At a Glance

Together, Sloan Technology Services and the Sloan Student Senate identified 6 best practices of a Canvas course, known as MIT Sloan’s Gold Standards, that students report as having the greatest positive impact on their learning experience.

We implemented these best practices into a Gold Copy course that we invite you to explore. Watch the video below to hear from George and Jennifer!

Tip: The How to Build a Gold Standard Canvas Course self-paced course takes you step-by-step through the course building process, including how to request to copy content from a previous course in Canvas to your upcoming course site and how to set up a Study.Net course pack. When you’re done building your course, use the Technical & Gold Standards Checklists in the Term Start Checklist to make sure your site is ready for students.

1. Label Modules with the Class Date and Topic

2. Create All Deliverables (e.g. Assignments, readings, pre-work) as Canvas Assignments with a Due Date

3. Add Course Content, Instructions, and Important Links as Module items

4. Label Files with the Class Date and Subject

5. Show Only Necessary Items in the Course Navigation Menu

To learn how to customize your Course Navigation Menu, refer to How do I manage Course Navigation links?

6. Solicit Informal Feedback About the Canvas Site from Students Throughout the Semester