Once you have examined the details of the course templates, you may click on the link below to access the templates as well as instructions for how to download and import them into your course sites.

CLICK HERE: Download the Synchronous Online Course Template and Import It into Your Course

Synchronous Course Template

This template is intended to help you get started in designing courses that take place primarily through synchronous class sessions. Asynchronous learning will take place online and inside of Canvas. Synchronous class sessions will usually be conducted through live videoconferencing platforms (i.e., Zoom).

Home Page

What should students see when they enter your course site?

If you are not meeting your students on the first day of the semester, the Course Home page needs to orient students to what they need to know about the course and what they need to do as they get started. It should also be a page that students return to for timely updates.

Built into the Course Home Page are the following elements. After importing the template into your course, change the text in the Course Home Page as appropriate for your course.

Recent Announcements: Use the Announcements to keep students up-to-date. You can add new Announcements via the left-hand navigation.

Quick Link Buttons: Note that students will see links to the Syllabus section, the Modules section, and Texas One Stop (containing timely updates for students).

Welcome Information: Replace the text in this section with a description of your course, its format, and details about course meetings.

Instructor/TA Contact Information: Replace the text in this section with your contact information and office hours.

Course Materials and Requirements: Include links to the Co-op or other location for course textbooks, information about hardware/software requirements for students, and links for students to download the Canvas app for mobile devices.

Modules: Resources and Sample Structure

What information should I include to orient my students to the course? How should I build learning sequences for effective synchronous learning and include additional resources? How should I solicit student feedback?

The Modules section of Canvas course sites is frequently used to list, in sequential order, the materials, assignments, and additional resources for your course. While you may devise a sequence that makes sense to you, we have built the template with a weekly agenda in mind. In that sense, the course template is intended to give you a set of suggestions for how to build your course inside of Canvas. Included are the following elements:

Welcome to the Course: Included are links you may create for how to the technology requirements for the course, tips for being a successful student in a synchronous course, and an agreement for academic integrity that students may complete.

Sample Module: As a synchronous course will employ both synchronous (i.e., videoconferencing sessions) and asynchronous learning, we have suggested a structure for how to sequence before class, class, and after class learning. Additional recommendations:

Additional Sample Resources: You may offer links to additional assignments, quizzes, and major assessments.

Student Feedback: Offering students the chance to give you frequent feedback on how they are learning will give you valuable insights as to the success of your course.

Discussions

How will I foster online engagement?

This section of the course template provides a few suggested discussion prompts for your synchronous online course.

Meet and Greet: Encourage students to get to know you and each other before the class gets underway. Ask students to share appropriate information about the scholarly interests. Ask them to talk a bit about how they plan to access the online course, what hardware/technology they will be using, and any possible challenges they may be able to foresee.

Introduce yourself!: One of the more effective ways of establishing engagement in online courses is to encourage "social presence," or, discussion around multiple topics related to students' interests and prior experiences in order to develop opportunities for peer learning and learning communities.

Module Discussions: You can use these asynchronous discussion areas to prepare students for synchronous discussions or ask them to reflect or investigate topics from prior synchronous discussions more deeply.

Syllabus Design

What information will my syllabus need?

In the Syllabus section of your course, you can build out and extend the information that you provide in your course syllabus. The course template provides you with a selection of sections that you can develop with your course in mind. Don't forget to upload the full syllabus to this page at the very top, under "Please read the Course Syllabus."

University Information and Policies

What information will I need to communicate to my students about UT policies and resources?

This section of the course Syllabus provides a comprehensive list of information and policies that correspond to both online learning and the evolving Fall 2020 environment.