What is the Public Course Index?

The Canvas Public Course Index is an institutional-based course guide. Courses need to opt-in in order to appear in the course index. Starting the 2023-2024 school year, secondary course templates include the opt-in for all courses generated to be included in the Public Course Index. It will not include a description of the course. That will need to be completed by teachers with the following directions.

The Public Course Index provides institutional users with a way to access courses and more specifically, the course syllabus. This may help when making course selections.

Public Course Index Opt-In & Description

If a teacher overwrites the template with their own Sandbox/Shell course settings, they can re-enable the option in course settings. Or if a teacher creates a course, such as a club, that they want students to be able to find, they can also choose to include it in the Public Course Index.

From your Course, choose “Settings”

From “Course Details”, scroll to the bottom "Visibility” section and check “Include this course in the public course index”

Below this, please include a short course description such as course name, grade level, topics covered, etc. Please SAVE these settings.

How to Access Public Course Index

Any Issaquah School District Canvas user can access the Public Course Index through Courses, All Courses. When available, they can then select “Browse More Courses.”

Courses will be listed and should include a brief description of the course, which can also be added in the Course Settings per the above instructions. Courses that have “Join this course” have been created as open-enrollment courses (like a club).

How to Ensure Your Syllabus is Available

Teachers should make sure that their Syllabus information is set correctly:

Visibility: Course
Customize: checked
Syllabus: Institution
Files: Course

This will ensure that while the syllabus is available to viewers, other course content is not.

Learn about setting up your Course Syllabus page here and leran more about syllabus expectations from the ISD Canvas Course Checklist RevJune2023.pdf