Weekly Canvas Tip #13: Using Sections in Cross-Listed Courses

Using Sections in Cross-Listed Courses

Did you know that you can keep your sections separate when cross-listing your courses in Canvas?

There are numerous advantages to using the Sections features when cross listing in Canvas. They include:

Ability to send different announcements to sections
Assigning different work, due dates, etc. to sections
Keeps course Discussion size manageable by limiting to sections
Assigning TAs to specific sections

NOTE: Although most of the Settings for editing Sections are available to instructors, instructors at IC cannot cross-list or combine separate Canvas course shells. To accomplish this, you will need to submit an IT Desk ticket with Ithaca College (allow up to 72 hours) or use the Help Link at the bottom of the Global Navigation in Canvas to access 24/7, 365 Canvas Support. For more on Crosslisting at IC, visit the following resource: IC Knowledge Base - Cross-Listing Courses in Canvas
(Links to an external site.)

This week's Weekly Tip will go over the basics of:

What a Section is
Using Sections features to assign section-specific announcements, assignments, and view and manage grades
Adding TAs to specific sections

What is a Section?

Typically, in higher ed, we refer to multiple iterations of the same course delivered simultaneously within a semester as different “sections.” By default, at Ithaca College each section has its own unique Canvas course. Some faculty choose to merge their separate sections into one course. When more than one section is merged or "cross-listed" into one Canvas course, all the students from both sections will be added to the Canvas course. In addition, the students from the separate section rosters may be put into Canvas Sections, which allows the option of targeting the groups separately if needed.

When you cross-list your course, all students in the added sections will then have access to the shared content in the course (such as pages, modules, and files). You can then target groups separately by assigning section-specific communications and work. You can also edit the start and end dates for a specific section, as well (say, in the case of a course where the two sections start on different days of the week.)

Because you cannot easily edit which students belong to a section, if you instead wish to create small, customizable groups of students in a specific course or section, it is better to use the Groups feature.

Assigning Section-Specific Work and Communications

Any Canvas tool that includes assignment details will allow you to select which Section to assign it to (including Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, and Conversations). Files, Pages, and Modules in your Canvas course, by contrast, are visible to all students in all sections.

As you edit the settings of the activity or communication you are working on, you should see a field that allows you to choose which sections you want to include. In Discussions and Announcements this field is called “Post to”, and in Assignments and Quizzes it is called “Assign to.” They all have a similar presentation, and by default they are assigned either to “All Sections” or “Everyone” (all people enrolled in your course.) If you wish to limit an activity or communication to one or more sections, you can delete the “All Sections” or “Everyone” card, and then type the first few letters of the section you wish to select, choosing it from the dropdown menu.

Assignments/Quizzes

Announcements/Discussions

Announcement Settings and Sections.PNG

How to Assign TAs to a Specific Section

You can assign TAs to a specific section and, optionally, restrict them to interacting with the students within their section.

1. Go to People.

2. Click the blue + People button in the upper right-hand corner.

3. In the Add People pop up,

a. Add user(s) by their email address, Login ID, or SIS ID

b. From the Role drop-down, choose TA

c. Choose the relevant section to which you wish to add the TA.

d. Optional: If you wish to limit TAs to interacting with the students in their section you can check the “Can interact with users in their section only” box.

Add people.PNG