Canvas Course Menu: Updated Layout for 2026–27

Every year, the Educational Technology team carries out a behind-the-scenes task that has a big impact on the day-to-day experience of using Canvas. It reordering the left-hand course menu. We have been doing this for over five years, and this have been completed once again.

The reason we do this is to create consistency, and because the default menu listing when the new canvas courses are created does not reflect the key areas the institution requires or supports the effective learning of students.

The default Canvas menu that appears when a new course is created is not designed with LJMU's students or priorities in mind. It does not reflect the tools we use, the order in which students need them, or the learning experience we want to provide. Reordering it each year ensures that every Canvas course feels consistent and purposeful — wherever a student goes, the things they need are where they expect them to be.

For 2026–27, the menu order has been updated to reflect the current priorities of the institution. The key items at the top of the menu are: Home, Announcements, Key Information, Assignments, Grades, Reading List, Timetable, and Modules. New to this year's ordering, Panopto and the AI Assistant now appear as named items in the menu, reflecting their growing importance to teaching and learning at LJMU.

Less frequently used tools sit towards the bottom, and items that are not relevant to students are hidden.

The team also noted that the menu now contains 31 visible items for staff, and work is ongoing to explore whether some of these can be consolidated or revealed only when needed, to reduce complexity.