Basic & Advanced Canvas Templates

Educational & Emergent Technology

The Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) offers a set of easy‑to‑navigate Canvas course templates designed to support clear, consistent, and engaging course design. These templates provide ready‑to‑use structures for common course components such as weekly modules, syllabi, assignments, discussions, and more.

The OTL Advanced Canvas Template uses CIDI Labs Design Tools to create an aesthetically streamlined course shell that enhances organization and visual clarity. This template is regularly updated with relevant guidance and best practices and is available through Canvas Commons using your DU login credentials.

In addition to the advanced option, the OTL also provides a Basic Canvas Template designed to meet DU’s minimum Canvas requirements and support courses with a more streamlined or face‑to‑face focus.

With multiple templates available, the question becomes: which Canvas template is the best fit for your course?
 

What Template should I choose?

The OTL Advanced Canvas Template contains formats for the syllabus, a home page, weekly modules, assignments, discussions, and more. This template can be customized for either face-to-face (F2F) or online (synchronous and asynchronous) delivery. If you plan to use this template for a F2F course, you may not need as many of the template pages that are included.  

The OTL Canvas Basic Template also contains templates for the syllabus and home page, but is  more streamlined. For example, since F2F classes do not tend to use many asynchronous activities, this template focuses on keeping the course organized with the basics needed in a Canvas course, such as assignments and instructional materials.

Whereas the OTL Advanced Canvas Template contains fully developed 10-week modules with assignments and discussions included, the OTL Canvas Basic Template does not have the modules pre-built. Rather, the OTL Basic Template comes with an example of a module that can be duplicated if needed. Both templates are branded specifically for DU and were designed with a pedagogical lens.

So, what template should you choose? If you plan to use Canvas more minimally for F2F courses or to simply abide by the minimum requirements for Canvas courses, consider importing the OTL Canvas Basic Template. If you plan to use Canvas as a facilitation tool or want to expand your expertise with Canvas functionality, consider importing the OTL Advanced Canvas Template.

Please review the chart below for a comparison of the two templates.

Additional Information

Whether you are new to Canvas or a pro, both templates provide a foundation for your course. You can also edit each of the templates; if there is an item or module that you don’t need, you can easily delete it.

How to Import the Template

The OTL Canvas Templates are located in the Commons in Canvas. To import the templates in your course, please visit the knowledgebase web page for step-by-step instructions. Once you import the template, you will find additional resources within the course for how to use the templates.

Get Help

We are here to help you. Please do not hesitate to contact the OTL at otl@du.edu to schedule a 1:1 consultation with one of our staff members.

Comparison Chart

 OTL Advanced Canvas TemplateOTL Basic Template
Cidi Labs Design Tools✓✓
Theme, Colors, Images may be edited.✓✓
Home page with a welcome block ✓
Home page with welcome block, timeline, and course objectives✓ 
Syllabus Template✓✓
Overview Template Page✓✓
Assignments Template Page✓✓
Discussions Template Page✓ 
Four (4) Rubric Templates✓ 
Pedagogy & Best Practices✓✓
Facilitator Resources✓✓
DU Crimson Theme✓ 
DU Gold Theme ✓
Additional content blocks with pages✓ 
One content block within pages ✓
One module as an example ✓
Built-in 10-Week Modules*✓ 

*Modules are pre-built for the 10-week quarter in the Advanced Template. Each week contains an Overview Page, Readings and Materials Page, Assignment Page, Discussion Page