This article highlights why clear communication, consistency across courses, and an introduction during the first lessons are crucial to reducing student stress and helping them focus better on their studies.
50 announcements from 8 different courses
For many first-year students, Canvas can feel overwhelming with a flood of information: “What’s important? What can wait? How do I make sure I don’t miss anything crucial?” This can create stress and gives students the feeling they’re falling behind quickly. For example, a student might be taking two courses in the first term. They’re enrolled in two corresponding Canvas courses, one for each subject. But they’re also enrolled in six additional Canvas courses; one for general study information, another for internships, and so on. Some of these courses they don’t even understand the purpose of. All these Canvas courses push out information, much of it via Announcements. “In the first three weeks, I received over fifty announcements from eight different Canvas courses. Way too much, especially at the start of my studies. Now I’m unnecessarily stressed, and it’s hard to focus on learning.”
Tip for teachers: at the start of the academic year, limit communication to essential information only, to avoid overwhelming students. Carefully consider which messages need to be shared directly through Canvas and which can wait or be communicated in class.
Every Canvas course is different
Learning to navigate Canvas is much easier when all courses are set up similarly. This way, students only need to figure it out once, and they’ll know exactly where to find what they need. “All eight of the Canvas courses I’m taking have different layouts. I can’t find any consistent logic,” shares the student. This frustration is understandable. Even if each teacher has arranged their course in a logical way, that logic gets lost when every course is set up differently.
Tip for teachers: try to implement a uniform course layout across your department. This makes it much easier for students to find their way around the system.
Lots of text to sift through
Important information is often hidden within large blocks of text, making it difficult for students to quickly find what they need. One example: “The link to a crucial workbook was buried in the middle of a long syllabus, but we need that link all the time. I have dyslexia, so it’s hard for me to read through long sections of text.”
Tip for teachers: use headings, bold text, and clearly visible buttons for important links. This makes Canvas courses more accessible for all students, especially those with dyslexia.
Give a quick tour
Students often feel left on their own when it comes to learning how to use Canvas. While peers help each other out, “it would have been really helpful if the first lecture or introduction session had covered how Canvas works and what’s important to know,” says one student. They also didn’t know how to access their student email, which contains crucial information.
Tip for teachers: take a few minutes during the first lecture to walk students through Canvas and explain the key features. This can save students a lot of stress.
What does help students!
Of course, there are also positive experiences. What helped this student get the hang of navigating Canvas? “The summary at the bottom of the Syllabus page, the to-do lists, and the upcoming deadlines that Canvas automatically generates were a huge help. Assignment deadlines, registration dates, and important events that teachers added to the Canvas calendar all appeared there. That really helped me keep track of what’s important and understand the order of priorities,” says the student. “And how great would it also be if this was integrated with the timetable on rooster.vu.nl, so all the lectures and exam times would show up in these lists too?”
What’s next?
For some students, Canvas can feel like a maze. Clear communication guidelines, more consistency across courses, and a proper introduction during the first lessons are the most important improvements, according to them. These changes could help reduce stress and allow students to focus more on their studies.
Tip for teachers: visit the VU ‘Canvas Student Friendly’ page for more practical tips! Over a thousand VU students have already said these tips make a real difference for them.You can also schedule a free consultation with a student assistant specialized in Canvas, who can help make your Canvas course as student-friendly as possible. To set this up, email onderwijswerkplaats@vu.nl.