ESU Composition Program:

Restructuring Canvas for GTAs

Theresa Hier
IDT Masters Project
Emporia State University
IT 899
The Client

• The Department of English, Modern

Languages, and Journalism
Composition Program at Emporia
The Project

• The department had an outdated Canvas hub for incoming GTAs

who would be teaching Composition 1 and 2 that offered lesson
plans and answered questions they might have about the content
or the class itself
• The department asked for a new Canvas hub to be developed and
organized into a more efficient fashion with updated materials
and resources for the GTAs
ADDIE Design Model

• The ADDIE design model is a

framework in designing and
developing educational and
training programs
• “ADDIE” stands for Analyze,
Design, Develop, Implement, and
Evaluate
ADDIE Design Model

• The ADDIE model fits this project for 2 reasons:

• 1. Allows me to analyze the needs of my client, design and

develop an organizational Canvas hub plan and format to fit my
client’s preferences, and implement the new design and
update the modules to fit today’s audience

• 2. The ADDIE method permits for revision within each of its

stages, allowing changes to take place throughout the process,
not just at the end
Analysis

• After discussing the Canvas hub with the

department instructor, I developed a needs
assessment to help identity the issues and
the outdated material in the current
Canvas hub
• I then developed a new organizational plan
for the Canvas hub with specific modules,
organized by sections as opposed to
classes
Analysis

• I evaluated the current sections and collaborates with the provided instructor
from the department to develop each modules’ contents

• The objective for this project: after consulting and reviewing the new Canvas
hub for new GTAs for the department, they will have access to effective and
up to date curriculum, teaching advice, and educational resources to help
them begin building a foundation for teaching Composition 1 and 2 for the
Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism Composition
Program at Emporia.
Design and Development

• New Canvas hub was organized by topic in 4

sections:
• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Composition 1
• 3. Composition 2
• 4. Teaching Resources
• I worked with an instructor from the
department to help wade through the vast
amount of information from the previous hub,
where we reorganized and updated everything
in a clear and uniform style
Design and Development

• Also, being included is materials that department instructors have

sent in (what they use in class) for each section, which the I, with
help from an instructor in the department, went through,
reorganized, and arranged in a clear and uniform style
Implementation

• The pilot implementation of this project consisted of two

members besides myself:
• 1. The instructor who aided the designer throughout this project
• 2. The Interim Composition Director
• Met every Thursday during the project on Zoom at 3:45
PM
• They made suggestions on areas that needed more detail
and modification, style issues, and usability problems
• I used these suggestions to modify the content and
design as we progressed through the project, not waiting
until the end
Evaluation

• The primary participants from the pilot

study met with me weekly and made
several suggestions
• Most suggestions were small and effective,
only requiring minor changes to the
content, formatting, or usability of the new
Canvas hub
• In the future, the department plans to
conduct another pilot study with GTAs to
see if there are any more suggestions
• This will be completed after the project is
finished for the designer
Resources

• Reiser, R.A. & Dempsey, J.V. (2012). Trends and issues in

instructional design and technology. (third ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.