Too Many Clicks on Canvas

[DanielCallahan]

Hi I know there is a suggestions page but I don't have time to read through every one to see if this has been suggested before. I know that Canvas the company wants to make their product the best it can be. So just from a teacher who uses Canvas every day, the platform takes way too many clicks. This is what myself and many other teachers would like: 1) When creating an assignment, have more options available. Mainly, where exactly in your modules you want to place the assignment. This option is available when copying an assignment from one class to another, so why not when you are creating the assignment the first time? 2) Speaking of copying, make it so that when you can make an assignment you can choose which of your classes you want to post the assignment to.

3) when you do copy an assignment to another class, make it so it is the same category of assignment in your other classes. For example, when I copy a formative assignment from period 1 to period 3 it turns it into an imported assignment and then you have to do a million clicks to turn it back into a formative.

[JeffCampbell]

Here are a couple of strategies to possibly help.

1. I usually try to create content from the Modules page. If you go to that page and look on the far right side of the module title, there is a + sign. You can create multiple different items from that menu (including pages, assignments, discussions, etc). When created from this point, it automatically adds it to that module. 

2. I am guessing, from your description, that you have multiple classes that teach the same content. If that is true, I would suggest a single class, but then create sections within that course for each "class," putting the students into the respective section. This will allow you to take care of both your 2nd and 3rd concern by only needing to create the assignment once. Then, when assigning it, you can just selection which section to assign it to at the bottom in the spot where you set the due date. 

Regarding the copying to specific groups, that is a good idea. You could look here https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Ideas/idb-p/canvas-ideas to see if someone has suggested it, or just suggest it yourself. I believe one of the issues concerns a specific group not being in the desired course. Copying from the modules page does allow you to select a module in another course, so selecting an assignment group should be doable, or at least have an option to create the group if it does not exist. One thing I have done is not to worry about the groups at first. The correct group can be selected in an individual assignment's settings, so you an just wait until you are setting the due date, points, or anything else and choose the group at that point. It is not a perfect fix, but maybe reduces the stress of getting it all fixed right away.

[TrishaMeyer1]

Hi @DanielCallahan ,

Really good advice from @JeffCampbell. Regarding number 3, I wanted to add that you also can go to the Assignments page and drag the assignment into the correct Assignment Group. I agree that having everything default to "Imported Assignments" is a real nuisance, but the fix is just one click and a drag rather than a "million" clicks. (You also can use the three-dot "snowman" menu at the right side of the assignment line in the Assignment page view. You'll get a menu option to "Move to..." and can select the correct Assignment Group.)

Regarding #1, I like your idea. I think one reason it does not work that way is that an item can be in more than one module. So it makes sense to control the module content from the Modules page and "pull in" to each module from there.

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

@DanielCallahan ...

I like all the feedback that you've gotten from @JeffCampbell and @TrishaMeyer1 ...thank you both!

Re: looking through existing ideas that have already been submitted.  One of the nice things about creating an idea yourself is that when you first create your idea, it will search for your keywords to see if something might already exist (in which case, you wouldn't need to submit a duplicate idea).  The proper way to submit your ideas is through the "Ideas and Themes" area here in the Community, so I'd encourage you to do that.  Use the link that @JeffCampbell gave you in his post, and then click on the blue "Submit an Idea" button.  You'd also want to read through the Guides listed under the heading "Ideas and Themes" located here:

Instructure Community Guide - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)

Hope this helps in some way!  Good luck!