The Commons is a great Open Educational Resource (OER) that allows users to exchange ideas, educational materials, videos, software, and even textbooks. This freely accessed domain provides an all-access pass for individuals seeking course materials without cost or other restrictions. All instructors can upload their materials or upload an entire course into the directory as either private or public resources.

Canvas users at Florida State University have uploaded a wide variety of materials: course master shells, page templates, midterm surveys, and much more. Some departments at Florida State utilize Commons as a directory for their course master shells, allowing easy standardization of design and navigation across semesters and courses and for multiple Teaching Assistant assignments within a program.

The best way to become familiar with a new program or software is to jump in. FSU has created a default Home Page that you can use to practice importing content from Commons. Follow the instructions in How to import the default Home Page into your course from Commons to become familiar with the process of importing Commons material.

When you're ready to go further, use the search function to locate resources containing "FSU," relevant instructional keywords (quiz, lecture), and/or relevant terms from your discipline. You can also earn badges for contributions and network with people engaged with Commons. Try the Commons today and see what you can find to enhance your Canvas course!