Canvas Baseline Model
The Canvas Baseline helps ensure a consistent and high-quality digital learning experience for all students across our programmes. It provides clear expectations and practical guidance for how modules should be structured and presented in Canvas.
The value of the Canvas Baseline
On this page, you will find the Baseline practical guidance and a checklist for module teams to use when reviewing and developing their Canvas modules.
The Baseline is designed to help:
- ensure module meet a core set of expectations around structure, navigation, and accessibility
- use more of Canvas’ features where appropriate to support student learning and engagement
- improve the mobile experience for students, many of whom access Canvas via their phone
- go beyond the minimum where possible, with Baseline+ suggestions for enhancing the learning experience.
How to use the Canvas Baseline
Use this page as a practical checklist when reviewing or developing Canvas modules. The Baseline column outlines the minimum expectations all modules should meet. The Baseline+ column offers ideas for going beyond the minimum, where appropriate. Links to relevant guidance and support are also provided.
Note that the Canvas Baseline Model was approved at Education Committee April 2025.
Orientation and Structure
Module Homepage
The module homepage should aim to:
- set the tone and expectations early
- give students a starting point.
Baseline
- Include welcome video and text that introduces module aims, teaching staff and how students will learn.
- Share how and when students can contact you.
- Signpost students on what to do next.
Baseline+
- Include welcome video filmed professionally in Learning & Teaching Enhancement studio.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
How do I use the Course Home Page as an instructor?
How to edit a page
Course Structure and Navigation
Course structure and navigation should aim to:
- help students find materials quickly
- reduce confusion and cognitive load
- encourage independent learning from day one
- enhance student experience on mobile devices
- simplify the import process for future module instances.
Baseline
- Use Units to organise content into weeks or topics.
- Use clear sub-headings for each topic and/or week with a description of what will be covered on the Syllabus page (previously the Learning and Teaching page).
Baseline+
- Provide brief introductory video for each topic of the module.
- Use Requirements in Units to allow students to track their progress.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
How to use Units N.B. The guidance calls these ‘Modules’
How to add a Unit
How to use Requirements to a Unit
How to use Prerequisites with Units
How to reorder or move Units
How to copy a Unit to another Module
Communication and Engagement
Through communication and engagement, the Module Coordinator should aim to:
- build a sense of connection and trust
- keep students on track and informed
- ensure students know where to find help.
Baseline
- Make Announcements brief, clear and action oriented.
- Keep Key Contacts Page information up to date.
- Clearly state engagement expectations and how to use Discussions, if being used.
Baseline+
- Publish the Story of the Module Page to share how feedback has shaped the module.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
Learning, Teaching & Assessment
Materials and Resources
Through materials and resources, the Module Coordinator should aim to:
- help students prepare for their learning and build confidence to contribute to discussions, etc.
- build confidence and engagement with content
- improve engagement when accessing content on mobile devices.
Baseline
- Publish module 7 days before teaching begins.
- Ensure any additional material added is available before teaching.
- Use Units to organise content into weeks or topics.
- Use clear and consistent labelling of Pages and Files (e.g. ‘Week 1 Lecture Slides’, ‘1.1, 1.2, 1.3’, etc.)
- Upload and make available all recorded media in Panopto.
- Include readings within the module Reading List.
Baseline+
- Utilise further Canvas functionality, including but not limited to: Canvas Credentials, Mastery Paths, Collaborations.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
Assessment and Feedback
The Module Coordinator should aim to:
- reduce misunderstandings
- encourage timely submission and academic integrity
- help students understand how to improve.
Baseline
- List formative and summative assessment deadlines and instructions clearly, with clear detail on the kind of assessment.
- Provide rubric or a marking criteria for formative and summative assignments.
- Let students know when and how they’ll receive feedback.
- Provide overarching statement about module approach to GenAI.
- For each assignment, clearly state what use of GenAI is permitted (this could be illustrated by confirming where it sits on AI Assessment Scale).
Baseline+
- Provide sample student responses to equivalent assignments with commentary on successful features/areas for improvement.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
How to create an Assignment
How to create/add a rubric
How to manage rubrics
External site
AI Assessment Scale (Perkins, Furze, Roe & MacVaugh, 2025)
Canvas Analytics
By using Canvas analytics, the Module Coordinator should aim to:
- help identify struggling students early
- inform teaching decisions
- support personalised feedback and interventions.
Baseline
- Check participation data regularly to spot disengagement.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
Accessibility
The Module Coordinator should aim to:
- make content usable for all students
- meet legal and institutional requirements.
Baseline
- Use descriptive links (e.g. ‘Read Week 2 article’)
- Make sure captions and transcripts for all video and audio are provided.
- Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker and Module Link Validator to ensure all links added are valid.
- Use the Accessibility Report to identify and action fixes identified.
Baseline+
- Integrate accessibility checks as part of the content creation process rather than at the end, or as a reactive task.
Recent Guidance
Canvas Community (Instructure, 2025)
How to use the Canvas Accessibility Checker
How to validate links
External site
How to use the Accessibility Report (Anthology Inc, 2022)
Copyright
If external materials are used, the Module Coordinator should aim to:
- meet legal and institutional requirements.
Baseline
- Make sure materials are copyright-cleared or openly licensed, with links added where suitable.
Recent Guidance
Stirling LibGuides
Software & Applications
Using additional software
By using additional software, the Module Coordinator should aim to:
- help students feel confident using unfamiliar software
- reduce technical issues and delays
- increase engagement with interactive or collaborative features.
Baseline
- If a module makes use of additional software or Canvas functionality, it should explain why it is being used.
- Provide instructions on how to use and access, including engagement expectations.
- Link to support or help guides.
Baseline+
- Use supported functionality within Canvas and other software, such as: Collaborations, Canvas Credentials, Mastery Paths, Padlet, CampusPress, Mentimeter, LinkedIn Learning, Faculty specific software (Safe Medicate, Labster etc.)