Marjon Canvas Page Template Project

What we are doing

• We are raising the profile and importance of good VLE design work for standard, face-to-face learning - "VLE FIrst"

  • We are encouraging colleagues to think much more about navigability and narrative (the explanation that goes next to any given resource)

• We have designed a range of page templates that work in Canvas pages (i.e. basic inline HTML).

• We are supporting teaching colleagues in learning the skills and techniques needed to adapt these templates using gen AI (vibe coding).

• We have encouraged groups of staff on related programmes to work together to develop new versions of the templates for use in their own areas.

• We have established a community of practice whereby all good practice and design work is fed back into the toolbox of templates available for all staff to use.

• We are having many great conversations about pedagogy as a result of this new approach to digital resources - it can look initially as though it is all about the webpage coding or the use of AI to provide shortcuts, but it's really about the way these tools are used, and how we can produce resources that align with the tutor's approach to teaching.

  • Example 1: We are making many more explicit connections (in the form of hyperlinks but also, conceptually) between teaching and learning content within a module and between modules, levels and courses.

  • Example 2: By sharing templates that embody good instructional design, we have been able to highlight key phases of learning and encourage colleagues to think in different ways about how information is shared (e.g. demonstration, activation, integration or explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate etc.)

• Some of our designs and content are showcased below...

What underpins this work

This project is one that leverages new technology while building on the existing skills and abilities of university staff and at its heart, this is a behaviour change project. It requires convincing colleagues to invest time and cognitive effort, to be open to new skills, and to adapt long-standing workflows. Success in such projects, whether measured by uptake, impact, sustainability, or satisfaction, is rarely determined by the technology itself, but by the approach taken to support that change. Drawing on my background in health promotion intervention development, I have found it useful to frame this work through the lens of how people are best supported to change behaviour in their professional practice. This section offers insights from that perspective.

• Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and Daniel Pink’s Drive (autonomy, mastery, purpose) underpin our approach, which is designed to optimise initial engagement, skill development, and long-term adoption. We build in flexibility, agency, and autonomy because people want to feel good about their work and genuinely enjoy seeing progress as they learn new skills. Moreover, when lecturers see that their efforts directly benefit students, they are motivated to do more. We have also made upskilling a social activity: it happens in person (supported by online resources), colleagues are listened to, problems are solved together, and successes and new ideas are shared for everyone’s benefit. Peer-to-peer learning and support are actively encouraged.

• Diffusion of Innovations theory reminds us that people are at different stages of readiness to learn new skills and approaches. To move everyone forward, we need a range of strategies. There will always be early adopters (“outriders”) and those who take more time to get involved; we embrace this reality and plan accordingly. We give colleagues permission to play with their new skills, recognise innovation, and provide low-stakes, low-effort opportunities to work with this approach. We encourage and support colleagues to be leaders of change in their own departments, but also make efforts to think about our language when labelling workshops and stages of uptake.

• Social Identity Theory further strengthens our community-led model. It tells us that people derive motivation and behaviour from their membership in valued groups. Therefore, we do not frame “vibe coding” as a top-down mandate or an individual hobby. Instead, we actively cultivate a shared identity: lecturers who teach with Canvas together. Workshop participants are not trainees but fellow members of a professional learning community. We use language like “us,” “our,” and “colleagues” consistently, and we celebrate team-based wins (e.g., a department sharing a reusable HTML template). Crucially, Social Identity Theory shows that people are more likely to adopt new practices when they see in-group prototypes doing so – not outside experts. That is why our ongoing support features lecturer-led showcases, peer mentors, and “this is my work – here’s how I did it” walkthroughs from faculty colleagues. By making the identity “innovative, supportive lecturer” salient and positive, we reduce anxiety and increase voluntary, sustained uptake. The group itself becomes the driver of change.

How does generative AI contribute to this work?

• The use of page templates in a VLE does not require the use of generative AI; a good template can be adopted and adapted quite well without AI.

• Key principles of narrative and navigability can be adhered to without the use of gen AI. 

• The 'vibe coding' approach does, however, allow teaching staff, regardless of HTML or coding expertise, to develop polished pages in parallel with their content creation. By providing a Gen AI tool with simple instructions and a pre-designed template, an educator can rapidly generate coherent, engaging, and technically sound pages. This process leverages their existing teaching resources (like slides or text) as a backbone, turning content creation and page design into a single, integrated task.

What Next?

• Through the academic year 2025-26, we are aiming to provide a one hour introductory session to all teaching staff on campus

  • This session is enough for most to understand how to use page templates with gen AI and to be able to play around building new content. Some are ready to go, some are also having ongoing support.

• Over the next academic year, we will see how widespread uptake of this approach is, and we plan to include reviews of VLE content to evaluate content against general principles identified in 25/26.

Find out more

• Contact me at bjane@marjon.ac.uk to find out more

• There are five of us on the Template team, and we have lots to share about our design work, our use of gen AI and our campus-wide implementation.

  • The PMU Canvas Template Team: Prof Jennie Winter, Assoc Prof Lynne Wyness, Dr Ian Stonebridge, Antía Álvarez Mera