1.8 Home Page

Create a welcoming home page; do not overwhelm students with a cluttered home page. Provide only essential information that allows students to begin the course. Include the course prefix, number, and title.

Points: 2 (Very Important)
QM Alignment: 1.1

Overview

• Welcome Section
• Course Details Section
• Course Learning Goals
• Getting Started Instructions
• Instructor Contact Information

Tips

• Feature a “Start Here” or “Read Me First” button or link on your course home page to guide students to starting information they need to review.
• Include introductory text and/or a welcome video to provide directions and instructions for students.
• You can also use Canvas functionality (module requirements and prerequisites) to require students to access starting materials prior to moving forward into discipline specific content.

Examples

Here are some sample home pages that have a Start Here button or similar indicator:

• HCC Canvas Starter Kit
• Baylor Basic Template
• Social Media course
• Mental Health Counseling course

Common Issues

• Not clear to students how to start the course.
  • Missing home page, no ‘Start Here’ button or “Read Me First”, etc.
• No guidance on what to do at the start of the course.
  • Put instructions in an orientation module or on the home page and/or in a welcome video (see Standard 1.2). It is also recommended to email these instructions or a link to these instructions to the students via the Announcement tool.
• The home page is a dead end
  • No links or buttons to get started and move forward in the course

Frequently Asked Questions

• Am I required to have a home page?
  • This standard is not an essential, 3-point, required standard, however, it is worth 2 points. Technically, you can still meet the 85% point value threshold for achieving the High Quality course designation without a home page, but creating a home page is strongly recommended to give your students a starting point and set the tone for your course.

Further Help & Tutorials

• How to create and edit a home page in Canvas
  • Course Home Page Customization Video
  • How do I use the Course Home Page as an instructor?
  • Step 1: How do I set a Front Page in a course?
  • Step 2: How do I change the Course Home Page?
  • The SSC Canvas Starter Kit (search Canvas Commons to import) has a sample home page you could optionally use as a starting point. You could perhaps replace the banner image and/or add some more text to the home page about the course.
• How to create a banner image for your home page
  • PowerPoint banner templates
  • HCC Photo Gallery – Contact Marketing for more information
  • How to create a banner in Canva
• How to create buttons on your home page
  • Da Button Factory
  • Canvas Icon Maker
• Find openly licensed images, icons
  • Google Image Search -> Tools -> Usage Rights -> Creative Commons
  • The Noun Project clip art icons
  • Openverse, Pixabay, and Unsplash have searchable databases of openly licensed photos and images