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Many modern students have a lot of experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS) prior to enrolling at UM-Dearborn.  Using the LMS to its full potential, regardless of course modality (in-person, hybrid, online, etc) is a key piece to student success.  With that in mind, the Digital Education Subcommittee recommended the following minimum expectations for use of the LMS.

Required Course Elements in the LMS:

• Standard Course Syllabus – ideally placed under the syllabus tool 
• Assignments / Quizzes with due dates and point values, regardless of submission type (in-class or online)
• Gradebook with accurate points and weights for all items, consistent with the course syllabus, set up at the start of term and updated regularly throughout the semester to provide students with an accurate view of their performance.

Recommended Course Elements in the LMS:

• Organizational Structure: faculty should use one of two formats, modules or pages, to organize their course materials, because navigating sites with differing structures adds to students’ cognitive load. Faculty may choose to use either this  or this .
• Welcome/Intro Page or Module: faculty should include a welcome or introduction page/module that explains how the LMS is structured. Minimally, it should explain where course materials (notes, assessments, etc.) are located on the site.
• Schedule / Calendar for all course events: all course events such as unit/module openings, discussion starts, guest speakers, etc. should be included in the course schedule/calendar so students can plan in advance
• Course Announcements: announcements should be used regularly by faculty, as reminders of upcoming activities, assignments, and events, and updating students on any course schedule changes
• Grades/scores for manually graded assessments: scores should be entered into Canvas Grades on a timely basis to provide students with an accurate view of their performance.
• For independent and directed study course shells – created automatically for faculty in the LMS– it is recommended that faculty document expectations and progress during the course of the term.   

Note that course materials posted to the LMS must comply with the U-M SPG  , adopted in June 2022. Additionally, after April 24, 2026, Title II of the ADA requires that digital course materials meet the  accessibility standards. For more information, please review the Digital Accessibility website.

Any FERPA Protected materials (student work, grades, names, UMIDs, course rosters, recordings showing student faces or voices) must be placed in the course’s LMS site or other similar approved system which is password protected and only accessible to instructors, assistants, and students associated directly with the course.

Making good use of the LMS is but one component of good instruction. In order to improve student learning and the learning experience, colleges/departments are encouraged to include LMS use as well as course design efforts in their annual faculty assessment processes. Such assessment could be framed around the UM-Dearborn . 

Originally approved by the UCDC Digital Education Subcommittee on May 15, 2020, revision approved April 8, 2025