Use Quercus course templates to help structure and organize your course, or explore example courses for ideas about course design and organization.
Quercus Course Templates
CTSI provides two Quercus course templates that you can adapt for your course. The templates provide suggested structures and content that you can modify to suit your teaching context.
Divisional Course Templates
Your division or faculty may provide its own Quercus course templates and guidance. Explore templates available from:
You can also contact your divisional support team to find out whether additional templates are available for your division or faculty.
Download and Import a Course Template
To use a Quercus course template in your course:
- Download the template file (e.g., Example Course Template or the Assessment and Feedback Template)
- Log in to Quercus.
- Open the course where you want to import the template.
- Select Settings, then Import Course Content.
- For Content Type, select Canvas Course Export Package.
- Select Choose File and upload the downloaded template file.
- Select All content or Select specific content, depending on which materials you would like to import, then select Import.
For more detailed instructions, visit How do I import a Canvas course export package?
Verify Course Settings After Import
After importing a template, review your course settings to make sure they are appropriate for your course:
- Course visibility and content license settings: Ensure License is set to Private and Visibility is set to Course.
- Additional settings:
- Ensure the grade posting policy is set to Manual to avoid accidentally posting student grades.
- Ensure grade totals and grade distribution graphs are hidden.
- Disable comments on announcements if you do not want students to reply to announcements.
Example Courses and Design Ideas
Quercus can be organized and designed in many different ways. The resources and courses below provide examples of approaches to course structure, navigation, home pages, modules, and other course elements.
CTSI Self-Paced Learning
Quercus Home Page Foundations is a CTSI self-paced learning program that models how Quercus can be used to create a structured and navigable learning experience. The course demonstrates approaches to home page design, modules, pages, navigation, and other Quercus features.
Additional CTSI self-paced learning programs provide further examples of how Quercus can be used to support different types of online learning experiences.
A&S Quercus Idea Board
The A&S Quercus Idea Board brings together examples of how Arts & Science instructors have organized and designed their courses. Browse ideas for using modules, pages, weekly overviews, and other course elements.
Course Examples
The following courses demonstrate different approaches to course organization, navigation, and design in Quercus.
- Example Remote/Online Course Template by Will Heikoop, U of T: Demonstrates a fully online course with a clear orientation pathway, weekly course organization, and resources to help students navigate online learning.
- INFO101: Research Essentials by Zoe Fisher, Pierce College: Demonstrates the use of modules, headers, and indentation to create a clear hierarchy, with examples of assignments, quizzes, and other course elements.
- Introduction to Records Management for University Employees by Joy Rowe, SFU: Uses modules and links within content to create a clearly organized learning experience, including a home page that provides direct access to modules.
- Mastering Academic Research: Information Skills for Successful Students by Katie Bradford, Canvas Network: Demonstrates a customized home page with clear Start Here and About You pathways that guide students into the course.
- Tool Examples Built by Toolbox Renewal Project by Hoyeon (John) Cho, Phillip Christoffersen, Matt Clare, Sankhi Liyanage, U of T: Demonstrates different configurations of Quercus tools and features.