How do I use Mastery Paths in course modules?

Mastery Paths allows you to customize learning experiences for  students based on performance. You can enable Mastery Paths to  automatically assign coursework based on the score achieved for a  previous assignment. This provides multiple opportunities to show and  achieve mastery in a course.

Mastery Paths is based on differentiated assignments,  which allows targeted learning activities to be assigned to different  users and sections. With Mastery Paths, assignments are differentiated  to individual students automatically and no additional work is required  aside from grading student assignments as usual. After the initial  assignment has been graded (either manually or automatically), the  students score designates which conditional item(s) they are assigned  as a learning path. For example, a learning path can assign one set of  items to students who score at or above 70% and another set to students  who score below 70%. If Student A scores an 70% or higher, they can  access Page 1, Page 2, Assignment 1, and Assignment 2. You can require  Student A to read both pages and complete at least one assignment. If  Student B scores less than 70%, they can access Page 1, Page 3, Page 4,  and Assignment 1. You can require Student B to read all three pages and  complete the assignment in order to achieve mastery of the subject.

When creating Mastery Paths, source assignments and all  differentiated course items should be created, and differentiated items  should be designated as conditional items before publishing the course.

Weighted Grading

If you use weighted grading in your course, additional course work  may affect student's total grades. However, grade calculations are based  on the assignments assigned to and completed by the student; students  are not penalized for any assignments that are not assigned to them. If  you are concerned about grade variances with point values, you may want  to review the conditional assignments assigned to each Mastery Path and  try to balance out grading totals in each path. Additionally you could  evaluate student progress and add individual students to assignments as  necessary that they can complete to improve their grade.

Notes:

  • The Mastery Paths setting can be managed in your course if the setting has been enabled by your institution.
  • Most SIS platforms only support due dates assigned to entire  sections. Since Mastery Paths assign work to individual students, their  assignments and grades wont sync automatically and must be added  manually. Please use with caution when syncing to your SIS.
  • If your course has a large number of students and/or if a Mastery  Path has a large number of associated conditional items, students may  experience a delay before they are assigned a path.
  • Currently Mastery Paths does not support association with outcomes.
  • Files, External URLs, and External Tool module items cannot be used as conditional items in Mastery Paths.
  • If you choose to include a page in Mastery Paths, the page will only  be accessible from within Mastery Paths and not in the course Pages  page.

1. Open Modules

In Course Navigation, click the Modules link.

2. Add Course Modules

A Mastery Path contains source content [1] and conditional items [2].  Before you can designate source assignments and conditional items for a  Mastery Path, all course assignments and pages should be developed and added to Modules as module items. Mastery Paths can be created from module structures in existing courses or new course content.

Indenting module items can be used to help organize the module's  structure and visually show which items should be conditional items in a  Mastery Path.

Graded assignments, graded discussions, or graded quizzes may be used  as the source content for a Mastery Path. A student's source content  score determines which conditional item(s) they are assigned.

Any course item except for practice quizzes and ungraded surveys may be designated as a conditional item in a Mastery Path.

Notes:

  • In Mastery Paths, module prerequisites and requirements are not required, but they are encouraged to guide course organization and conditional paths.
  • Files, External URLs, and External Tool module items cannot be used as conditional items in Mastery Paths.

2.1. Allow Page Content

Because pages do not require grading, you can only add pages to a Mastery Path as conditional content items. Additionally, a page must be assigned to Mastery Paths before it can be added as a conditional content item.

3. Add Conditional Items

A Mastery Path originates from an assignment assigned to everyone, such as a pre-test or an introductory assignment.

The Mastery Paths configuration page allows you to add conditional content items  to the source content item. Conditional content items are selected from  the list of module items you have already added to the module. These  items are then assigned to specific students through conditional rules  in three scoring ranges. After the source content assignment has been  graded (either manually or automatically), the students score  designates which conditional item(s) they are assigned as a learning  path.

4. Assign Items to Mastery Paths

By default, assignments in Canvas are assigned to Everyone else, which  means all students will be able to view the assignment in their Modules  page. Once conditional content items have been added to a Mastery Paths,  the conditional assignments must be assigned to Mastery Paths.  The Mastery Paths assignment designates the assignment for conditional  release only, and the assignment will only display to students whose  source content scores fall in a range that releases the conditional  assignment to them.

5. Release Conditional Items

When you create Mastery Paths for your course, students see content  added to their Modules page as they move through the course. When the  course begins, they will only be able to see items that have been  published and assigned to Everyone or assigned  specifically to them. In contrast, courses that do not use Mastery Paths  display all content in the Module, even if the content is locked.

Once a Mastery Path source assignment has been graded (either  automatically by Canvas or manually in SpeedGrader), the conditional  item(s) will automatically display in the students Modules page based  on the source items scoring range.

If a Mastery Path source assignment scoring range includes an Or option, students must choose which conditional item(s) they wish to complete before proceeding.

Notes:

  • The Mastery Path process currently only originates from the course Modules page.
  • If you set a requirement that module items must be completed in  order, when a student completes a Mastery Path that requires any manual  grading, all subsequent module items will be locked for the student  until the Mastery Path is graded.
  • If you regrade a source assignment after a student chooses a Mastery  Path option, and the regrade puts the student in a different  conditional item range, they will have to complete the conditional  item(s) in the reassigned Mastery Path before advancing through the  module.

6. View Student Path Assignment

When a student is assigned or selects a conditional item, the  conditional assignment automatically adds the students name to the  assignment as being differentiated to that student.

7. View Mastery Path Breakdown

Once students complete a source content item for a Mastery Path, you can view the Mastery Paths breakdown.  Each scoring range includes a link that shows the number of students in  each range. You can click the name of a student in the range, view the  students source content submission and score, and send a message to the  student.