Student Orientation Module

 What is a Student Orientation Module and Why Do I Need One?

A student orientation or Getting Started module houses all of the important information to start the course off successfully. This documentation can include the syllabus, instructor introduction, course overview, course expectations, and the course schedule. The purpose of a student orientation module is to help your students learn the course navigation, expectations, organization, required course materials and assignments, how they will be graded/evaluated, and how students can ask questions and communicate with the instructor. 

Elements of a Student Orientation Module

Explore Course Orientation

Having a course orientation is important in online and blended courses. Many learners are taking multiple digital learning courses, each of which may have a different structure and organization. Having a course orientation, allows you to introduce to your students the unique design of your course and allow them to get started on the right footing.  

What does this look like in Canvas?

The course orientation can be in the form of text, audio, or video on a Canvas page, however, many instructors find it useful to create a screencast of their course (using free tools like screencast-o-matic Links to an external site.) to navigate through and highlight key aspects of the course. 

Intro Instructor Introduction

An instructor introduction is a brief overview of your educational and/or work background, which helps to establish you as the subject matter expert.  To help humanize the course and build connections, you can include some personal elements such as hobbies, travel, and family life.  

What does this look like in Canvas?

The instructor's introduction is typically in the form of text, audio, or video on a Canvas page. For more information, and 🟢 Samples of the Instructor Introduction, refer back to Module 2: Learner-Centered Course Design.  

Syllabus Course Syllabus

An instructor introduction is a brief overview of your educational and/or work background, which helps to establish you as the subject matter expert.  To help humanize the course and build connections, you can include some personal elements such as hobbies, travel, and family life.  

What does this look like in Canvas?

Canvas has a dedicated menu item for the Syllabus. Here you can create your course syllabus as a Canvas page. 

Do This Course Expectations

Establishing clear expectations, right up front, will help learners be successful while navigating through your course.  In an online course, it is essential to articulate your expectations: your expectations of them, what they can expect from you, and what they can expect from the course experience. Starting the term, and the course, with these elements upfront during the course orientation, helps establish conditions and can help prevent things you don't want. Learners may be taking several online courses, all with slightly different expectations. Make yours loud and clear.

Questions to reflect on when establishing expectations:

  • How often do you expect students to access the course?
  • How should students communicate with you?  Should they use email or the LMS messaging tool?
  • If students send you an email, how do you prefer they format it?
    • How should they address you? 
    • Do they need to include the course number in the subject line?
  • For activities which require students to interact, what does respectful dialogue look like?
    • Should conversations stay professional?
    • What actions would be taken if incivility took place?
  • When should students expect to hear from you if they send you a message?
  • When should the students expect their assignments to be graded?
  • If they experience difficulty in the class, what do you expect students to do?

What does this look like in Canvas?

There are several ways to communicate the course expectations to students; three options are below, though you may consider using a combination of several approaches:

  • Welcome Message
  • Announcement
  • Course Expectations

Schedule Course Schedule

A course schedule provides a clear place for students to see weekly assignments, readings, and due dates.

What does this look like in Canvas?

Many instructors use a table on a Canvas page for their course schedule. Please note that a summary of all assignments is also automatically available in the Canvas syllabus area. Refer to the Canvas guides Links to an external site. if you need more information.

Try This Samples available.

Review the Samples: Student Orientation Module  page to see how instructors have oriented their learners.