This one-day, hands-on workshop will discuss and showcase the effective use of Canvas for course organization, accessibility, and assessment. Canvas Course Templates will be available for import, and workshop sessions will encompass working time for faculty to build directly in their course sites.
Blank Canvas [Async]
A self-paced online workshop designed for faculty and staff to gain and expand a foundational understanding of Canvas, as well as refine their skills.
Blank Canvas 2025
Where: Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning
Time: 9am-3pm August 14, 2025
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Learning Objectives
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Articulate and create a course syllabus in your Canvas course sites
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Utilize effective methods for Course Organization
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Generate and share accessible course materials
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Navigate and configure the Canvas gradebook / assignments functions
Agenda
| Session | Description |
|---|---|
| Welcome & Breakfast | Light breakfast served. Tea, coffee, and pastries. |
| Reviewing Canvas Survey Data | Every semester, we survey students on how Canvas is used and what they would like to see more of in Canvas. This short session provides insights to faculty on years worth of data collected from students on how they want Canvas to be used to support their learning. |
| Course Navigation & Organization | There are many ways to organize your Canvas course. This session looks at the various ways you can organize your content and help you think through the best way to do so for your class, as well as communicate that organization to your students. |
| BREAK | |
| Session: Canvas Accessibility | Accessibilities is a vital aspect of teaching as our course materials must be accessible for students to properly utilize them. This session will focus on the tools in Canvas available to you and your students to make a more accessible course for everyone. |
| LUNCH | Catered lunch provided. |
| Hands-On Electives |
A rotating small selection of break-out session electives will be available. Past topics have included:
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| Open-Lab Time | Blank Canvas is about getting your course site ready for your students. The Open-Lab time is dedicated work time, beyond the time in each session, for you to work on your Canvas course site. The Educational & Engagement Technology team will be on hand to answer any questions during this period to assist you. |
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend you bring your laptop or whatever device you feel most comfortable working on to build your Canvas course site. Our sessions are designed to spend a small amount of time going over the topic and general design principles and then leaving plenty of time for you to get into Canvas and work on your course site.
In addition to your laptop, we recommend you bring any charging cables you may need for your device as it will be a long day of working on your computer.
Yes! We provide a small breakfast spread, including coffee and tea in the morning that you can enjoy during the Welcome and beginning sessions. Lunch will then be provided in the afternoon, which will include vegetarian options.
If you have specific dietary needs, please reach out to us by emailing askpoorvucenter@yale.edu with your needs.
At this time, Blank Canvas is offered only as an in-person event. We do not offer a Zoom option for joining remotely, nor do we record the event. However, if you would like access to the asynchronous digital resources we provide, please email askpoorvucenter@yale.edu so we can grant you access to our resources for this event.
The Poorvu Center is committed to hosting inclusive and accessible events that enable all individuals, including those with disabilities, to engage fully.
Our presentations will have automated captions enabled, and we will be using microphones while speaking. Additionally, all of the digital materials shared are available for download in multiple, accessible formats.
For more information about the accessibility of the Poorvu Center space, please check out our Accessibility page. If you have questions about access or anticipate needing an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact us at askpoorvucenter@yale.edu.
Advance notice may be necessary to accommodate some accessibility needs.