Canvas Course Qc

Canvas Course QC

Automated quality checklist for Learning Designers to verify a Canvas course is ready for students. Runs structure, content, publishing, and completeness checks — then reports issues by priority.

Prerequisites

• Canvas MCP server must be running and connected.
• Authenticated user must have instructor, TA, or designer role in the target course.
• Best run before the semester starts or before publishing a course to students.

Steps

1. Identify Target Course

Ask the user which course to QC. Accept a course code, Canvas ID, or course name.

If not specified, prompt:

> Which course would you like to quality-check?

Use list_courses to look up available courses if needed.

2. Retrieve Course Structure

Call get_course_structure(course_identifier) to get the full module-to-items tree in one call.

This returns all modules with their items, publishing states, and summary statistics.

3. Run Structure Checks

Analyze the module tree for structural issues:

| Check | Priority | What to Look For |

|-------|----------|------------------|

| Empty modules | Warning | Modules with 0 items (confusing to students) |

| Naming consistency | Suggestion | Do all modules follow the same pattern? (e.g., "Week N:", "Unit N:") |

| Module count | Suggestion | Does it match expected count for course length? |

| Item ordering | Suggestion | SubHeaders present for organization? |

4. Run Content Checks

Call list_assignments(course_identifier) and check each assignment:

| Check | Priority | What to Look For |

|-------|----------|------------------|

| Missing due dates | Blocking | Graded assignments without a due_at date |

| Missing descriptions | Warning | Assignments with empty or null description |

| Missing points | Warning | Assignments without points_possible set |

| Date sequencing | Warning | Due dates that don't follow module order |

| Rubric coverage | Suggestion | Graded assignments without an associated rubric |

For pages, check if any pages in modules have empty body content using get_page_content for pages flagged in the structure.

5. Run Publishing Checks

Using the structure data:

| Check | Priority | What to Look For |

|-------|----------|------------------|

| Ghost items | Blocking | Published items inside unpublished modules (invisible to students) |

| Unpublished modules | Warning | Modules that may need publishing before semester |

| No front page | Warning | Course has no front page set |

Check for front page by calling list_pages(course_identifier) and looking for front_page: true.

6. Run Completeness Checks

Compare module structures to find inconsistencies:

| Check | Priority | What to Look For |

|-------|----------|------------------|

| Inconsistent structure | Warning | Most modules have 4 items but some only have 1 |

| Missing item types | Suggestion | Most modules have an Assignment but some don't |

Build a "typical module" profile from the most common item-type pattern, then flag modules that deviate.

7. Generate QC Report

Present results grouped by priority:

## Course QC Report: [Course Name]

### Summary
- Modules: 15 | Items: 67 | Assignments: 15 | Pages: 20
- Issues found: 3 blocking, 5 warnings, 2 suggestions

### Blocking Issues (fix before publishing)
1. Assignment "Final Project" has no due date
2. Published "Week 5 Quiz" is inside unpublished "Week 5" module (invisible to students)
3. Assignment "Midterm" has no due date

### Warnings (should fix)
1. 2 empty modules: "Week 14", "Week 15"
2. 3 assignments missing descriptions: HW 3, HW 7, HW 12
3. No front page set for course
4. Due dates out of order: Week 8 assignment due before Week 7
5. "Week 3" module has 1 item while typical modules have 4

### Suggestions (nice-to-have)
1. Module naming: 13/15 use "Week N:" pattern but "Midterm Review" and "Final Review" don't
2. 5 graded assignments have no rubric attached

8. Offer Follow-up Actions

After presenting the report, offer actionable next steps:

> Would you like me to:

> 1. Auto-fix publishing -- Publish all unpublished modules (with confirmation)

> 2. Show details -- Expand on a specific issue

> 3. Run accessibility audit -- Check WCAG compliance (uses canvas-accessibility-auditor skill)

> 4. Check another course

For auto-fix, use update_module or bulk_update_pages with user confirmation before each batch.

MCP Tools Used

| Tool | Purpose |

|------|---------|

| list_courses | Find available courses |

| get_course_structure | Full module tree with items |

| list_assignments | Assignment details for content checks |

| get_assignment_details | Deep-dive on flagged assignments |

| list_pages | Check for front page |

| get_page_content | Verify pages have content |

| list_all_rubrics | Check rubric coverage |

| update_module | Auto-fix: publish modules |

| bulk_update_pages | Auto-fix: publish pages |

Example

User: "QC check for BADM 350"

Agent: Runs all checks, outputs the prioritized report.

User: "Fix the publishing issues"

Agent: Publishes the 2 unpublished modules after confirmation.

Notes

• This skill is designed for Learning Designers who manage course structure before students access it.
• Run this before each semester or after major content updates.
• Pairs well with canvas-accessibility-auditor for comprehensive course review.