Eric LacyTerm Professor · School of ManagementBusiness Analytics & Information Systems
April 7, 2026
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The Problem Worth Solving
You Did the Hard Work. Canvas Is Still Empty.
Backward Design produces a rich artifact — outcomes, assessment evidence, a sequenced learning experience. That document represents real intellectual work. And then you open Canvas and face a blank page.
The design is done. The production hasn't started. Every module overview, assignment description, rubric, and student communication still has to be written — from scratch, in the RCE editor, one page at a time.
1
The Translation Gap
Design ≠ Delivery
A Course Design Document and a Canvas site are two different things. Converting one into the other is hours of formatting, writing, and copy-pasting — none of which improves the pedagogy.
2
The Time Tax
Every page. Every term.
The CDD is done. Now every module overview, assignment description, and student-facing instruction has to be manually translated into Canvas — page by page, field by field, from a document that already has everything in it.
3
The Missed Opportunity
The context is already there
Your outcomes, assessments, and module sequence are exactly what AI needs to produce usable first drafts. The Course Design Artifact is the prompt — it just hasn't been used that way yet.
The shift: The Course Design Document isn't the finish line — it's the stepping stone to the most time-consuming part: building the course in Canvas. AI is what makes that next step manageable.
30-Minute Session Plan
30-Minute Agenda
No slides. The browser and Canvas are the presentation.
The Problem IntroFaculty spend hours translating a finished Course Design Document into Canvas pages. The design is done — the production hasn't started. This session is about closing that gap.
Live Build — CDD Attachment Workflow LiveOne document, three steps. Task 1: Attach the CDD, run Step 1 — Welcome Page. Task 2: Same document, run Step 2 — Course Home Page. Task 3: Same document, run Step 3 — Module 1 Overview. Each run takes under two minutes. The audience sees the full cycle: attach, copy, generate, paste.
Build Sequence & Kit Walkthrough ResourcesThe 8-step CDD build sequence, the BUS 3410 Course Design Document, all three Canvas demo pages, and the DesignPLUS system prompt are available at the workshop URL. Scan the QR code or use the link. Attendees leave with a complete toolkit for their next course build.
Q&A OpenCommon questions addressed: which AI tools work best for Canvas course development, how to handle institutional policy on AI use, and how to adapt this workflow for courses already in progress.
How the Workflow Works
The Rules for Every Build
The 8-step build sequence is in the next section. These three rules explain how to use it well.
✦
Your CDD is the prompt
The richer your Course Design Document — outcomes, assessments, module sequence — the more complete the Canvas output. AI executes your design. It does not supply it.
✦
One attachment, eight outputs
Attach the CDD once. Run steps 1–5 for course pages, steps 6–8 for assignment pages. Stay in the same conversation — the AI keeps the context throughout.
✦
Read before you paste
AI occasionally adds content not in your CDD. Read the first paragraph of every output. Remove anything that doesn't match your course. Then paste into Canvas.
BUS 3410 Demo — Live Session Prompts
CDD → Canvas Build Sequence
Attach your Course Design Document to any AI tool, copy the step, paste the result into Canvas. Eight steps. One document. One course.
CDD → Canvas Build Sequence — 8 Steps
Your Course Design Document does the heavy lifting. Each step below produces one Canvas deliverable. The prompts are short because the AI reads your document — you don't need to paste all your course content into the prompt. Just attach the file, copy the step, and paste the result into Canvas.
How to use every step: Open your AI tool · Attach your CDD · Copy this prompt · Paste Canvas output into RCE
Steps 1–5 build the course pages (green). Steps 6–8 build the assignments and rubrics (gold). Run them in order — each page builds on the last.
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas Welcome page for this course. Use only the information in the document.
Include:
- A 2-sentence welcome statement using the course description from Stage 1
- A "How This Course Works" section: module titles, week ranges, and unlock sequence from Stage 3
- Weekly time commitment estimate based on Stage 3 activities
- Required tools (if listed in the document)
- A Week 1 checklist using the Stage 3 Week 1 activities
- An instructor card: name, title, department, contact method, appointment link
- A call-to-action button: "Go to Course Home →"
Tone: direct and encouraging. Not a syllabus. Write like a person.
Format for Canvas RCE.
✓ Before pasting: read the opening paragraph. If any detail does not match your course, correct it before copying into Canvas.
Step 2
Course Home PageUses: Stage 1 outcomes · Stage 2 assessment map · All Stage 3 modules
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas Course Home page. Use only the information in the document.
Include:
- Course banner with title, course code, delivery mode, and duration
- A "Start Here" checklist using Week 1 activities from Stage 3
- All course-level learning outcomes from Stage 1
- One card per module, each showing: title, week range, objectives, activity sequence, and assessment name with point value
- Grading summary table from the Stage 2 assessment map
- Quick links section (syllabus, any tools or resources named in the document)
Format for Canvas RCE.
✓ Before pasting: read the opening paragraph. If any detail does not match your course, correct it before copying into Canvas.
Step 3
Module 1 Overview PageUses: Stage 3, Module 1 section only
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas overview page for Module 1 only. Use the Module 1 section from Stage 3.
Include:
- A 2-sentence module purpose statement (student-facing, energetic tone)
- All three module objectives exactly as written
- The full weekly activity sequence with estimated times
- One "Pro Tip" callout with a practical insight for Week 1
- The summative assessment name, description, and point value
- Due date: September 2, 2026
Tone: direct and encouraging. Do not use "In this module, you will."
Format for Canvas RCE.
✓ Before pasting: read the opening paragraph. If any detail does not match your course, correct it before copying into Canvas.
Step 4
Module 2 Overview PageUses: Stage 3, Module 2 section only
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas overview page for Module 2 only. Use the Module 2 section from Stage 3.
Include:
- A 2-sentence module purpose statement (student-facing)
- All three module objectives exactly as written
- The full weekly activity sequence with estimated times
- One "Watch Out" callout naming the most common mistake students make in this module
- The summative assessment name, description, and point value
- Due date placeholders: September 16, 2026 (peer review) and September 23, 2026 (Narrative Memo)
Tone: direct and professional.
Format for Canvas RCE.
✓ Before pasting: read the opening paragraph. If any detail does not match your course, correct it before copying into Canvas.
Step 5
Module 3 Overview PageUses: Stage 3, Module 3 section only
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas overview page for Module 3 only. Use the Module 3 section from Stage 3.
Include:
- A 2-sentence module purpose statement that conveys the stakes — this is the capstone
- All three module objectives exactly as written
- The full weekly activity sequence with estimated times
- One "What to Know Before You Present" callout with 3 specific preparation behaviors
- A self-assessment checklist (5 items) students complete before submitting
- The summative assessment name, description, and point value
- Due date placeholders: September 30, 2026 (dry run) and October 7, 2026 (final presentation)
Tone: confident and motivating.
Format for Canvas RCE.
✓ Before pasting: read the opening paragraph. If any detail does not match your course, correct it before copying into Canvas.
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas assignment page for the first summative assessment.
Use the Visualization Critique entry from Stage 2 and the Module 1 objectives from Stage 3.
Include:
- Student-facing purpose statement (2 sentences — why this work matters professionally)
- Task instructions (numbered steps)
- Deliverable specifications: what to submit, format, length
- Due date: September 2, 2026
Format for Canvas RCE. Tone: direct and clear.
✓ Before pasting: confirm the assessment name, point value, and due date match your Canvas gradebook.
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas assignment page for the second summative assessment.
Use the Narrative Memo entry from Stage 2 and the Module 2 objectives from Stage 3.
Include:
- Student-facing purpose statement (2 sentences — why this work matters professionally)
- Task instructions (numbered steps)
- Deliverable specifications: dataset source, word count, submission format
- Due date: September 23, 2026
Format for Canvas RCE. Tone: direct and clear.
✓ Before pasting: confirm the assessment name, point value, and due date match your Canvas gradebook.
I've attached my Course Design Document.
Generate a Canvas assignment page for the capstone assessment.
Use the Executive Presentation entry from Stage 2 and the Module 3 objectives from Stage 3.
Include:
- Student-facing purpose statement (2 sentences — the professional stakes of this deliverable)
- Task instructions (numbered steps including dry run, revision, and final submission)
- Deliverable specifications: recording format, length, what to include, submission type
- A self-assessment checklist (5 items) students complete before submitting
- Due date placeholders: September 30, 2026 (dry run) and October 7, 2026 (final presentation)
Format for Canvas RCE. Tone: direct and motivating.
✓ Before pasting: confirm the assessment name, point value, and due date match your Canvas gradebook.
Workshop Resources
Everything You Need to Start Now
The source document, the build sequence, the demo outputs. Click any card to open or download.
