Scott Simkins
Engaged and Active Student Learning
Using Canvas
A Learning Management System like Canvas will let you post assignments and, using the "Submit Assignment" link, receive finished student work, which can then be graded and returned online.
The Announcement feature can replace or supplement mass emails for distributing information and/or documents to the students quickly. Remind your students to set the system to notify them of such updates and to check their class site regularly.
This is a great place for threaded discussions, either involving the whole class or subsets of the class. The feature is ideal for feedback or student reflection.
For active learning, students can be divided into groups within Canvas and each group can be assigned separate prompts to examine and report on in each class session.
Canvas has a rubric feature that lets you set up your own categories and grade weight distributions that assist you with grading while making that process more defined for the students.
Even traditional elements like this glossary can help concentrate students' efforts at getting familiar with class themes.