When we want our students to leave our class better equipped to find reliable information on their own, to apply content to analyze and solve real-world problems, or with any other skill we know they will need, one tool that can help us measure their learning is a metacognitive survey. Metacognition refers to how people become aware of their own thought processes.

Perusall is a free social learning platform designed to motivate students through collaborative reading activities and group annotations via e-textbooks, uploaded documents, and videos. By working through content together, students can share in the learning process, reduce feelings of frustration and isolation, and encourage meaningful interaction.

A rubric provides explicit criteria of how students’ work will be assessed. Rubrics promote alignment between learning objectives and assessment and increase transparency between instructor and student. While rubrics are often used as a tool for final assessment and grading, they can also be used to simply highlight for students where they can improve on future assignments or assessments. The Canvas Rubric tool is an excellent way to provide clear and consistent standards for you and your students.

Collaboration and peer learning are excellent course strategies. They help foster student understanding and assimilation of course content. Effectively executing these strategies is dependent upon defining acceptable norms. Clearly stated norms support productive communication and accountability as students’ progress through challenging content.

New Analytics is a useful tool within Canvas that provides a simple and scalable way to track student progress and support student success. It also provides an efficient way to identify and message students based on specific criteria.