This is how modules work in Canvas

The course menu in Canvas groups the content after which type of material it is. To build a course menu that groups the material after how it's connected in the course you use modules.

If you create the material on the "module page" then you always can be sure that your course will be coherent.

Modules are useful in multiple different ways:

They create a clear structure for the course so that the students find the right material.
They create a path through the course. The students can press the button "Next" when they are looking at materials in the course to go to the next material in the order they are put in the module.
They give you a clear overview so you know what material is published and not.
In the modules, you are able to group the material so it will be published at a later date.
The standard setting in Canvas is that the "module page" is the homepage for the course. You are able to change the homepage but have in mind how the students can find all of the material in that case.

Create a new module

Add modules

Go to Modules and click on "+Module" in the top right corner.
Write a name for the module.
Click on "Add module".
IMPORTANT! Remember to publish your module!

Change the name or order of modules

Change order with the modules.

Click on the dots to the right and select "Edit" if you need to change the name or time setting.
All modules and all their content have a symbol of eight small dots in front of them. Click and drag if you wish to move something up or down the list.

Tip! You can click the small arrow over the module name to compress the module so that you'll only see the header. It's a good way to get an overview of a course with a lot of content. Only you are affected by compressing or extending the modules, your students can still see all the content.

Add material to a module

Modules are a flexible tool to present the content of the course.

A module can contain:

headings (= non-clickable subheadings)
pages
assignments
quiz
discussion forums
links
files

Links and files can advantageously be embedded in pages in a way so you can put them in context and relieve long modules.

To add materials to a module you need to do as follows:

Click the plus sign on the same row as your module, see the marking on the screenshot below.

Add material to a module.

Select which type of material you want to add. You can add already existing material, upload files, or create new material directly in the module tool.
When you create a new material in the module tool see it as a skeleton for the course. Add the pages, assignments, quizzes etc. you need in the course, Wait with publishing until you've added content to different materials.

If you delete material from a module, e.g. an assignment, then you've only deleted the link between the module and the assignment. Your assignment is still available under Assignments in the course navigation, so to delete it completely you have to delete it there as well. Otherwise, it still might be visible for the students in their to-do list or the course navigation.

Structure modules and their content

You can create separate modules and structure the course content after e.g.

module ("delkurs" in Swedish)
subject
weeks

You can of course create modules for every type of course activity (lectures, discussions, examinations), but it can easily become messy if you have too many elements.

Visual hierarchy in a module

You also have the option to structure a module's content by using headings (1) and indents (2, 3). A heading is a non-clickable subheading that is shown in a bigger font and can help in getting an overview of the module's content.

Create a good learning experience

When you create your modules you can advantageously assume the perspective of the students' experience, and structure the content from that (Learning Experience Design). For Tawfik et al. (2021) Learning Experience Design includes multiple components, for example how you experience the navigation, the structure of the content and how you interact with the material.

Begin with an introduction of what the module contains, which goals should be achieved, if necessary which teachers are responsible for the module etc. It's important to end the module with a summary and if possible an outlook, how the module is connected with the rest of the course and programme.

A tip: think of the modules as chapters in a book, in a chapter it feels natural, to begin with, an introduction and end with a summary.

Publish the module and its content

Unpublished modules will not be visible for your students, not even if some material in the module already is published. If you have published a module with some of the material as unpublished only the published material will be visible for the students.