Action Items
User Guide Action Items
Overview
Use these tools to:
- Complete various editing tasks only visible to editors
Action Item Visibility in Recent Announcements
Canvas only retrieves the plain text of announcements when the Recent Announcements feature is enabled on the homepage. Because of this, action items are not hidden in the Recent Announcements preview on homepages. If you need to use an action item in an announcement, move the action items to somewhere after the first 200 characters of the announcement.
Related Tools:
Interface
The following panels will describe what can be accomplished in each section of this tool:
Types of Action Items
- Action Item: Checklist
- Adds a checklist of action items that is only visible to editors and shows future editors how to use a template page step by step
- Action Item: Input
- Adds an input prompt that is only visible to editors and leaves placeholders where others can add content later
- Action Item: Insertion
- Inserts text suggestions, visible only to editors, that can be easily added to the page
- Action Item: Instructions
- Adds instructions and tips that are only visible to editors and leaves placeholders where others can add content later.
- Action Item: Note
- Adds notes that are only visible to editors and leaves page design feedback for other editors to view in context
- Action Item: Remove
- Makes content removal recommendations that are only visible to other editors
- Action Item: Suggestion
- Makes text suggestions that are only visible to editors
Content - Action Item: Checklist
Action Item: Checklist adds a checklist of action items that is only visible to editors and shows future editors how to use a template page step by step.
- 1. Tasks
- Created inside the editor, these tasks can be individually marked as completed in the sidebar or when reviewing all action items
- 2. Mark as Complete
- This button marks the entire list of items as complete.
- 3. Remove
- This button removes the action item and all its contents from the editor.
- 4. Unwrap
- Removes the Action Item wrapper, converting the list to normal text, that will be seen by viewers once the page is saved.
- 5. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Input
Action Item: Input adds an input prompt that is only visible to editors and leaves placeholders where others can add content later.
- 1. Input Field
- Type your personal information in the input field
- 2. Replace Prompt
- Use this button to replace the Action Item Prompt in the editor with the text you have provided in the input field.
- 3. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Insertion
Action Item: Insertion inserts text suggestions, visible only to editors, that can be easily added to the page. These are often used for editing purposes, when a phrase or word is missed.
- 1. Accept
- Selecting this Accept button will remove the action item by converting the suggested text into basic and editable text in the editor.
- 2. Reject
- Selecting the Reject button will remove the suggested text and the action item from the editor.
- 3. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Instructions
Action Item: Instructions adds instructions and tips that are only visible to editors and leaves placeholders where others can add content later.
- 1. Mark as Complete
- This button marks the entire list of items as complete.
- 2. Remove
- This button removes the action item and all its contents from the editor.
- 3. Unwrap
- Removes the Action Item wrapper, converting the action item to normal text that will be seen by viewers once the page is saved.
- 4. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Note
Action Item: Note adds notes that are only visible to editors and leaves page design feedback for other editors to view in context.
- 1. Remove
- This button removes the action item and all its contents from the editor.
- 2. Unwrap
- Removes the Action Item wrapper, converting the action item to normal text that will be seen by viewers once the page is saved.
- 3. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Remove
Action Item: Remove makes content removal recommendations that are only visible to other editors.
- 1. Remove
- This button removes the text that is struck-out and suggested for deletion, and the action item wrapper.
- 2. Keep
- Removes the Action Item wrapper, but keeps the original text (ignoring the suggested removal).
- 3. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Content - Action Item: Suggestion
Action Item: Suggestion inserts text suggestions, visible only to editors, that can be easily added to the page.
- 1. Accept
- Selecting this Accept button will remove the action item by converting the suggested text into basic and editable text in the editor.
- 2. Reject
- Selecting the Reject button will remove the suggested text and the action item from the editor.
- 3. Unwrap
- Removes the Action Item wrapper, converting the action item to normal text that will be seen by viewers once the page is saved.
- 4. Review All Action Items
- Launches a popup window where you can review all Action Items from one interface.
Advanced
Use the tools in the Advanced section to:
- Lock/Unlock
- Lock or unlock all editor items to prevent further editing or removal
Preview
The Preview panel provides the following options:
- Example
- Displays a sample Action Items checklist with one of each type of action item
Instructions
Add an Action Item: Checklist
To add a new Checklist Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Checklist.
- Build the checklist in the Canvas editor by adding items:
Add an Action Item: Input
To add a new Input Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Input.
- Select the "Action Item: Input" text inside the editor, and replace it with your desired prompt for your teacher/designer users. (Example: "Your name here")
Add an Action Item: Insertion
To add a new Insertion Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go. In this case, this is likely where the missed word or phrasing is.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Insertion.
- Highlight the words "Action Item: Insertion".
- Replace the highlighted text with the words you would like to insert.
Add an Action Item: Instructions
To add a new Instructions Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Instructions.
- Edit the text in the Instructions box with what you would like to relay to your editors.
Add a Action Item: Note
To add a new Note Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Item.
- Select Action Item: Note
- Edit the text in the Note box with what you would like to relay to your editors.
Add a Action Item: Removal
To add a new Removal Action Item:
- Select the content in the editor that you would like to suggest removing.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Remove
- Editors of this Canvas content will have the option to remove or keep the text you have highlighted.
Add a Action Item: Suggestion
To add a new Suggestion Action Item:
- Place your cursor in the editor where you want the action item to go.
- Open the Add panel and search for Action Items.
- Select Action Item: Suggestion
- Type the content you wish to suggest that your users insert into their courses.
Complete an Action Item
To complete a single Action Item:
- Make sure you are in Edit mode.
- Place your cursor in the editor where the action item is located.
- Select the applicable Action Item tool from the related tools in the Edit tab.
- In the Content panel, select Accept/Reject or Mark as Complete for the current action item.
To complete an action item from the Action Items checklist:
- Make sure you are in Edit mode.
- Place your cursor in the editor where an action item is located.
- Select the applicable Action Item tool from the related tools.
- Open the Content panel.
- Select Review All Action Items for the current action item.
- Select Mark as Complete for the desired action item(s) in the Editor Action Items dialog box.
Remove an Action Item
To remove a single Action Item:
- Make sure you are in Edit mode.
- Place your cursor in the editor where the action item is located.
- Select the applicable Action Item tool from the related tools.
- Open the Content panel.
- Select Remove for the current action item:
To remove an action item from the Action Items checklist:
- Make sure you are in Edit mode.
- Place your cursor in the editor where an action item is located.
- Select the applicable Action Item tool from the related tools.
- Open the Content panel.
- Select Review All Action Items for the current action item.
- Select Remove for the desired action item(s) in the Editor Action Items dialog box:
Resources
Examples
Here is an example for each type of Action Item:
- Action Item: Checklist
- Action Item: Input
- Action Item: Insertion
- Action Item: Instructions
- Action Item: Note
- Action Item: Remove
- Action Item: Suggestion
Design Considerations/Best Practices
Please consider the following when choosing to use Action Items:
- Action Items can be very helpful to not only guide your own editing process, but also to share with other editors during collaborations.
- Action Items support the structure of your design by providing an easy way to give and receive editing feedback.
- Action Items can enhance your editing process by serving as temporary storage of notes and suggestions during the research process.
Legacy Comparison
While the option to add Action Items was available in the legacy version of the Design Tools sidebar, this version adds the following features:
- Revisions to legacy Action Items
- New Action Item types, including Checklist, Input, Suggestion, and Removal
- Redesigned Action Items interface for easier navigation