vishalsachdev Canvas Assignment Design
Design Canvas assignments following the Four Learning Design Pillars.
Workflow
Phase 1: Learning Objective Clarification
Ask the educator:
- What should students be able to do after this assignment? (use action verbs: analyze, create, evaluate, apply)
- What assignment type? Standard, quiz, discussion, or peer review
- Context? Course level, sequence position, estimated student time
Phase 2: Design Decisions by Pillar
Pillar 1: Clear, Purposeful Structure
| Principle | Design Question | Canvas Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Small segments | Can this be broken into milestones? | Multiple submissions or staged deadlines |
| 1.3.1 Clear objectives | Are learning objectives stated at the top? | Add objectives in description header |
| 1.3.4 Expectation setting | Are success criteria crystal clear? | Attach detailed rubric; provide exemplars |
| 1.2.2 Integrated format | Are all resources accessible in one place? | Embed resources in assignment description |
- Learning objectives stated clearly
- Broken into logical steps or phases
- Rubric attached with clear criteria
Pillar 2: Active, Engaging Learning Content
| Principle | Design Question | Canvas Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3.4 Storytelling | Can you frame this as a scenario? | Write assignment as a narrative |
| 2.3.7 Interest and relevance | Connected to students' careers? | Reference real-world applications |
| 3.1.5 Authentic practice | Mirrors real-world tasks? | Use industry scenarios, tools, formats |
- Authentic, real-world context provided
- Active production required (not passive)
- Prior knowledge explicitly activated
Pillar 3: Continuous Practice & Feedback
| Principle | Design Question | Canvas Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1.6 Low-stakes practice | Formative or summative? | Practice quizzes with unlimited attempts vs graded |
| 3.2.1 Targeted feedback | What specific feedback will students receive? | Rubric with actionable criteria |
| 3.2.4 Worked examples | Have you provided exemplars? | Link sample submissions |
- Rubric with specific, actionable criteria
- Sample submission provided
- Reflection or explanation component included
Pillar 4: Simple, Intuitive UX
| Principle | Design Question | Canvas Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| 4.3.2 Time estimates | How long should this take? | State estimated time in description |
| 4.2.5 Minimalist design | Is the description uncluttered? | Use headers, bullets, white space |
- Time estimate provided
- Scannable format (headers, bullets)
Phase 3: Generate Assignment Components
Generate these based on design decisions:
1. Assignment Description — Use this template:
## Learning Objectives
By completing this assignment, you will be able to:
- [Objective 1 - action verb]
## Overview
[Engaging context - use storytelling/scenario framing]
**Estimated Time:** [X hours]
## Instructions
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
## Submission Requirements
- [Format, file types, length/scope]
## Evaluation Criteria
See attached rubric. Key areas: [Criterion 1], [Criterion 2]
## Sample Submission
[Link to exemplar or description of what success looks like]
2. Rubric Criteria — Aligned with learning objectives:
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Objective 1] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |
3. Canvas Settings — Submission type, allowed attempts, due date strategy, peer review toggle, points.
Phase 4: Canvas Creation (Optional)
If canvas-mcp is available and educator confirms:
- Confirm course ID and assignment group
- Create assignment with
create_assignment(setpublished: falsefor draft review) - Create and attach rubric with
create_rubric - Return assignment URL
Before/After Examples
For 3 detailed before/after examples (research paper, quiz, discussion forum) showing traditional vs pillar-informed design, see references/examples.md.
Principles Source
Full principle definitions: ~/.claude/skills/learning-design-pillars/principles/learning-design-pillars.yaml