/ Canvas-Based Course, Online Asynchronous Course with eLearning / By

Faculty Course Design Toolkits:
Canvas-Based Courses with eLearning

Target Audience: College faculty and instructors
Learning Outcomes: Design or redesign a university course using backward design principles by defining aligned learning outcomes, assessments, and instructional activities
Responsibilities: Instructional design, Canvas design and development
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Canvas, custom HTML and CSS, Articulate Storyline, Canva
Development Time: 16 weeks/course

Project Overview

Designing a Well-Crafted Course and Assessment by Design are the first two courses in a four-course faculty development sequence focused on the full course design lifecycle. Together, they support instructors in moving from big-picture course planning to the detailed, and often messy, work of aligning learning outcomes, content, and assessments in ways that genuinely support student learning. I led the instructional design for both courses, with a focus on creating learning experiences that are clear, flexible, and grounded in evidence-based instructional strategies while remaining practical and usable for busy faculty. Below, I’ve included a full walkthrough of Designing a Well-Crafted Course, a preview of Module 1 of Assessment by Design, and examples of the worksheets, job aids, and visual design system that support both courses.

Designing a Well-Crafted Course

Designing a Well-Crafted Course is a self-paced faculty learning toolkit built in Canvas to support college instructors across disciplines and teaching modalities in designing effective, student-centered courses. The course guides instructors through the foundational decisions that shape strong course design, from understanding contextual constraints and learner needs to writing meaningful learning outcomes, aligning assessments and content, and bringing everything together effectively within the learning management system.

I began working on this project prior to joining the Center for Teaching and Learning, collaborating with colleagues Morgan Ginther and Anne Braseby, both of whom led the content development. In my role, I redesigned the overall user experience and visual system of the course, restructured content for clarity and flow, and introduced new opportunities for interaction through examples, guided worksheets, and reflective activities. I designed all graphics, established the information hierarchy, and implemented custom Canvas styling and layout to create a cohesive, accessible learning experience.

The toolkit is organized as a sequence of seven modules, each building on concepts introduced in the previous one. Every module includes:

  • An introductory video. A short, one-minute overview that frames the purpose of the module.
  • Ideas to discuss. Three reflection or discussion prompts designed to encourage deeper thinking and peer conversation when possible.
  • The main idea. A focused explanation of the module’s core concept and why it matters for course design.
  • Examples. Authentic course design samples from UT Austin faculty that instructors can explore and adapt.
  • Resources. Job aids, worksheets, and planning tools with guided instructions to support application.
Designing a Well-Crafted Course Canvas Walkthrough

Assessment by Design

Assessment by Design is the next course in the faculty development sequence and builds on the foundation established in Designing a Well-Crafted Course. This eight-module experience dives into the practical, often nuanced work of designing effective assessments that genuinely support learning.

I led the full instructional design for this course, expanding the interactivity and complexity of the learning experience through embedded Articulate Storyline activities, scenario-based exercises, and applied design challenges. The course walks instructors through the full assessment lifecycle—from selecting assessment types aligned to learning outcomes, to designing criteria, offering meaningful feedback, and approaching grading with clarity and care.

The course is structured as:

  • Core Modules (1–4): Foundations. Completed sequentially, these four modules establish essential assessment concepts, research-informed practices, and shared design language. Instructors begin with Foundations of Assessment Thinking and build toward more applied design work.
  • Contextual Modules (5–8): Choose What You Need. After completing the core modules, instructors select from context-specific modules tailored to different teaching environments, including large lectures, discussion-based courses, labs, and performance-based courses.
Assessment by Design: Module 1 Canvas Preview

Example Job Aid