty about expectations or confusion about how to begin. A welcoming, clear orientation can reduce anxiety, build trust, and promote a stronger learning partnership from the start. A good course orientation helps learners understand what the course is about, how it’s structured, and what’s expected of them.
It also aligns with Universal Design for Learning by supporting ‘engagement’ by helping students feel prepared, appreciated, and motivated.
Implementation
2.1 Provide a welcome message
A welcome page is a great opportunity to invite your students into your course and set the tone for their semester ahead. You may like to include a short video introduction of yourself and the course, or simply add a photo and a short welcome paragraph. This can help start establishing the relationship between students and teachers and build a sense of community and belonging.
1. Provide a welcome message and video, introducing the course and yourself. This helps build teacher presence/relational learning. 2. Icons are useful visual cues to help students understand the expectations of the course and to identify specific activities and resources. 3. Describe the technologies used in this course so students can familiarise themselves with their use.
2.2 Introduce the teaching team
Streamline communication between students and teachers by providing contact information: office hours, communication preferences, and expected response time. Include a profile photo, biography or a link to your Discovery Profile. Name the class representative(s); it’s a requirement of our Class Representation Policy.
1. Provide a photo and a bit about yourself to help build teacher presence (relational learning). 2. Don’t forget to add the class representative(s), once they have been selected in weeks 1-2.
2.3 Provide an orientation to the course
An orientation should describe the expectations for students and how the course is laid out. Provide instructions to help students find essential information (e.g., assessments, course schedule, weekly topics etc.). Compile date-specific information (comprising of tasks and their due-by dates) so students can prioritise their studies.
Canvas basics guide: Course calendar
Canvas basics guide: How to insert links within your course
Canvas basics guide: How to insert links to external content
2.4 Provide links to student support
1. Provide a link to this page from the course homepage and include it within Modules under a ‘Course introduction’ heading. 2. Prompt students to check the course introduction pages to see if their question has been answered already. And create a Canvas Discussion thread for general enquiries so that students can support each other. 3. An FAQs section addresses common questions asked each semester.
Tips and tools
- Use Canvas Announcements or Pages to introduce the course.
- Embed a short welcome video using Panopto, Zoom, or your preferred tool.
- Reuse a welcome checklist across courses or coordinate a consistent approach across your programme.
- Invite students to reflect or introduce themselves as a first activity to foster connection.
Page updated 27/06/2025 (content refresh)