With the increase in online learning, learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas are increasing in importance for disseminating information from professors to students. An initial focus group was conducted to assess students’ perceptions of their current Canvas course organization. Results indicate that students report a lack of consistency and clear organization, which leads to significant time searching for information and frustration. In an effort to help students create a clear mental model of a Canvas course, we developed a template homepage that contains a main navigation menu including an FAQ, Course Resources, Start Here, Grades, and Syllabus link. The homepage also includes a course overview schedule made with links to individual modules and assignment due dates. We are currently evaluating the new design in terms of efficiency and student perceptions. Our hypothesis is that the homepage design will help students get to the information they want faster and provide a better overview of the course than the traditional home page design
