Lesson 3: Choosing a Home Page layout

The first thing your students will see when they log into your course is your course HOME page. What kind of first impression do you want to make? Knowing the various layout templates and home page considerations can help.

Please watch this video on how to set your course homepage:

Play media comment.

Home Page Layout Options

Canvas allows instructors to choose from FIVE (5) different home page layouts:

• Recent Activity Dashboard
  This is the default setting. The recent activity dashboard will list the most current updates related to notifications, assignments and discussions in your course.
  
  
• Page I'll Design Myself
  This option allows instructors to be a little more creative with their home pages. Selecting this option will set the home page to a default page called "front page" (which comes standard with every course).
  
  
• Course Modules/Sections
  This option will show only the course modules. It is the equivalent of clicking on the MODULES tab on the left-hand navigation.
  
  
• Assignment List
  This option will only show the list of assignments. It is the equivalent of clicking on the ASSIGNMENTS tab on the left-hand navigation.
  
  
• Assignments with Syllabus
  This option will only show the syllabus with the list of assignments. It is the equivalent of clicking on the SYLLABUS tab on the left-hand navigation.

Things to Consider for Your Home Page Layout

We often get asked, which home page layout is best or recommended? Of course, there is no right answer. It's really based on instructor preference. But here are some questions to consider when designing your home page.

• What type of class are you teaching?
  Is it fully online? Is it blended or flipped classroom? The way you are using Canvas will determine what you want students to see first. 
  
  A fully online course may opt to make the landing page a "Page I'll design myself" because they may want more comprehensive home page or customization for online students.
  
  In the case of a blended course or flipped classroom, the instructor may choose a simpler interface since much of the interaction may be face-to-face. For instance, an instructor may choose to make the home page the "assignment list" if Canvas is being solely leveraged for assignment submissions. 
  
  
• How Flexible Is Your Course Design?
  You don't have to commit to one home page layout. We've seen teachers change their home page as course progresses. For instance, at the start of the semester you may want to have "Assignment List with Syllabus" be your home page. Then, you may want to set it to "Modules/Sections Page" as the semester progresses.
  
  We've also seen instructors who use "Page I'll design Myself" update this page over the semester. They often change the layout, feature content or add new content as the course progress.
  
  It's easy to update your home page layout, so feel free to be dynamic with your home page options.
  
  
• Is Your Course Mobile-Friendly?
  Keep in mind students may be accessing your course through the Canvas Mobile App. When they click on your course, the home page layout is the first thing they will see. Make sure it provides enough information and direction for students.
  
  
• Is there duplication between home page layout and course navigation?
  For instance, if you enable the "Modules/Sections" as the home page, do you also have "modules" listed in the course navigation, too? Allowing students multiple access to course content can be good, but duplication may end up creating a busy design.