Preparing the Model Course

I've Got a Model Course; Now What?

Unless you’ve had to teach a brand-new course that has never been taught before, you’re probably used to working with a model course, although maybe not by that name. It might be a model course that you’ve developed over time and copy from semester to semester. It might be a model course that a more experienced instructor has given you access to copy. It might be a model course that a faculty member has put into Canvas Commons for you to download. How is the model course that you’re getting now different?

You don’t have to do any copying or importing. Your section classes will be linked with the model course and all the model course content will be in your sections automatically.
Your section classes and the model course are linked not just copied. That means that while you are prepping your classes if you or another instructor find a major problem (such as a key resource has a broken link), the Model Course Manager can fix it in the model course and request a sync to change the sections. After the start of the session, changes to the model course will only be applied to future sessions so no one can accidentally change the course that you’re teaching.
This isn’t the course you’ve taught before, and you didn’t select the content or structure. This seems obvious, of course, but it means that a new part of your course prep process needs to be getting familiar with the content and pacing in this course, which may be very different than how you’ve taught the course in the past.

Blue icon with a white line drawing of a note with a push pin

But I like my way of teaching the course! Can’t I just use what I’ve done before?

Let’s take a quick tour of the model course and how it gets to you.

While it may not be the way you’ve taught this course before, give the model course a try. You may find that you really like the course designer’s approach! But, if you’ve tried it out and you feel your way of doing things was better, commit to improving the model course by communicating recommendations to your program director or department chair.

Use the NEXT button to learn about how prepping your model course is a different process.