Course Home Page
The purpose of the home page
The home page is the first place students visit in the course. The default home page at the University of Iceland displays the course modules and works well for most courses. It gives students a clear overview of the course structure, learning materials and next steps.
Canvas also offers four other types of home page. Instructors can select another option if it better suits the course structure and students’ needs.
1. Which home page is right for the course?
Home page
Suitable when
Default home page
(Modules/course content)
The course is organised by week or topic. Students see learning materials and assignments in the order in which they are expected to complete them.
Custom home page
The instructor wants to welcome students, introduce the course or provide a clear route to the content students use most often.
Syllabus
The syllabus and dated assignments or events should be prominent. A chronological list of dated course items is automatically displayed at the bottom of the page. The Syllabus may also be used as the home page only at the beginning of the course, for example during the first one or two weeks.
Assignments List
The course is mainly organised around assignments. Students see assignments grouped as upcoming, past or undated. Instructors see assignments organised by assignment group.
Course Activity Stream
Recent course activity should be most prominent, such as announcements, discussions and assignments. The content displayed depends on each user’s role and participation in the course.
2. Select a home page
Open the course and select Home in Course Navigation.
Select Choose Home Page on the right. A dialogue box opens.
Select the type of home page you want to use.
Select Save.
The home page changes for all course users.
Custom home page
Before you can select a custom page as the course home page:
- Create the page in Pages.
- Publish the page.
- Open the page options menu and select Use as Front Page.
- Go to Home.
- Select Choose Home Page on the right.
- Select Pages Front Page, then select Save.
If a published page has not been designated as the front page, Pages Front Page cannot be selected in the dialogue box.
3. When another home page is selected
If the home page does not display the course modules, make sure students can easily access the course content.
- Keep Modules visible in Course Navigation (see course settings and navigation).
- Add a prominent link to the course modules on a custom home page.
- Preview the course in Student View and make sure that all linked content is published.
Check how the course appears in the Canvas Student app.
Course Navigation on the left and instructor controls on the right do not change when another type of home page is selected.
Note: Students may enter the course in several ways, for example from the calendar, an announcement or an assignment list. The course structure therefore needs to remain clear even when students do not enter through the home page.
4. Creating an effective custom home page
A custom home page can provide students with a warmer and clearer introduction to the course. It is useful when an instructor wants to introduce the course, direct students to important information or highlight what is coming up.
Keep the home page simple and include only content that helps students get started or find frequently used information.
a short welcome message;
a brief course introduction or introductory video;
a clear link to the course content;
information about what students should do first;
links to frequently used content;
information about the instructor and office hours, if this is not included in the syllabus;
links to important parts of the syllabus, such as learning outcomes, assignments and assessment.
If the home page is updated regularly, use it to highlight upcoming activities. Keep the main elements in consistent locations so that students do not have to relearn how to navigate the page.
Use clear headings and concise text.
Keep the layout simple and consistent.
Use only a few links and make their purpose clear.
Use images, icons and videos only when they serve a clear purpose.
Avoid unnecessary decoration, too many colours and large images that slow down the page.
Use heading styles in the correct order.
Use descriptive link text instead of phrases such as “click here”.
Add alternative text to images that convey information.
Ensure sufficient contrast between the text and background.
Use lists when they make the content easier to scan.
Do not use tables to control the page layout.
Use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor before publishing the page.
