4 Ground Control to Module Zero
Elijah Dow
We‘re all likely familiar that surge of anxiety that can sometimes hit at the start of a new quarter—and for first-time college students, it can feel like being lost in space without a tether. New students might feel suddenly immersed in an unfamiliar world where they’ll need to navigate systems like Canvas, Starfish, and ctcLink, figure out each instructor’s unique course layout, find their way around campus, and somehow juggle work and/or personal responsibilities too. Returning students may also feel adrift trying to remember all the ins and outs!
I was a 1st generation college student, and I remember being so overwhelmed but also afraid to ask for help, especially when I knew that things had already been explained once before. When an instructor in my second semester said “everything you need is on Moodle,” I remember sitting there in quiet panic wondering, Wait, what the heck is Moodle?
Including a “Module Zero” or “Resources Module”—or whatever term fits your style—in a course can be a powerful way to introduce or reinforce connections with campus community and key support services. It can also be a way to provide important information and resources students may need throughout the quarter for your specific course! Over the past year, I’ve been working with input from faculty and staff at South to identify the kinds of support students benefit from at the beginning of the quarter to help them feel grounded rather than overwhelmed. Even beyond a student’s first quarter, as their needs can evolve and new courses present new learning curves—a resource module can provide solid footing.
While this work is still ongoing, several helpful resources are already available for use! Some of these are activities for students to engage with. I have opted to make them all 0 points so they can be optional if students find them particularly useful, but feel free to edit and work them into your course as you see fit.
Here’s a peek at just a few of the materials available to you!
Course FAQ Page
🔎 Preview the Course FAQ page.
You know those same few questions that pop up from students every quarter? Now you can get ahead of them with a simple, student-friendly FAQ page! Designed with a dropdown menu and a clear question-and-answer format, this page makes it easy for students to find the information they need. It’s a great resource to have available early in the quarter, so students know exactly where to go when they need a quick reminder for a quick Q.
Canvas Help Page
🔎 Preview the Canvas Help page.
In my opinion, you can never offer too much Canvas support for students. This resource page includes helpful video guides covering essential tasks students are expected to do in most courses—like submitting assignments, posting in discussions, and checking feedback.
A great way to make the most of this page is having a link to it in your assignment instructions. Try adding a quick note like, “Not sure how to submit to an assignment? Check out the Canvas Help page!”
If you make use of distinct Canvas features that may be new to students, like groups or peer review, Instructional Designers are happy to work with you on adding different guides in this page, complete with accessible transcripts!
Unrolling the Canvas Activity
🔎 Preview the Unrolling the Canvas activity.
Building on the helpful resource page, this activity guides students through some key setup steps in their Canvas settings. Many students don’t take the time—or may not know how—to adjust things like their notification preferences, which can lead to missed deadlines and important updates slipping through the cracks. It may also be that different notifications will be more important in certain classes depending on the instructor’s preferences!
This activity helps students take control of their notifications—choosing what they want to be notified about, how often, and through which channels work best for them. At the end, they’re invited to share how they’re feeling about using Canvas, giving you valuable insight into who might need a little extra support as the quarter gets going.
One way you could consider customizing this activity is by recommending which notifications are most helpful for your class. For example, if you tend to use Announcements regularly, you might recommend students enable Announcement notifications in the course-specific settings.
Campus Chronicles Discussion Activity
🔎Preview the Campus Chronicles activity.
Okay, so this one is currently designed specifically for South, as it makes use of an interactive South Campus Map. However, the general spirit and design of this activity is beneficial for all students in any quarter!
I don’t know about y’all, but I always like to get a feel for a place before visiting. If I’m going to a new place, I’ll be on Google Maps street view the day before, looking through photos and exploring parking options. Some students may feel the same way about a college campus! This activity lets students explore the campus virtually first, helping reduce anxiety and build familiarity. Intended for an in-person or hybrid course, they’re encouraged to visit in person, wander around, and then return to the discussion board to share what they discovered.
By framing this as a discussion activity, students not only get to explore campus but also build community with their in-class peers—connecting around the shared spaces they’re navigating both online and in real life. They’re encouraged to post photos, highlight interesting or helpful spots, and interact with each other’s discoveries. Plus, there’s a built-in pop-up guide on how to add alt text to images, making sure all students can engage meaningfully in the conversation.
A personal touch you could add to this activity is guiding students towards certain points of interest that pertain to your course! For example, encouraging students to find where tutoring is located.
Ready for lift-off? Import them from the Commons!
To access the materials, just head to Canvas Commons and search for “SSC Module Zero.” (There’s a guide linked at the below under Resources and References!) Once imported into your course, you’re free to edit, customize, and adapt them to best support your students as they blast off into a new quarter!
Like I mentioned earlier, this is an ongoing project—and it’s shaped in large part by instructors like you who use the materials and generously share your feedback and ideas. If you have questions, suggestions, insights, or input of any kind, I’d love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email!
Elijah.Dow@SeattleColleges.edu
Resources and References:
- How do I import Module Zero stuff from the Commons?
- Canvas Guide
- 10 Tips for Creating an Engaging Student Welcome Message
- Podcast with Dr. Bethanie L. Hansen
- Teaching Tuesdays: Welcoming Students to Your Online Course, Part 1: Orientation
- 5–minute read by Rutgers P3 Collaboratory
- Welcoming New College Students: 3 Keys to a Strong Fall Start
- RNL Blog by Laura Breckner
- Space Oddity by David Bowie
- The reference made in the title of this section
