Streamlining course management with TidyUP: A new pilot program

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Why TidyUP?

Managing course materials can often be a time-consuming and frustrating task for instructors. Over time, courses may accumulate unused or outdated files, pages, and other resources, making navigating or maintaining consistency difficult. Additionally, having extra files in a course makes it challenging to ensure all materials are accessible to students. For students, a cluttered course can lead to confusion and impact their ability to focus on what matters most: learning.

The TidyUP tool addresses these challenges by providing an efficient way to clean up courses. By identifying unused content and offering bulk management options, TidyUP helps ensure courses are organized, accessible, and easy to maintain.

Goals for the Pilot Program

During the pilot, our primary objectives are to:

  1. Assess the effectiveness of TidyUP in reducing unused and duplicate content in courses.
  2. Measure how it impacts instructor workload during course clean-up processes.
  3. Gather feedback from participating instructors to inform potential wider adoption.

The pilot is open to all instructors. You can access the tool by enabling it from the Navigation tab in your course settings. 

Key Features of TidyUP

TidyUP is seamlessly integrated into Canvas, making it a user-friendly solution for instructors. Some of its standout features include:

  • Identifying Unused Content: TidyUP scans your course to locate unused files, pages, and other resources.
  • Bulk Management: Perform actions like deleting or archiving multiple items simultaneously, saving significant time.
  • Preview Capabilities: Preview items before deletion to ensure accuracy.
  • Improved Navigation: By reducing clutter, instructors can create easier courses for students to navigate.

What We Hope to Achieve

We aim to support instructors in delivering high-quality courses with a clear and organized structure. A streamlined course enhances the student experience and aligns with our institutional commitment to accessibility and user-friendly design.

How You Can Stay Involved

We’ll share updates throughout the pilot program, including participant feedback and lessons learned. If you’re interested in learning more about TidyUP or would like to get involved in future implementation phases, please don’t hesitate to contact teachingtools@umsystem.edu

Stay tuned for more insights as we explore how TidyUP can help transform how we manage course content.

Author

Bryant Lazenby

Bryant Lazenby, M.Ed.

Instructional Designer III

Laz is a lifelong learner and technology lover who joined Missouri Online as an instructional designer in July 2021. He is a Level 2 Google Certified Educator with over 10 years of teaching experience in secondary and post-secondary education and is currently working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lindenwood University where his research is in incorporating gamification strategies into the classroom. He was born and raised on a farm that has been in his family for over a century located northwest of Sedalia, Missouri, where he lives today. When he isn’t in front of his computer, he can generally be found reading or attending local painting classes.