The Mastery Paths tool in Canvas allows you to differentiate your course content, having each student follow their own learning path based on pre-requisite scores. We recommend researching the equitable use of differentiated learning strategies and contacting your College or Department for guidance before implementing Mastery Paths in your course. Read on for our tips for getting started with Mastery Paths.
1: Enable the tool in your course.
To utilize Mastery Paths in an individual course you must enable the tool first. Designing a course with Mastery Paths in a Master Course is helpful and content can be transferred to your semester course(s). Be sure to enable Mastery Paths in the settings of each course.
Learn more:
- Canvas: Enabling Mastery Paths in Your Course (PSU resource)
2: Prepare your course.
It is very important to organize and map out your content ahead of time when utilizing Mastery Paths. You will need to design various content pieces (pages, assignments, quizzes, etc.) for differentiation and the resulting paths you build may be extensive. Once you have completed the planning process, you will be able to enter the content in sequential order into your module.
Learn more:
- Preparing Your Course for Mastery Paths (PSU Resource)
3: Set up an Initial/Diagnostic Assessment and Conditional Content.
The Mastery Paths process will begin on the course Modules page. A student’s initial diagnostic assessment score determines the conditional path they will follow. Any graded assignments, graded quizzes, or graded discussions can be used as an Initial/Diagnostic Assessment for a Mastery Path. Once you create all your content and add your materials into your module, you need to create your range breakdowns, add specific due dates, and indicate the conditional content assignments to be completed in each range.
Learn more:
- How do I use Mastery Paths in course modules (External resource)
- How do I add conditional content to a Mastery Path source item?(External resource)
4: Create a Page.
Typically pages in Canvas are used to contain content and do not require grading. However, you can use pages as conditional items in Mastery Paths. To use a page as a conditional item, you need to “Allow in Mastery Paths,” on the specific page so that it can be added to the Mastery Path.
Files, External URLs, and External Tool module items cannot be used separately as conditional items in Mastery Paths. To use these items as part of Mastery Paths, you must add the links on a page.
Learn more:
- How do I allow a page to be a Mastery Path item? (External resource)
5: View Grading Breakdowns.
When using Mastery Paths, the differentiated assignments will appear in the Gradebook as if it were an assignment for ALL students. However, the cells will be grayed for those students who have not been included in the assignment. You will not be able to grade those students who are not assigned that particular task.
Once your students complete the Mastery Paths, you have the ability to view the grading breakdown of each of the ranges you set. Each range in the Mastery Path will include a link that will show the breakdown of the number of students in each range. You can see each student’s score for each conditional content item, see their submission, and message the student.
Learn more:
- How do I view differentiated assignments with different due dates in a course? (External resource)