This section explains how to create outcomes in Canvas. One of the most important things to do is consider the naming conventions in advance. Short, succinct titles are necessary to help instructors locate the appropriate outcomes to align with their courses.
Work closely with the assessment committee or the Center of Learning Innovation to determine the best grouping and naming conventions.
Outcomes created in the subaccount will only be available to courses in the subaccount. For example, outcomes created in the 鈥淏usiness Administration鈥 subaccount will only be available to Stuart School of Business courses. Outcomes created in 鈥淎pplied Math鈥 will only be available to courses in applied math. Outcomes created at the 鈥 杏吧原创 Tech鈥 level will be available to all courses in the system.
First, Create the Groups
- As an admin, log into Canvas
- Click 鈥淎dmin鈥 on the global menu
- Click the appropriate subaccount
- Click 鈥淥UTCOMES鈥 on the admin menu bar
- An 鈥渙utcome group鈥 will automatically be created for the subaccount by default
See: 鈥淏usiness Administration鈥 in the image below. - Click 鈥淐reate New Group鈥 under the subaccount name
- Add the name of the 鈥淕roup鈥 of outcomes
See: 鈥淪tuart Common Goals鈥 in the image below.
- Under the group, create yet another group to list an outcome within this group. In this case, we鈥檒l make two sub-groups under 鈥淐ommon Goals,鈥 called:
- SSB CG1 Communication Proficiency
- SSSB CG2 Technological Proficiency
These 鈥済roups鈥 are ACTUALLY the outcomes.
- Click on the outcome (For example: 鈥淪SB CG1 Communication Proficiency鈥) and then click 鈥+ CREATE鈥 at the top of the page
CREATE the Outcomes
- After you click 鈥淐REATE,鈥 enter a name and a friendly name. The name might be something such as 鈥淪SB BS 1.1 Analytical Methods鈥擩ustification for Method鈥 and the friendly name might be 鈥淎nalytical Methods鈥擩ustification for Method.鈥
- Enter a description and a friendly description. Reminder: The friendly description is what appears to students. Avoid using educational or assessment jargon in the friendly description.
- Enter the proficiency ratings and corresponding points. The points are usually on a scale of 1鈥3 or 0鈥3.
- Enter a numerical value for mastery. Mastery does not mean perfection. It means the level that fully meets the rigor of achievement expectation. Generally, this is the middle value. In most cases, the mastery score will be aligned with the score for 鈥淢eets.鈥

- Select the calculation method. The assessment department or school should decide which calculation method should be used. 鈥淎verage鈥 is not recommended because it might weigh down a student鈥檚 score IF they take the assessment many times and do poorly in the beginning. 鈥淢ost recent score鈥 is the most commonly selected option at 杏吧原创 Tech.
Learn more about each calculation method:
(link to the Instructure Community)
(links to Instructure Admin guide) - Press 鈥淪ave鈥 and 鈥淐ontinue鈥 to add more criteria as needed.