Design Matters Digest
15 Research-Backed Strategies for
Better Canvas Course Design
What You’ll Learn
The Design Matters Digest from Cidi Labs combines educational research with course design strategies to help you create better learning experiences in Canvas. Inside, you’ll find actionable insights on:
- Creating intuitive course navigation
- Organizing content to support learner success
- Reducing cognitive load
- Designing visually engaging course experiences
- Supporting accessibility and learner belonging
- Scaling course design best practices across programs and institutions
- Building consistency through templates and standards
- Using interactivity to encourage active learning
Across 40 pages, you’ll find supporting research, practical recommendations, and real-world examples showing how institutions are putting these course design principles into practice.
The Design Matters Digest is available in two accessible versions – a flipbook and a PDF. You receive both versions when you download!
Put Research Into Practice
Whether you work in instructional design, Canvas administration, accessibility, online learning, educational technology, or faculty development, the Design Matters Digest offers research and strategies you can apply to your work.
You’ll walk away with:
- Research-backed course design principles
- Actionable tips you can apply immediately
- Examples of effective Canvas course design
- Insights from instructional design experts
- Ideas for improving engagement, accessibility, and consistency at scale
Download Your Copy:
For more than a decade, Cidi Labs has partnered with colleges and universities to improve course design, simplify digital accessibility, and create better learning experiences in Canvas. Our tools help higher education teams work more efficiently while building greater quality, accessibility, and consistency across courses and programs.
The Design Matters Digest is the only newsletter I look forward to and read in its entirety each month. From helpful tidbits, product features, or training opportunities, it’s chock full of knowledge.
Jessica Tiblin
Academic Operations Coordinator
Northeastern University
[Cidi Labs] DesignPLUS has streamlined the process of creating engaging and accessible course content. I can’t imagine course design without it!
Abi Fuller
Instructional Designer
Indiana Institute of Technology
Get the complete Design Matters Digest and learn practical ways to create engaging, accessible, and effective learning experiences in Canvas.
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