Prepare: The Important First Step in the PANDA Framework
Prepare sets the scene for each week of an online course. Here is what to include, how to build it in Canvas and how to keep it short enough that students actually read it.
Don’t be blinded by technology. Let it enhance learning.
Practical guides, frameworks and free courses for people who design online learning, with plenty of Canvas along the way.
Latest articles
All articles
The Engagement Cycle and How to Use It
Students rarely disengage in the middle of a task. They drop away in the gaps. The Engagement Cycle gives you three stages and nine…
One Page vs Pre-In-Post vs PANDA: Choosing a Structure for Your Canvas Week
A one-page week, Pre-In-Post and PANDA each shape how students meet your content. This post compares their strengths and limits and shows how to…
How to Use Video Effectively at Every Stage of an Online Course
Video works best when it has a clear job at each stage of a course, not when it is dropped in as a default.…
5 Tips for Building Effective Rubrics in Canvas
Five practical tips for HE academics on designing Canvas rubrics that make standards clear, speed up marking and give students feedback they can act…
Connecting PANDA with Gagné and Bloom’s Taxonomy
See how the PANDA framework lines up with Gagné's nine events of instruction and Bloom's taxonomy, and how to build course sites in Canvas…
5 Tips for Gamification in Canvas
Canvas has no gamification switch, but modules, Mastery Paths, quizzes and Outcomes combine to give you the key ingredients. Here are five practical tips…
Free courses
All courses
How Our Courses Work
Start here: a free one-hour course on finding your way around, earning shareable badges and getting a sandbox ready for the other courses.
Designing Online Weeks with PANDA
A free four-week course on structuring, sequencing and pacing online learning with PANDA, Gagné’s nine events, Bloom’s taxonomy and Salmon’s five stage model.
Marking and Grading in Canvas
A free four-week course on marking in SpeedGrader, using rubrics, the Grades page and reusable quizzes with item banks.
Where I can help
- Virtual learning environments. Years of experience with different VLE installations and configurations.
- e-Learning methodologies. Course design that gets the most from your content.
- Strategy and design. Think strategy first for a better learning platform.
