"Clear expectations needed: It was really difficult to figure out what they wanted from me. I want to know what I’m supposed to do, when I’m supposed to do it, without me guessing.”

"The list at the beginning of each week, saying what we needed to accomplish that week, was my lifeline! That was so helpful."

In addition to students wanting to find everything in a weekly module, students also expressed liking classes in which each week there was a consistent pattern or flow. In online learning, a consistent module pattern helps students get into a routine and manage their time well. In remote learning, students also wanted structure and routine. This does not mean you have to always do the same thing each week. You can have the same due date pattern (i.e., assignments are always due on Friday) but vary what type of assignment or activity is due. You can also vary your content type while still adding variety. As an example in module 2, Dale Hamilton alternated live lectures with pre-recorded lectures but that pattern remained constant so students could plan when they needed to join the live lectures.

Having a consistent pattern or routine helps you and your students manage your time and effort (Stavredes, 2011). You are in control of the workload of you and your students. It is worth spending some time to figure out a rhythm that works for each of your courses. You can choose to pre-build modules using the pattern you created before the semester starts to help save some prep-work time throughout the semester. Or if you "build as you go," a consistent pattern will help you know what content areas you need to create.

Consistent & Clear Module Pattern: Christina Smerick

Christina Smerick, Philosophy, describes how she structured each weekly module in Canvas. As you watch the video, use the comment area of the timeline to do one of the following:

Ask a question
Answer someone else's question
Identify something from the video you can use in your classes