If you teach a project-based course, in which the focus is on individual or group projects that students work on over most of the term, synchronous time is best spent on students or student groups getting project feedback and guidance from the instructor. This is exactly the sort of class that will benefit from consulting with the Instructional Video team to decide how to present materials and resources most engagingly. They can record on-location or in one of LSA's studio spaces, and know how to produce a wide variety of effects. They can also advise on how best to combine video with the Playposit platform to embed quizzes, discussions, and reflection. The more examples and demonstrations students can view before class, the more time they and you will have to get instructor feedback on their project work.

For a long-term project, we also recommend giving each group a Canvas Group workspace, in which they can create and share material, and schedule videoconference meetings among themselves. Instructors can enter Group workspaces at any time, to monitor progress

For a project-based course, we recommend the following basic pattern:

Using a discussion forum to collect questions beforehand allows the class session to be more focused and productive, and lets students see the kinds of questions other people have. It may suggest something they hadn’t realized they need to know!

We recommend including a deliverable item each week, for the project. This might be as simple as a single paragraph write-up of the individual or group’s progress or research, but scaffolding the project with regular sub-assignments allows both instructor and students to ensure everyone is on track. 

If you are providing any readings in electronic format, consider adding it as a Hypothesis or Perusall assignment, rather than simply linking to the file, so that students can share their annotations, reading notes, and questions with each other there.

Example

Take a look at an example project-based Module.

Import this Template into your Canvas Course

Visit Canvas Commons to find a blank project-based template to import into your Canvas course. 

To import a LSA Template into your Canas course:

1. Open Canvas.
2. Click the Commons icon in the left-side navigation menu.
3. Type LSA Teaching Remotely in the search bar.
4. Click the LSA Template you wish to import.
5. Click the blue Import/Download button.
6. Select the course in which to import the template.
7. Click the blue Import into Course button.  

View more detailed instructions on how to import a LSA Template into your Canvas course.

If you would like to consult with someone on the best way to use this template for your own course, contact the Learning and Teaching Technology Consultants at LSATechnologyServices@umich.edu.