course works book

Library guide on using Course Works, finding textbooks and course readings

What is new for fall 2024.

Starting in Fall 2024, the University is providing textbooks in a new way. The old way (before Fall 2024) was that professors would give the Bookstore a list of textbooks. The Bookstore would buy copies of the books. Students could go to the bookstore (in person or website) to buy (or sometimes "rent") the textbooks. Students could also buy them from other websites (e.g. Amazon, etc.), find copies through the University Libraries, request them from Interlibrary Loan, or get them in other ways (or sometimes not to buy them).

NEW IN FALL 2024

ALL Undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled in a program called Course Works COMPLETE . In theory, this program will provide ALL of the textbooks and required course readings (including coursepacks and homework access) for ALL the courses a student is taking for a fee of $279 for fall semester (this will be added to your student account). This fee does NOT include items like lab supplies like goggles, art supplies, calculators, etc.

How can a student opt-out?

Students can opt-out of this program. In August, students will be able to view the cost of individual textbooks and make a decision if they want to opt out (e.g. if a student has few or no textbooks OR if the total cost of their books is less than $279 and they want to buy them individually). If you want to opt-out you can do it in the "Course Works tab" in Canvas by the deadline -- September 16.

Please note: There is a *NEW* Course Works tab in Canvas .

Getting textbooks and reading using Course Works Complete

ALL Undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled in Course Works COMPLETE . To get access to your textbooks and readings, use the Course Works tab in Canvas (will available in mid-August 2024) or in your individual Canvas course pages. The majority of textbooks are going to be digital or ebooks. You can access required digital content/textbooks for any course through Canvas Course Works tab or your individual Course page .

What about print textbooks? If a course requires print materials they will be provided at the campus store. If a student simply prefers print materials, they will be available for an additional nominal cost. Students will receive a message in their umn.edu email when their materials are ready for pick up.

Disability accommodation If you need the reading in a different format due to an accommodation or if you have questions about accessibility and using digital content, please contact the Disability Resource Center .

I have opted-out of Course Works COMPLETE -- how can I get my textbooks?

If you have opted-out of the the Course Works COMPLETE program -- you can still buy individual textbooks through Course Works Select using the Course Works tab in Canvas OR you can buy the textbook in other ways (e.g. Amazon, etc.) OR you can work with Libraries to request materials in other ways. The Libraries are working closely with the Bookstores to automatically identify textbooks that can be made available for free through the Libraries. These textbooks will also appear on your Course Works tab in Canvas and they will be marked as "Library." Regardless of whether you use Course Works Complete or Select, or opt-out completely, library course materials will always be available for you to access for free.

Here are some steps to help:

Step 1: Check your Canvas, your syllabus and with your instructor about exactly what textbooks and readings you might need.

Step 2: Figure out how you want to get them -- e.g. buy a textbook via Course Works, buy a textbook from another website (e.g. Amazon) or borrow a textbook from the UMN Libraries.

Step 3: If you want to try to get them from the UMN Libraries -- go to lib.umn.edu and type in the name of the textbook in Libraries Search (If needed, check the UMN bookstore or Canvas or your syllabus to get the exact title, authors and edition). This searches all of our on campus libraries and other UMN libraries like Duluth or Morris. Check the “edition” if needed and start reading!

If we don’t have it as an ebook, we might have an print copy. If these options don’t work, you can request the book from a service called Interlibrary Loan. Fill out the online form and we will work to get it from another library.

I am having trouble reading or getting a textbook - where can I get help?

If you have trouble reading a textbook or getting access to a textbook or reading -- talk to your instructor or reach out to [email protected].

If there are required materials listed in your syllabus that you don’t see on your Course Works Shelf in Canvas, please let us know and we’ll work to get them added ASAP (once verified). Email a screenshot or copy of your syllabus showing the materials to [email protected].

If you have questions about accessibility and using digital content or need accommodation, please contact the Disability Resource Center .

How can Graduate and Professional Students get textbooks and readings?

Graduate and Professional students are NOT part of the Course Works Complete program. Graduate and Professional students CAN buy individual titles in Course Works tab in Canvas if they choose. Or they can buy from the Bookstore or other online websites (e.g. Amazon) or work to get through the UMN Libraries as in the past. View the list of ebook textbooks available from the UMN Libraries.

Finding textbooks and course materials

In partnership with the University of Minnesota Bookstores , the University Libraries provides you with a list of free U of M required books. All books are free for U of MN - Twin Cities’ students to read online and to checkout.

New in Fall 2024: Course Works

All degree-seeking undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled in a program called Course Works Complete. The program will provide required textbooks and readings for the courses you are taking for a flat fee of $279 for fall semester (this fee is added to your student account). These can include library materials, open educational resources, journal articles, textbooks, and courseware. Optional course materials are not included. More information can be found on this FAQ page--see "What academic materials are covered by this program?"

Beginning mid-August, log in to Canvas and select the Course Works menu tab to access your textbooks and other course materials.

For graduate students and undergraduates who have opted-out

Course Works Complete is not available for graduate students. Undergraduate students can opt-out which will enroll them in Course Works Select—where they can select individual items—or they can opt out of Course Works entirely. Beginning mid-August, log in to Canvas and select Course Works menu tab to review your options.

The Libraries can always help undergraduate and graduate students get textbooks and readings. Check out our course materials guide , or contact us at [email protected].

Fall 2024 ebooks

Below is a list of course textbooks we have access to through the UMN LIbraries. All books are free for U of MN - Twin Cities’ students to read online. We work in partnership with the University of Minnesota Bookstores. We will be continually adding ebooks to this list. Keep checking for new courses and titles! These will also be listed in the Course Works tab in Canvas.

Tip: You can also search for the book using the Libraries Search tool above or request the book through Interlibrary Loan .

Learn more about how the Libraries can help you with your textbooks and course readings .

If your course textbook is not listed here, search for the book using the Libraries Search tool above, or request the book through Interlibrary Loan . Contact us at [email protected] if you would like us to try to find an unlimited use ebook for your course! We will be continually adding ebooks to this list. Keep checking for new courses and titles!

Course	Textbook
AAS 1101-001
ABUS 3052-ALL
ABUS 3510-301
ABUS 4105-ALL
ABUS 4217-301
ABUS 4545-ALL
ABUS 4545-ALL
ACL 5241-001
ACL 5241-001
ADDS 5121-001
ADDS 6031-101
ADDS 6031-101
AECM 5115-ALL
AECM 5115-ALL
AECM 5135-ALL
AECM 5135-ALL
AECM 5145-ALL
AECM 5145-ALL
AFRO 3251W-001
AFRO 3251W-001
AFRO 3251W-001
AFRO 3436-001
AFRO 3436-001
AFRO 5101-001
AFRO 5101-001
AFRO 5101-001
AFRO 5101-001
AFRO 5101-001
AFRO 5101-001
AMES 1201-001
AMES 3536-001
AMES 3536-001
AMES 3536-001
AMES 3536-001
AMES 3536-001
AMIN 1003-001
AMIN 1003-001
AMIN 1003-001
AMST 1101-001
AMST 2031-001
AMST 2031-001
AMST 3253W-ALL
ANTH 1101-001
ANTH 3003-001
ANTH 3003-001
ANTH 3003-001
ANTH 3005W-ALL
ANTH 3008-001
ANTH 3306W-001
ANTH 3402-011
ANTH 4029W-001
ANTH 4029W-001
ANTH 5008-001
ANTH 5402-001
ANTH 5442-001
ANTH 8510-001
ANTH 8810-001
ANTH 8810-001
ANTH 8810-001
APEC 3081-001
ARCH 3411V-002
ARCH 3411W-ALL
ARCH 4511-001
ARTH 1918-001
ARTH 1918-001
ASL 1701-005
AST 8001-001
BA 3001-004
BA 3001-005
BIOLR 4322-001
BMEN 2501-ALL
BMEN 5411-ALL
BMEN 5501-001
BMEN 8501-001
BMEN 8511-001
CEGE 4111-001
CEGE 4160-001
CEGE 4502-001
CEGE 5180-001
CEGE 5213-001
CEGE 5411-001
CEGE 5541-001
CHIC 3212-001
CHIC 3212-001
CHIC 3221-001
CHIC 3375-001
CHIC 3375-001
CHIC 3375-001
CHIC 3444-001
CHIC 3444-001
CHIC 3452-001
CHIC 4275-001
CHIC 5920-001
CHIC 5920-001
CHIC 5920-001
CHIC 5920-001
CHIC 5920-001
CHIC 5920-001
CI 3611W-001
CI 3613-001
CI 3901-ALL
CI 5645-ALL
CI 5645-ALL
CMGT 3024W-301
CMGT 4000-301
CMGT 4073-301
CMGT 4544-001
CNRC 3205-001
CNRC 3205-001
CNRC 3617-001
COMM 3211-001
COMM 3211-001
COMM 8211-001
CPSY 1301-ALL
CPSY 1301-ALL
CPSY 3308W-002
CPSY 5241-001
CPSY 5241-001
CPSY 5518-001
CPSY 5518-001
CPSY 5518-001
CPSY 5604-001
CPSY 5604-001
CPSY 5604-001
CPSY 8301-001
CSCI 4041-011
CSCI 4041-012
CSCI 4041-013
CSCI 4041-014
CSCI 4041-015
CSCI 4041-016
CSCI 4041-017
CSCI 4271W-ALL
CSCI 4921-001
CSCI 5271-001
CSCI 5421-ALL
CSCI 5521-001
CSCI 5521-002
CSCI 5561-001
CSCL 3425W-001
CSCL 3425W-001
CSCL 8910-001
CSCL 8910-001
CSCL 8910-001
CSPH 5317-001
CSPH 5322-001
DDS 6152-001
DDS 6327-001
DDS 6340-001
DDS 6473-001
DDS 6473-001
DDS 6479-001
DES 4401V-001
DES 4401W-001
DH 3228-001
DH 3238-001
DT 3228-001
DT 3238-001
ECON 4115-001
ECON 4118-001
ECON 4161-002
ECON 4311-001
ECON 4331W-ALL
EDHD 1525W-007
EDHD 1525W-014
ENGL 1041-001
ENGL 1041-001
ENGL 1041-001
ENGL 1172-001
ENGL 1301W-002
ENGL 1301W-003
ENGL 1301W-004
ENGL 1301W-005
ENGL 1301W-006
ENGL 1301W-007
ENGL 1501W-001
ENGL 1701-002
ENGL 1928-001
ENGL 1928-001
ENGL 3006V-001
ENGL 3007H-001
ENGL 3024-001
ENGL 3025-001
ENGL 3025-001
ENGL 3221-001
ENGL 3352-001
ENGL 3352-001
ENGL 3352-001
ENGL 3711-001
ENGL 3714-001
ENGL 3714-001
ENGL 8090-001
ENGL 8290-001
ENGW 1914W-001
ENGW 1914W-001
ENGW 1914W-001
ENT 3341-001
ENT 5341-001
EPSY 4609-001
EPSY 5221-001
EPSY 5462-001
EPSY 5609-001
EPSY 5641-001
EPSY 5641-001
EPSY 5643-001
EPSY 5643-001
EPSY 5643-001
EPSY 5643-001
EPSY 5643-001
EPSY 5644-001
EPSY 5644-001
EPSY 5652-001
EPSY 5653-001
EPSY 5653-001
EPSY 5653-001
EPSY 5659-001
EPSY 8251-001
ESCI 4404-001
ESCI 4703-101
ESCI 8404-001
ESL 0902-ALL
ESL 0941-001
ESL 3402W-ALL
ESL 5010-001
FINA 5323-020
FINA 6323-060
FREN 3345-001
FREN 3345-001
FREN 3745-001
FREN 3745-001
FREN 5350-001
FREN 8230-001
FSCN 4312W-ALL
FSCN 4312W-ALL
FSCN 5312-002
FSCN 5312-002
FSOS 1461-001
FSOS 3426-ALL
FSOS 4104-001
FSOS 4111-001
FSOS 4111-001
FSOS 4295-001
FSOS 4296-001
FSOS 5942-011
GER 8820-001
GLOS 3609-001
GSD 3511W-001
GWSS 3212-001
GWSS 3212-001
GWSS 5190-001
GWSS 5190-001
GWSS 5190-001
GWSS 5190-001
GWSS 5190-001
GWSS 5190-001
HEBR 1001-001
HIST 1032W-ALL
HIST 1032W-ALL
HIST 3051-001
HIST 3051-001
HIST 3284W-001
HIST 3436-001
HIST 3436-001
HIST 3444-001
HIST 3444-001
HIST 4011V-002
HIST 4011V-002
HIST 4011W-002
HIST 4011W-002
HIST 8025-001
HISTR 1435-ALL
HRIR 3051-001
HRIR 3111-001
HRIR 5655-060
HSCI 1715-ALL
HSCI 1715-ALL
HSEM 2043H-001
HSEM 2043H-001
HSEX 6212-301
HSM 3521-101
HSM 4041-101
HSM 4301-101
HSM 4531-101
HSM 4541-301
HSM 4561W-001
HSM 4589-301
HSM 4591-301
HSM 4861-101
HSM 6541-301
HSM 6589-301
HUM 3401-001
IBH 6022-101
IBH 6031-101
IBH 6031-101
IBH 6061-101
IBH 6305-101
IBH 6311-001
IBH 6311-001
IDES 2613-001
IDSC 4504-001
INET 4007-ALL
INET 4011-001
INS 4105-001
INS 4205-020
INS 6105-001
INS 6205-090
JOUR 1917-001
JOUR 8201-001
JOUR 8212-001
JWST 3205-001
JWST 3205-001
JWST 3745-001
JWST 3745-001
KIN 3136-001
KIN 4214-ALL
LA 3501-002
LA 3501-002
LA 5131-001
LA 5131-001
LA 5131-001
LING 5302-001
MATH 4242-040
MATH 4242-050
MATH 5165-001
MATH 5587-ALL
MATH 5615H-001
MATH 8251-001
MATS 3801-003
MDI 5004-001
MDI 5008-002
ME 3221-ALL
ME 5312-ALL
ME 5332-002
ME 8254-001
ME 8285-001
MEST 3511W-001
MGMT 6465-ALL
MILI 3585-001
MILI 3585-001
MILI 6985-070
MILI 6985-070
MLSP 5013-001
MM 3001W-301
MORT 3371-001
MSF 6121-001
MUED 5302-001
MUED 5302-001
MUED 5804-001
MUED 8118-001
NURS 6102-001
NURS 6600-001
NURS 8132-001
NURS 8132-001
NURS 8132-001
NURS 8201-001
OLPD 5080-001
OLPD 5080-001
OLPD 5080-001
OLPD 5080-001
OT 7121-002
OT 7122-002
OT 7411-002
OTRR 7121-001
PA 1401-001
PA 4101-001
PA 5051-001
PA 5231-001
PA 5271-001
PA 5311-001
PA 5431-001
PA 5826-001
PHIL 1006W-ALL
PHIL 1006W-ALL
PHIL 1006W-ALL
PHIL 1918-001
PHIL 3304-001
PHIL 3601W-001
PHIL 4760-001
PHIL 4760-001
PHIL 5201-002
PHIL 5760-001
PHIL 5760-001
PHIL 8420-001
PHYS 1107-100
PHYS 2201-ALL
PMB 3007W-ALL
PMB 4321-ALL
POL 3282-001
POL 3282-001
POL 3282-001
POL 3321-001
POL 3462-001
POL 3477-001
POL 4087-001
POL 4255-001
PSY 8201-001
PSY 8503-001
PUBH 6170-001
PUBH 6170-001
PUBH 6450-320
PUBH 6901-001
PUBH 7445-001
PUBH 7445-001
PUBH 7445-001
RELS 3205-001
RELS 3205-001
RELS 3627-001
RELS 3627-001
RUSS 3421-001
RUSS 3604-001
RUSS 5421-001
RUSS 5604-001
SCAN 3670-001
SCAN 3670-001
SCMC 3201-ALL
SENG 5851-001
SLHS 4402-001
SLHS 5801-001
SLHS 5806-001
SMGT 3601-001
SMGT 3826-001
SOC 3101-001
SOC 3101-001
SOC 3101-001
SOC 3101-001
SOC 3246-001
SOC 4451-001
SOC 4977V-001
SOC 8701-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8721-001
SOC 8851-001
SOCRR 1571-ALL
SOCRR 3571-301
SONOR 3011-001
SPAN 3703-001
STAT 5421-ALL
SW 3501-001
SW 3501-001
SW 8451-001
SW 8451-001
SW 8451-001
TH 3171-001
TH 3171-001
TH 3171-001
TH 4177W-001
WRIT 1925W-001
WRIT 3381W-001
WRIT 3577W-001
WRIT 4573W-001
WRIT 4573W-001
YOST 1001-001
YOST 1366-001
YOST 1366-001
YOST 1368W-ALL
YOST 4321-001
YOST 4401W-001

Summer 2024 ebooks

Course	E-Book Title
ABUS 3052-301
ABUS 4105-301
ABUS 4545-301
ABUS 4545-301
ADDS 5031-001
ADDS 5031-001
ADDS 5041-001
ADDS 5071-301
ADDS 5091-001
ADDS 5091-001
ADDS 5121-001
BIOL 3800-001
CI 5461-001
CI 5461-001
CI 5483-001
CI 5483-001
CI 5743-001
CNRC 3205-001
CPSY 5603-001
CPSY 5603-001
CSPH 5317-001
CSPH 5522-001
CSPH 5631-001
CSPH 5713-001
DDS 6231-001
DDS 6253-001
DDS 6451-002
DT 5162-001
ECON 4331W-001
ENGL 1301W-002
ENGL 1433-001
EPSY 5482-003
EPSY 5642-001
EPSY 5647-001
FINA 6322-070
FSOS 3426-001
IBH 6011-001
IBH 6011-001
IBH 6022-101
IBH 6022-101
IBH 6061-101
IBH 6101-001
IBH 6221-101
JWST 3205-001
LAMP 4177-301
MATH 4242-ALL
MGMT 6465-050
NURS 5200-001
NURS 6200-001
NURS 6802-001
NURS 7105-001
NURS 7502-001
NURS 7502-001
NURS 7515-001
OLPD 1303-001
OLPD 5202-001
OLPD 5202-001
OT 7343-002
OT 7343-002
OT 7841-001
OT 7841-002
POL 3766-001
PT 6058-001
RADI 3101-001
RELS 3205-001
SOC 3102-001
SOC 3102-001
SOC 3102-001
SOC 3721-001
SOC 3721-001
SOC 3721-001
SW 8451-001
SW 8451-001
SW 8451-001
TH 5183-001
YOST 1366-001
YOST 1366-001

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Students learn more about how to get textbooks and course readings through the UMN Libraries.

Faculty and instructors

Faculty and instructors learn more about our services to help integrate library materials such as textbooks, online articles, book chapters, course readings, streaming videos and more into your courses.

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Courseworks (Canvas)

How do I add Textbooks into my Course in CourseWorks (Canvas)?

Adding a single textbook

Importing textbooks from another course

Importing textbooks from a file

How to Create Course Workbooks: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating course workbooks is an essential part of designing an effective course. Workbooks are a valuable tool for students to engage with course material in a structured and organized way. They allow students to take notes, complete exercises, and reflect on their learning. In this article, you will learn how to create course workbooks that enhance the learning experience for your students.

Understanding Course Workbooks Before you start designing your workbook, it’s important to understand what a course workbook is and how it can benefit your students. A course workbook is a tool that students use to engage with course material. It can include exercises, readings, and notes. Workbooks help students organize their thoughts and keep track of their progress throughout the course. They are an excellent resource for students to refer to when studying for exams or completing assignments.

Designing Your Workbook Designing your workbook is an important part of the process. You want to make sure that it is visually appealing and easy to use. You also want to make sure that it aligns with the learning outcomes of your course. In the next section, we will discuss how to create content for your workbook and choose the right tools to design it.

Key Takeaways

Course workbooks are a valuable tool for students to engage with course material in a structured and organized way.
Workbooks help students organize their thoughts and keep track of their progress throughout the course.
Designing your workbook is an important part of the process and should align with the learning outcomes of your course.

Understanding Course Workbooks

Course workbooks are an essential tool for students to learn and retain information from a course. A course workbook is a book that contains all the information, exercises, and activities that a student needs to complete a course. It is an interactive workbook that helps the student to engage with the course material and learn at their own pace.

A course workbook can be used for any type of course, from language learning to technical courses. It provides a structured approach to learning, making it easier for students to follow the course material. A course workbook can also be used to supplement other course materials, such as lectures and textbooks.

Interactive workbooks are becoming increasingly popular, as they allow students to engage with the course material in a more interactive and engaging way. Interactive workbooks can include quizzes, puzzles, and other activities that help students to learn and retain information.

When creating a course workbook, it is important to keep in mind the needs of the students. The workbook should be easy to read and understand, with clear instructions and explanations. It should also be visually appealing, with illustrations and diagrams that help to explain complex concepts.

In conclusion, course workbooks are an essential tool for students to learn and retain information from a course. They provide a structured approach to learning and allow students to engage with the course material in an interactive and engaging way. When creating a course workbook, it is important to keep in mind the needs of the students and create a workbook that is easy to read, understand, and visually appealing.

Designing Your Workbook

When it comes to creating a workbook for your course, design plays a crucial role in making it engaging and effective. A well-designed workbook can help your students stay focused, organized, and motivated throughout the course.

To create a professional-looking workbook, consider using graphics and images to break up the text and make it more visually appealing. Canva is a great tool for designing graphics and illustrations, and it offers a variety of templates that you can mix and match to create a unique look for your workbook.

When designing your workbook, pay attention to margins and spacing to ensure that the text is easy to read and doesn’t feel cramped. You can also use bold text and bullet points to highlight important information and make it stand out.

In addition to design, it’s important to consider the content and structure of your workbook. Think about the learning objectives of your course and organize the content in a way that supports those objectives. You can also include exercises and activities that help reinforce the concepts covered in the course.

Overall, a well-designed workbook can make a big difference in the success of your course. By taking the time to create a visually appealing and organized workbook, you can help your students stay engaged and motivated throughout the course.

Creating Content for Your Workbook

When creating content for your workbook, it’s important to keep in mind the overall course curriculum and the key learning objectives you want your students to achieve. Your workbook should support your course content and provide students with a valuable resource to refer back to as they progress through the course.

One important element of your workbook is your course notes. These should be clear, concise, and organized in a way that supports your teaching approach. Consider using headings, bullet points, and tables to help break up the content and make it easier for students to follow along.

Another key component of your workbook is prompts and exercises. These should be designed to help students practice and apply the concepts they have learned in the course. Consider including a mix of individual and group exercises to keep students engaged and promote collaboration.

In addition to practice exercises, your workbook should also include reference material that students can use to review key concepts and terminology. This could include glossaries, summaries of key points, and examples of real-world applications.

When creating content for your workbook, it’s important to keep in mind the overall structure of your course. Consider breaking your content into modules or units that align with your course curriculum. This will help students to better understand how the content fits together and make it easier for them to navigate the workbook.

Overall, creating content for your workbook requires careful planning and consideration. By focusing on key learning objectives and designing content that supports your teaching approach, you can create a valuable resource that will help your students to succeed in the course.

Choosing the Right Tools

When creating a course workbook, it’s important to choose the right tools to facilitate the process. Here are some tools to consider:

PDF Software

PDF software is a great option for creating course workbooks. It is a versatile format that can be read on any device and is easy to share with students. Some popular PDF software options include Adobe Acrobat and Nitro PDF.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a commonly used word processing software that can be used to create course workbooks. It offers a wide range of formatting options and is easy to use. However, it may not be the best option if you want to include a lot of images or graphics.

InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software that is great for creating visually appealing course workbooks. It offers a wide range of design tools and allows for precise layout control. However, it may have a steeper learning curve than other options.

When choosing the right tool for your course workbook, consider your needs and the needs of your students. Think about the format you want to use, the level of design you want to incorporate, and the ease of use for both you and your students. With the right tools, you can create a course workbook that is engaging, informative, and easy to use.

Online Course Platforms

When it comes to creating and distributing workbooks for your online course, using an online course platform can make the process much easier. These platforms provide a variety of tools and features that can help you design, publish, and sell your course materials. Here are some popular online course platforms to consider:

Thinkific is a robust course platform that allows you to create and sell online courses, including workbooks, quizzes, and surveys. It offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of customization options, so you can design your course materials to fit your brand. Thinkific also provides marketing and analytics tools to help you promote and track your course’s success.

Udemy is a popular online learning marketplace that allows you to create and sell courses on a variety of topics, including workbooks. It has a large user base and provides extensive resources to help you create and promote your course. Udemy also offers a revenue-sharing model, so you can earn money from your course sales.

Teachable is another popular course platform that provides a range of features for creating and selling online courses, including workbooks. It offers a drag-and-drop course builder and customizable templates, so you can create a professional-looking course quickly. Teachable also provides marketing and analytics tools to help you reach your target audience and track your course’s performance.

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create and sell online courses, as well as manage your website and email marketing. It offers a range of customizable templates and features, including the ability to create and sell workbooks. Kajabi also provides marketing and analytics tools to help you promote and track your course’s success.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

In addition to these course platforms, you may also consider using a Learning Management System (LMS) to create and distribute your course materials, including workbooks. LMS platforms provide a range of features for designing and delivering online courses, including assessments, quizzes, and surveys. Some popular LMS platforms include Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle.

Using an online course platform or LMS can help you streamline the process of creating and distributing workbooks for your online course. Consider the features and tools offered by these platforms to find the one that best fits your needs and budget.

Interactive Elements in Workbooks

Including interactive elements in your course workbook can make it more engaging and effective for your students. Interactive elements can help students stay focused, retain information better, and make connections between different concepts. Here are some examples of interactive elements you can include in your workbook:

Videos and video clips: Videos can be a great way to introduce new concepts or demonstrate a process. You can embed videos directly into your workbook or provide links to external videos. Make sure the videos you choose are relevant and high-quality.

Audio and music: Audio can be used to provide additional context or background information. You can include audio clips as part of a worksheet or provide links to external audio resources. Music can also be used to set the tone or create a mood.

Links: Including links to additional resources can help students deepen their understanding of a topic. You can include links to articles, videos, podcasts, or other relevant resources.

Interactive exercises: Interactive exercises can help students apply what they have learned and test their understanding. You can include quizzes, puzzles, or other interactive elements in your workbook.

When including interactive elements in your workbook, make sure they are relevant to the topic and course objectives. Don’t include interactive elements just for the sake of it. Make sure they add value and enhance the learning experience for your students.

By including interactive elements in your workbook, you can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for your students. Try different types of interactive elements to see what works best for your course and your students.

Publishing Your Workbook

Once you have created your course workbook, it’s time to publish it so that your students can access it. There are several options for publishing your workbook, including both digital and physical formats.

Digital Publishing

One option is to publish your workbook digitally, which allows for easy distribution and access. You can publish your workbook on your course website or using a digital publishing platform. There are many digital publishing platforms available, such as FlippingBook, that allow you to create interactive and engaging digital workbooks.

When publishing your workbook digitally, it’s important to ensure that it is easily accessible to your students. You may want to consider providing a direct link to the workbook or embedding it directly on your course website. Additionally, you should ensure that your workbook is compatible with different devices and operating systems to ensure that all students can access it.

Physical Publishing

Another option is to publish your workbook in a physical format. This can be done through a print-on-demand service or by printing and binding the workbooks yourself. Physical workbooks can be a great option for students who prefer to have a physical copy of the workbook to reference.

When publishing your workbook in a physical format, it’s important to consider the cost and logistics of printing and shipping the workbooks. You may also want to consider the environmental impact of printing physical workbooks and whether there are more sustainable options available.

Regardless of which publishing option you choose, it’s important to ensure that your workbook is high-quality and error-free before publishing. You should also consider incorporating feedback from students to improve the workbook for future courses.

Marketing Your Workbook

Once you have created your course workbook, the next step is to market it effectively. Marketing your workbook is crucial to ensure that your target audience knows about it and is interested in purchasing it. Here are some tips on how to market your workbook:

Know Your Target Audience

The first step in marketing your workbook is to know your target audience. Who are they? What are their needs and interests? What problems are they trying to solve? By understanding your target audience, you can tailor your marketing efforts to appeal to them.

Create a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a free resource that you offer to your target audience in exchange for their contact information. This can be a great way to build your email list and promote your workbook. Your lead magnet should be related to your workbook and offer value to your target audience.

Promote Your Workbook on Social Media

Social media is a great way to promote your workbook to a wider audience. You can use paid ads or organic posts to reach your target audience. Make sure to use eye-catching visuals and compelling copy to grab their attention.

Offer a Discount or Bonus

Offering a discount or bonus can be a great way to incentivize your target audience to purchase your workbook. You can offer a limited-time discount or a bonus resource that complements your workbook.

Partner with Other Online Businesses

Partnering with other online businesses can help you reach a wider audience and promote your workbook. Look for businesses that offer complementary products or services to your target audience and reach out to them about a potential partnership.

By following these tips, you can effectively market your workbook and increase your sales. Remember to always stay true to your brand and provide value to your target audience.

Using Workbooks for Assessment

Workbooks can be a great tool for assessing student learning outcomes. By including questions, exercises, and activities in the workbook, you can evaluate how well students have understood the material and whether they have achieved the desired learning outcomes. Here are some tips for using workbooks for assessment:

Align assessment with learning outcomes : Before creating the workbook, make sure you have a clear understanding of the learning outcomes you want to achieve. Then, design assessment questions that align with those outcomes. This will help ensure that you are measuring what you intended to measure.

Include a variety of question types : To get a comprehensive understanding of student learning, it’s important to include a variety of question types in the workbook. This can include multiple choice, short answer, essay questions, and more. By using different question types, you can assess different aspects of student learning, such as their ability to recall information, analyze data, or apply concepts.

Provide clear instructions : Make sure the instructions for each question are clear and easy to understand. This will help students know exactly what is expected of them and reduce confusion or misunderstandings.

Use rubrics : Rubrics can be a helpful tool for grading workbooks. By providing clear criteria for each question or activity, you can ensure that grading is consistent and fair. Rubrics can also be helpful for providing feedback to students, as they can see exactly where they excelled or where they need to improve.

Give feedback : After grading the workbooks, be sure to provide feedback to students. This can include comments on their answers, suggestions for improvement, or praise for good work. Feedback is an important part of the learning process, as it helps students understand where they stand and how they can improve.

By using workbooks for assessment, you can ensure that students are achieving the desired learning outcomes and that you have a clear understanding of their progress. With careful planning and attention to detail, workbooks can be a powerful tool for evaluating student learning.

Workbooks for Workshops and Webinars

Creating workbooks for your workshops and webinars can be an effective way to engage your audience and help them retain information. Workbooks provide a structured way for participants to follow along with the presentation, take notes, and complete exercises.

When creating a workbook, it’s important to consider the goals of your workshop or webinar. What do you want your participants to learn? What activities will help reinforce that learning? Use these questions to guide the structure and content of your workbook.

Here are some tips for creating effective workbooks:

Keep it concise: Workbooks should be easy to follow and not overwhelming. Keep the content concise and use bullet points and tables to organize information.

Include exercises: Incorporate exercises throughout the workbook to reinforce learning. These can be simple activities like fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice questions.

Use visuals: Visuals like diagrams, charts, and images can help illustrate concepts and make the workbook more engaging.

Make it interactive: Encourage participants to engage with the workbook by including spaces for them to write down their own thoughts and ideas.

When creating a workbook for an online workshop, it’s important to consider the format. Will participants be printing out the workbook or using it digitally? If they’ll be using it digitally, consider using interactive features like clickable links and embedded videos.

Overall, workbooks can be a valuable tool for workshops and webinars. By providing a structured way for participants to engage with the material, you can help them retain information and apply it in their own lives.

Professional Services for Workbook Creation

Creating a quality workbook is essential to the success of any course. It can be a time-consuming and challenging task, especially if you don’t have the necessary skills or experience. Fortunately, there are professional services available to help you create a workbook that meets your needs.

Graphic Designer

A graphic designer can help you create a visually appealing workbook that captures the attention of your students. They can help you design the cover page, layout, and graphics that align with your brand and course content. A professional graphic designer has the expertise and tools to create a professional-looking workbook that stands out from the rest.

Editing is an essential part of workbook creation. A professional editor can help you ensure that your workbook is free of errors, inconsistencies, and formatting issues. They can help you refine your content and make sure that it is easy to read and understand. An editor can also help you ensure that your workbook meets the required standards and is ready for publication.

Other Professional Services

In addition to graphic design and editing, there are other professional services available to help you create a quality workbook. These services include:

Illustration: An illustrator can help you create custom graphics and images that align with your course content.

Printing: A printing service can help you print and bind your workbook, ensuring that it looks professional and is ready for distribution.

Translation: If you plan to offer your course to a global audience, translation services can help you translate your workbook into different languages.

In conclusion, professional services can help you create a quality workbook that meets your needs and exceeds the expectations of your students. Whether you need graphic design, editing, or other services, there are professionals available to help you every step of the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective strategies for creating course workbooks.

To create effective course workbooks, you should first identify the learning objectives and outcomes of the course. Then, organize the workbook content around those objectives, breaking it down into sections and subsections. Use a mix of text, images, graphs, and charts to make the content more engaging and easier to understand. Include exercises, activities, and quizzes to reinforce learning and test comprehension.

How can I structure a course workbook to maximize learning?

To maximize learning, structure the course workbook in a way that is easy to navigate and understand. Use headings and subheadings to break up the content into smaller, more manageable sections. Include plenty of white space to make the content less overwhelming. Use bullet points and numbered lists to make information more digestible. Finally, use a consistent format and style throughout the workbook.

What are some best practices for designing a course workbook?

When designing a course workbook, keep in mind the needs and preferences of your audience. Use a font size and type that is easy to read and avoid using too many colors or fonts. Use high-quality images and graphics that are relevant to the content. Be consistent with your use of headings, subheadings, and formatting. Finally, proofread your workbook for errors and typos.

What are some tools and software options for creating course workbooks?

There are many tools and software options available for creating course workbooks. Some popular options include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Adobe InDesign, and Canva. Each of these tools has its own strengths and weaknesses, so choose one that best fits your needs and skill level.

How can I make my course workbook visually appealing and engaging?

To make your course workbook visually appealing and engaging, use a mix of text, images, and graphics. Use high-quality images that are relevant to the content and avoid using too many colors or fonts. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the content and make it easier to read. Finally, use a consistent format and style throughout the workbook.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when creating course workbooks?

When creating course workbooks, it is important to avoid common mistakes such as using too much jargon or technical language, including irrelevant or outdated information, using a font size or type that is difficult to read, and not proofreading for errors and typos. Additionally, avoid using too many images or graphics, which can make the workbook feel cluttered and overwhelming.

CourseWorks (Canvas) Faculty Guide

Introduction to courseworks (canvas).

CourseWorks (Canvas) is Barnard and Columbia's learning management system. Your CourseWorks site can serve as your virtual classroom, a home base where students can find all the relevant information for your course.

To clear up some confusion about the name: At Columbia and Barnard, the names CourseWorks and Canvas are often used interchangeably, and essentially refer to the same thing. Technically, Canvas is the brand name for the learning management system, and is the name used by others outside of Columbia University. CourseWorks is the name for the Columbia's specific set up of Canvas.

You can log into CourseWorks by using your Columbia UNI and password at courseworks.columbia.edu . Once you're logged in, you'll be taken to your dashboard, where you can see all your courses. You can also access your courses through the My Courses or Courses buttons on the left-hand navigation.

If you are an alum who needs access to CourseWorks to audit a course but do not have a Columbia UNI, please reach out to Alumnae Relations at [email protected] for more information.

For other CourseWorks guest access needs, please contact [email protected] with the details of your request.

Setting Up Your Course

Once you've found your course, you can start adding information! Below, we'll go over some key features, integrations, and tips on putting your course together.

Assessment & Grading Tools

Assignments.

You can use the Assignments feature for anything in the course that you'd like students to submit to you. Students can turn in assignments in a wide-variety of formats, and assignments can be graded or ungraded. You also set up your grading system through using Assignments and Assignment Groups.

Tip: When creating an assignment that will be submitted through CourseWorks, you can choose what sort of file types students are allowed to submit. We recommend allowing as many as file types as possible for assignment submissions - this is helpful for students who might not easily have access to specific types of technology or software.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Assignments
Assessment and Grading in Canvas 2.0 (assignment overview is in module 1)

The Gradebook feature lets you enter student grades and will calculate a final grade for your students. You can also use this tool to set your late policy and set your grade posting policy (which determines when students can see grades). The link to access the Gradebook is entitled "Grades."

Tip: By default, students will be able to see their grades as soon as you post them. If you'd like to prevent that from happening, take a look at Canvas' guide to grade posting policies.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Grades
Assessment and Grading in Canvas 2.0 (grading information is in module 4)

The quizzes tool can be used for both short quizzes and full-length exams, though it generally works best for assessments that use multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or other question styles that have a single-correct answer. Quizzes using those types of questions can be graded automatically by CourseWorks. However, you can also use the quizzes feature to create essay-style or short answer exams.

For online courses, take-home exams are recommended when feasible. This makes it easier to take into account student testing accommodations, varying time zones, and any technical issues (like an internet outage) that may occur during the exam period.
Become familiar with how to give students extra time on quizzes
You can use the question bank to randomize questions and ensure students don't all receive the exact same quiz
Instructor Guide - Quizzes
Creating Online Exams (From Columbia CTL)
Assessment and Grading in Canvas 2.0 (quiz overview in module 2)

Speedgrader & Rubrics

Speedgrader is a tool that lets you grade assignments, quizzes, and discussions within the Canvas interface. Using Speedgrader, you can leave comments and annotations for students, as well as a final grade.

Similarly, rubrics can be used with graded assignments, quizzes and discussion. With the rubric tool, you can create an online rubric with categories and point values. Rubrics can be accessed from the Speedgrader tool.

Instructor Guide - Speedgrader
Instructor Guide - Rubrics
Assessment and Grading in Canvas 2.0 (Speedgrader overview in module 1)

TurnItIn is a service that runs originality checks on submitted documents. Instructors can add TurnItIn to their CourseWorks Assignments or upload files individually to see a similarity score that compares the file to documents across the web.

Use TurnItIn with a CourseWorks (Canvas) Assignment

TurnItIn can be enabled for CourseWorks (Canvas) assignments that use File Upload or Text Entry. Note that TurnItIn must be enabled before any students submit their assignment; it cannot be added after submissions have been received. To start, create a new assignment and set the Submission Type to “Online”, then check off Text Entry or File Uploads. Selecting either of these options will make the Plagiarism Review section appear further down the page. Select “TurnItIn”, then review the settings to ensure that they are configured to your liking. We recommend the default settings.

Finish configuring the assignment, save, and publish. Each submitted assignment will receive a similarity score report that can be reviewed in SpeedGrader by navigating to a student’s submission and clicking the colored flag and percent icon that appears next to the uploaded file’s name.

Submit Individual Documents to TurnItIn

TurnItIn can be accessed outside of CourseWorks (Canvas) through https://www.turnitin.com/ . This option is recommended for those looking to submit individual documents for review. Please see this guide for submitting individual documents to TurnItIn.

AI Writing Detection

Some faculty may have noticed an AI detection report included within their Similarity Report last semester. However, there are serious and acknowledged concerns about bias and reliability , including the risk for false positives with this tool. For this reason, and in keeping with the approach of the majority of our peer institutions, the Barnard Provost's Office, in consultation with IMATS, DEI, CEP, and Columbia has disabled Turnitin's AI detections report.

Submit Grades to SSOL

The SSOL tool allows instructors to pass their grades from CourseWorks Gradebook directly to our SSOL platform.

Submit CourseWorks (Canvas) Grades to SSOL

Content & Organization Tools

Modules are ways of grouping and organizing your course content for students. You may want to use modules to separate your course into units or topics; this can help make it easier for students to understand relationships between content and find relevant information. Modules can contain all types of CourseWorks content including assignments, discussions, pages, and quizzes.

Consider starting your course with an "Introduction" module that contains information such as the syllabus and course expectations
At the beginning of each module, present the learning objectives and topics for the module
Canvas Instructor Guide - Modules
Introduction to CourseWorks (Canvas) Online 2.0 (information on modules in module 2)

Pages are where you can include all sorts of information that you want to share with your students, whether it's instructional content, course policies, or anything else. You can easily add text, images and video to pages.

Tip: When designing pages, please keep the layout and formatting simple. This will help ensure that your pages are easy to read for students with learning or visual disabilities, as well as students who may be accessing your pages from devices other than a computer (such as a phone or tablet).

Canvas Instructor Guide - Pages
Introduction to CourseWorks (Canvas) Online 2.0 (information about pages in module 2)

The syllabus feature lets you post your syllabus to your CourseWorks site. A syllabus in CourseWorks will have two parts:

On the top of the syllabus page, you can put whatever information you want. You can attach your course syllabus as a document, copy and paste the information, or write your syllabus directly in CourseWorks.
On the bottom of the syllabus page, there is a chronological list of all assignments and due dates in the course. This is generated automatically by Canvas and can't be turned off.

Tip: For accessibility purposes, it is often best to write your syllabus directly in CourseWorks.

Canvas Instructor Guide - How do I use the Syllabus as an Instructor?
CUIT Canvas Tips & Tricks - Posting Your Syllabus

Files are where you can store all sorts of documents you want to share with your class: photos, slides, text, pdfs, etc. You can also use your files throughout your Canvas site, such as in your pages or assignments. To add files, you can just drag and drop them from your computer in the files interface.

Tip: Organizing your files into folders will help students find important content, such as lecture slides.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Files
Introduction to CourseWorks (Canvas) Online 2.0 (information about files in module 2)

Community & Communication Tools

Discussions.

The discussion feature allow for students to engage with each other in an asynchronous manner. Students can reply directly to the prompt, or to other students. Discussions can be graded or ungraded.

Tip: While most people type text into discussions, students also have the option of uploading video or audio. This is something you may want to encourage, as it may be easier or more natural for some students to contribute using those formats.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Discussions
Online Discussion: Tips and Strategies
Assessment and Grading in Canvas 2.0 (information about discussions in module 3)

Announcements

The Announcements tool lets you send an announcement to the entire class. This is useful for important reminders, or when there's a change in plans. Students will receive notifications when announcements are sent out; how they receive these notifications will depend on their notification settings. Announcements will also show up on the Announcements page, which is hidden when there are no announcements.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Announcements
How do I create an announcement? (From Columbia CTL)

Collaborations

Collaborations allow students to work together on a single Google doc or Google Drive file through CourseWorks. You can assign a document to a group of students, or to the whole class. When using the feature, you will be asked to authorize Google Drive to have access your account; you'll need to grant access for the feature to work. Students must also register their Google Drive account with CourseWorks for this to work; they can do so through their account settings.

Tip: Because of certain gBear settings, Columbia students may have difficulty accessing Google Drive collaborations through CourseWorks. So, the collaborations feature works best in classes with Barnard students only.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Collaborations

Groups can be used to help students collaborate together. When students are placed in groups, they can participate in discussions within just their group, and also submit assignments as a group. Groups can be set up and managed from within the People page. You can manually assign groups to students, have CourseWorks automatically sort your students into groups, or allow students to select their own groups.

Tip: When teaching online, you may want to consider assigning groups to students based on their time zone so they can more effectively work together.

Canvas Instructor Guide - Groups

This Canvas tool allows instant messaging between instructors, students, and other class participants. Note that messages can only be sent to people who are currently online. Chat is automatically available in the left-hand navigation bar of all CourseWorks (Canvas) courses, and can also be found in the bottom-right corner of all course sites.

Use Chat as an Instructor in Canvas

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Zoom Class Sessions is where you can set up and access your synchronous Zoom calls for your course. For more information on Zoom, take a look at our Zoom Faculty Guide and Columbia's Teaching with Zoom guide.

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The Class Video Recordings (Panopto) tab is where you'll find your Zoom course recordings. Panopto can also be used for hosting additional instructional videos. Panopto also has tools for editing and captioning your videos. For more information, see the Course Recordings section of our Zoom Faculty Guide and Columbia's Teaching with Panopto guide.

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Roll Call (Attendance) allows instructors to mark whether students are present, late, or absent, and set grading policies related to attendance.

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Photo Roster - CTL Knowledge Base

Faculty are required to provide accurate textbook information for their courses under the Higher Education Opportunity Act, and the Textbook tool is where you can do this. Please note that even if your course does not have any required textbooks , you are still required to use the Textbook tool to indicate that your course does not require textbooks. Textbooks can be entered using an ISBN, or the information can be provided manually.

Posting Textbook Information in a CourseWorks (Canvas) Course

You@Columbia (Formerly Name & Pronoun Recordings)

You@Columbia allows students and instructors to record the correct pronunciation of their name and provide their pronouns. Both students and instructors can listen to the recordings for anyone in their course(s).

You@Columbia: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Pronouns in Use: Resources for the Columbia Community

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New Analytics enables instructors to see individual student data and aggregate data for their CourseWorks courses, including average grades for individual assignments, sections, and courses. Additionally, you can send messages to students based on their course grades and participation metrics.

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Getting Started with New Analytics in Canvas

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We offer additional academic technology tools, many of which can be integrated into CourseWorks. These tools include: Padlet, Hypothesis, YellowDig and Ed Discussions. Learn more about these tools on our Annotation, Collaboration, and Discussion Tools page.

There are also a few tools that have been approved for use by CUIT, but are not integrated into CourseWorks on a Barnard-wide level. You are welcome to install these for your own course: Codio , Wikipedia , Redirect Tool, Vimeo , YouTube .

Please reach out to our team at [email protected] before integrating any additional tools into Courseworks, as we need to make sure that all software meets our privacy, security, and accessibility standards. Please note that it can sometimes take several weeks or months to go through the approval and install process. Since most educational technologies can be used without integrated them into CourseWorks, we recommend trying out any new tools outside of CourseWorks before requesting an integration.

Putting it All Together

It's important to think about how all the pieces of your CourseWorks site come together to ensure that students can easily navigate your site. Below are some tips and best practices to keep in mind when finalizing your course site. For more things to consider before the start of your course, please see Columbia's Course Set-Up Checklist .

Course Navigation

You can customize your course's left-hand navigation by reordering items and hiding items you don't use. To do this, navigate to your course settings (in the left-hand navigation) and then click the navigation tab at the top of the page. Click and drag on items to rearrange; move them to the bottom column to hide them.

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You have a few options for your course homepage; We recommend using the syllabus, course modules, or a custom page introducing the course. You should make it clear where students can find important class materials on your homepage. To change your homepage, navigate to your current homepage and click the Choose Home Page button on the right side. For more help, see: How do I change the Course Home Page?

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Digital accessibility is the practice of designing websites, documents, and other digital materials in way that creates an equitable, enjoyable experience for those with disabilities. Ally, an automated accessibility checker, is installed in all courses in CourseWorks (Canvas), and can help you make your course materials more accessible. You'll see Ally gauges throughout CourseWorks, which signal how accessible your content is. Clicking on a gauge will give you further feedback on your content, and advice on making it more accessible. To learn more about using Ally, please see our Ally Training Resources.

screenshot of Courseworks Canvas files page, showing three files and gas gauge indicators. One gas gauge is red (low accessibility), one is orange (medium accessibility) and one is green (high accessibility)

Publishing Your Course

Students will only be able to view your course once it has been published. To ensure your course is published, navigate to your course homepage and check that the course status is set to "published." All individual course content items (Pages, Modules, Assignments, etc.) also need to be published before they will appear visible to students. Published content will be marked with a green checkmark icon, while unpublished content will be marked with a gray no sign icon. Click on the icon to switch content from unpublished to published, and vice-versa.

published modules with green checkmarks and unpublished modules with gray no sign

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Canvas Instructor Guide

Cuit canvas tips & tricks, courseworks faq for faculty, courseworks (canvas) roles and permissions at barnard.

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'Sad And Absurd': The U.S.S.R.'s Disastrous Effort To Create A Jewish Homeland

Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen discusses the Soviet effort, in 1929, to create an autonomous Jewish state in the country's far eastern region. Gessen is the author of Where The Jews Aren't.

Where the Jews Aren't

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This map of Birobidzhan accompanied Professor Boris L. Bruk's 1929 report titled Birobidzhan s geograficheskoi kartoi raiona i 7 fotografiiami, and is the earliest printed map of the region.

Go East, Young Jew, Go East

September 23, 2020

Posted by: Mike Klein

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( The title of this post is a satirical improvisation on a quote attributed to Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, when expressing his views towards the westward expansion of the United States .)

Somewhere between China’s Heilongjiang Province (Manchuria) and the Russian Far East, nestled in a southern crook of Siberia’s Amur River, lies a swampy, unassuming patch of land. Until the second half of the nineteenth century, Cossacks, settled there under the tsars, called it home, as did handfuls of Koreans, Kazakhs, and Tungus. Its climate is Siberian in nature, that is, hot and humid with clouds of mosquitoes in summer, cold and windy for the remaining nine months. With modest variations in elevation, its landscape is predominated by trees and grassland, but includes some low forested hills. Mining, agriculture, and light industry support the local population.

A ca. 1910 map of Amur Oblast indicates the area as being settled entirely by Cossacks, scattered about twenty-two settlements along the Amur. Geography and Map Division. G7323.A5G4 191- .Z4 MLC

Imperial Russia made diplomatic approaches to the area in 1689 with the Treaty of Nerchinsk with China, and later secured it in 1858 with the Treaty of Aigun, also with China. Over time the region became a Russian military colony, and its potential for development was enhanced by a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Today the region, formerly known as Birobidzhan, is known as the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, nominally the world’s only official Jewish territory, other than Israel.

“What’s so Jewish about Siberia?” you might ask.

Jews were first exiled to Siberia in 1659, and over the centuries remained scattered throughout, even while most remained concentrated in western Russia. The Russian Revolution did little to improve their status in the eyes of Soviet leadership, who viewed their ethnic nationality as a threat to the state. By 1928 Joseph Stalin had set his sights on the lower Amur region as a homeland for Russian Jews. The plan would serve as an alternative to Zionism, i.e. the resettlement of Jews to Palestine, in a manner that was “socialist in content and national in form.”

Ideology aside, Jews were an expedient but important element in Stalin’s real plan, which involved fortifying a remote and thinly populated area on the Soviet-Chinese border, preferably under the guise of a voluntary deposit of people. And, so, in 1927 he tapped Professor Boris L’vovich Bruk, a Russian agronomist known for having advanced agriculture in central Russia and the Russian Far East, to head an expedition of the Committee for the Settlement of Toiling Jews on the Land (KOMZET) to study the possible resettlement there of Jews from Europe.

At some point, Professor Bruk drew several original maps of the region, each emphasizing a distinct feature, and all now held by the Jewish Autonomous Region Museum of Regional History and Folklife. One map endorsed the variety of its fertile soils.

Schematic soil map of Birobidzhan. World Digital Library.

A second map pointed out its agricultural potential.

Map of Birobidzhan's agricultural areas. World Digital Library.

The region’s economic possibilities, among which were fishing and forestry, were highlighted on a third map.

Economic map Birobidzhan. World Digital Library.

A fourth map presented its natural historical regions.

Map of natural historical regions. World Digital Library.

As promotional devices, these maps hardly present Birobidzhan as coveted real estate. Nevertheless, the report authored by Bruk found the lands promising, and so the region, renamed the Birobidzhan Jewish National Raion, was assigned to KOMZET in early 1928. The first group of about 650 Jews arrived in the spring of that year. Though they were beset by rains, hunger, and an outbreak of anthrax that destroyed their cattle, about half remained. The thousands following their lead established collective farms, schools, newspapers, synagogues, a theater, and small settlements promoting Yiddish culture. For a very brief period the official language was Yiddish, in effect making it the world’s only Yiddish-speaking state. In 1934 Soviet leaders, impressed by its economic development, elevated the region’s status to that of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, and made the town of Birobidzhan its administrative center.

This map from the Great Soviet Atlas of the World depicts the oblast as a modest center of activity. Geography and Map Division. (vol. II, 1939)

Why did Jews go to Birobidzhan in the tens of thousands?

For most, the long trip east served as the only route out of the poverty and oppression that were their lot. Denied private property by the Revolution and driven further into destitution, the former shopkeepers and peddlers probably viewed the region as one final opportunity to scratch a living out of the earth, ostensibly far away from Soviet oversight.

Group of workers on the Stalinfeldsky grain collective on the Amur. Birobidzhan v 1929 - 1931 godakh. World Digital Library.

Propaganda certainly had a role, as posters, pamphlets, novels and other media encouraged many out of “boundless love for the sacred Soviet Motherland” or some other socialist claptrap to make the long journey east and adopt a career in large-scale agriculture, an occupation in which few had any experience. A few shtetl Jews in Belarus were even “inspired” by promotional leaflets dropped by Soviet aviators from a plane named “Birobidzhanets.”

Cinema was another mainstay of Soviet persuasion. The 1936 film, “Seekers of Happiness,” was driven by a plot that “lays out a successful solution to the ‘Jewish Question’ through two love stories and a crime.” Dramatizing the saga of a migrant Jewish family, presumably repatriated to Soviet Russia from Palestine, who seek out a new existence on a collective farm in Birobidzhan, it ends with the patriarch praising Stalin for having provided them with a home country of their own.

Compared to the Pale of Settlement, life on the frontier never looked so good.

Birobidzhan's equivalent of going to the cinema, September 1932. Birobidzhan v 1929 - 1931 godakh. World Digital Library.

Another reason has been set forth by Russian journalist, Masha Gesson, who, in her vital history of the region, cites the influence of international promotional literature, specifically that of emigre writer David Bergelson, whose articles for the Yiddish-language press outside of Russia enticed nearly a thousand families from the the Americas to emigrate out of hope for better lives. Many were subsidized by the Organization for Jewish Colonization in Russia and the American Committee for the Settlement of Jews in Birobidzan, two communist-backed sister organizations attempting to facilitate Jewish settlement in safer environments.

Lunchtime on the collective. Birobidzhan v 1929 - 1931 godakh. World Digital Library.

But the promise of a new Soviet Zion proved elusive; the purges of the 1930s eliminated numerous Jews, including those in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Lured to Birobidzhan by the promise of national autonomy, many were charged with the crimes of “nationalism” and speaking Yiddish. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, some Jews returned to Birobidzhan because they had no place else to go. Soviet support for a Jewish homeland evaporated, prompted by Stalin’s renewed policies of anti-Semitism in the late 1940s. The region’s Jewish population, which had peaked around 1948, began its inexorable decline just as the new state of Israel began absorbing much of the post-war diaspora. Once more Birobidzhan’s Jews were targeted, this time for “rootless cosmpolitanism” and deported to less desirable parts of Siberia in ten-year stints. The following decades witnessed Russia’s only autonomous oblast sink into irrelevance.

The region must still be important at some level, nevertheless, for, in spite of Stalin’s efforts, it occasionally riles tensions between Russia and China. As late as 1969 the Oblast was the site of one of several border clashes along the Amur and other rivers between Soviet and Chinese troops in the Far East.

The border dispute was not resolved entirely until 2008. China-U.S.S.R. border, eastern sector.

Today the population of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, like that of most of Siberia, continues to decline. According to the 2010 Russian census, its population was just over 175,000 people, of whom only 1,600 (less than 1%) registered as Jews living in one of its twenty-four settlements or speaking Yiddish. The oblast leans more towards an encroaching China, both economically and culturally, than it does to Russia.

Things may not be all bad, though. Numerous monuments celebrating Yiddish culture still grace the town of Birobidzhan, including a statue of writer Sholom Aleichem, whose stories formed the basis for “Fiddler on the Roof.” The local newspaper has a section in Yiddish and a focus on Jewish issues, and the local Jewish community group still holds Yiddish sing-alongs. In 2004 a new synagogue was built in part with state money. On top of that, a 2008 edition of “Chabad News” reported that the world’s largest electric menorah, at twenty-one meters tall, was erected in the central square for Hanukkah.

This map is from an album of photographs of Birobidzhan's early years.

As aspirations for national autonomy go, this one was hard to achieve but has proved equally hard to extinguish.

Learn more:

For an outstanding series of images of Jewish life in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the early years of its existence, see the album of 274 photographs titled Birobidzhan v 1929 – 1931 godakh.

The Boris L. Bruk collection , also available on the Library’s website, includes photographs, documents, maps, and printed works covering his life and work. Both collections were made available through the World Digital Library in the early 2000s.

Comments (6)

Very interesting article, but the map in Yiddish is upside down.

You’re absolutely correct, Eva. That is my oversight, and I will correct it sometime this week. Mike K.

Recently, an American species of snapping turtle was found in a Siberian waterway. I read the story and took notice of one witness’s final remark. It was along the lines of “how unusual to find such a turtle in the Jewish district of Siberia.” My dear Anastasia, I think it is more apt to proclaim how odd it is to find a Jewish district in Siberia, with or without American snapping turtles plying its freshwater resources.

A few typed characters and a few clicks later I was reading about the now-Oblast in wikipedia. Some subsequent scrolling through my initial search results brought me to the present article on loc.gov (I note some rather uncoincidental-seeming similarities between the first text I read and this one. Perhaps both authors referred to the same original sources.)

Does the Russian federation invite worldwide Jewry to stake a claim and take up life in this region as was the policy of the Soviet Union?

Also, can someone please clarify whether all residents or just Jews were denied the right to own land after the Russian revolution? I think it was everyone. This article very nearly implies that it was just Jews.

I love coincidences like this one. I wish the triggering story did not concern the circumstances of a lonely ex-patriate snapping turtle, though. While they are said to be solitary, they do engage in a fairly romantic-seeming mating routine annually, which involves a generous amount of snapping at one another’s necks and would probably amount to murder if attempted with a typical soft-skinned aquatic conordinal. I suppose he or she can swim across the Amur to China in search of company, though it’s bound to end badly for one or both parties if any new companions are fond of soup. This animal was no lamb in his first publicized encounter with our species.

Good morning, Caroline, and thank you for the story on the snapping turtles. Being from southern Louisiana I used to encounter them in local canals. Once, while harassing nutria on the 17th Street Canal, I saw an alligator turtle make quick work of a small nutria. My most enduring experience with a snapper occurred during my first year of college, when I returned to the dorm room one afternoon and saw that my roommate has placed a large one in the sink. He claimed he caught it that morning near the Tangipahoa River and said he intended to keep it. I insisted it be moved to the rec room. To your questions: Initially, I do not know what the position of the current Russian Federation is toward the emigration of Jews to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The official website indicates that is has a legitimate government with a governor and legislative assembly, active foreign relations, and a population engaged in light manufacturing and industry, trade, and farming. Nothing suggests that Jews are unwelcome in the JAO, although they are still a minority group. The current governor is Rostislav Gol’steyn, an indicator that Jews hold prominent posts. Secondly, the Bolshevik policy of War Communism, 1918-21, nationalized heavy industry, eliminated private trade, and confiscated all private lands. Few Jews, being confined to the former Pale of Settlement, possessed little private land, but owned light industry and trade goods, all of which disappeared in the immediate aftermath of the Revolution. Some relaxations were admitted under the New Economic Policy, which restored private enterprise in small industry and permitted peasants to sell small amounts of untaxed grain. I could have reworded the sentence differently, but presumed, mistakenly, that everyone knew that all Soviet citizens were denied private property, including Jews. Hopefully I will learn from my mistakes . . .

Thank you for sharing this interesting history of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. I had heard a little about this, but nothing in such depth before.

My great grandma’s brother was recruited by the USSR in a similar campaign targeting Finnish and US Finnish immigrant communities to emigrate to Soviet Karelia and form a socialist utopia there. They, too, were later subject to purges for being too “nationalist”, i.e. Finnish. My relative was killed in those purges.

Of course, the JAO story is made all the more tragic due to the long history of antisemitism against Jewish communities the world over.

It makes me wonder, though, if there were other ethnic communities were targeted in this kind of campaign that I’ve never heard of.

My traveled twice to J.A.R. Once via the Trans-Siberian railroad and the second flying into Khabarovsk from Seoul. From my travels I made the doc. film “L’Chayim Comrade Stalin!” It is available through the distributor Cinema Guild.

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WHERE Masha Gessen on a Planned Jewish Homeland in Soviet Russia

BOOK REVIEW

WHERE THE JEWS AREN’T The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region By Masha Gessen 170 pp. Schocken. $25.

By Steven Zipperstein

In the summer of 1932 Birobidzhan, some 4,000 miles from Moscow and near the Chinese border, was pummeled by plagues — floods, dead cows, the collapse of hastily constructed buildings. Worst of all were the bugs, including mosquitoes and other bloodsucking insects. During winters, which lasted much of the year, temperatures sometimes fell to 30 degrees below zero.

Yet Jews throughout the world, particularly in the Yiddish-inflected left, yearned for this remote spot , designated by the Soviet government as a Jewish autonomous region. Enthusiasts from as far away as Los Angeles and Buenos Aires moved there. David Bergelson, perhaps the finest Yiddish stylist of his time, visiting Birobidzhan a few short months after its dreadful summertime deluge, rhapsodized about its “myriad rivers gleaming in the sun, valleys narrow and wide, expanses of taiga and mixed fields,” its “marvelously lofty skies.” Soon he would announce his plan to settle there.

This would never happen, and in many respects neither really would Birobidzhan, named for the nearby rivers Bira and Bidzhan. Very few Jews actually came, and of those who did barely any remained. By 1935, there were some 14,000 Jews, 23 percent of the population, in a vast, mostly empty terrain inhabited largely by Cossacks and a sprinkling of ethnic Koreans. “To complicate things further,” the journalist Masha Gessen writes, “marauding gangs of ethnic Chinese known as the honghutzu — literally the red-bearded ones — terrorized the locals, especially the Koreans, who cultivated opium poppies, the local currency of choice.” ...

For the complete book review, visit the New York Times website.

A family tends their homestead in Birobidzhan, in the Jewish autonomous region designated by the government of the U.S.S.R. in the 1930s

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Course Works

How it Works
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Course Works Faculty and Instructor FAQs

Faculty ordering: textbooks and course materials adoptions.

Please submit your textbook and course materials orders as you have in the past to the University Libraries and/or the campus store.

If you have questions, need ordering instructions, or want to email us your course materials requests directly, write to:

Crookston, Morris, Rochester, or Twin Cities: [email protected]

Duluth: [email protected]

Note: If you are requiring that we provide only print materials to your students for pedagogical reasons, you must indicate that on your adoption.

Adopting Course Materials

+ will the course works program affect textbook selection or academic freedom.

No. Faculty and instructors retain full academic freedom under this program.

Whether you are assigning paid publisher content, library materials, or free and open educational resources (OER), all of your textbooks remain available for adoption. Only required titles are included in the program.

Typically any material with an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) can be included in the program. However, even some items with ISBNs may have limitations (including, out of print titles and old editions, which may fall outside of the program due to access, procurement and delivery constraints). Faculty and instructors may still adopt materials outside of the program.

Some items that may not have an ISBN, such as campus custom course packets, are also included in the program.

+ Digital course materials are not suitable for my course. Will this program provide print materials?

Yes, it is understood that there is no one model that would meet the needs of every course format, curricula, or mode of instruction. If you want your students to only have access to printed materials, please specify that on your textbook adoption. Printed materials will be delivered in a bound format whenever they are available. You can contact [email protected] if you wish to review your adoption requests.

+ How do I get a desk copy of my chosen text(s)?

This process remains unchanged. You should reach out to your publisher representative to request a desk copy.

+ What academic materials are covered by this program?

As a general rule of thumb, materials with ISBNs are eligible for Course Works (some exceptions apply).

Required course materials (whether digital or printed) include:

Course packets from Printing Services and Libraries
Library materials like e-books, journal articles, and streaming media
Homework access

The followings items are not included at this time and will need to be purchased separately:

Course supplies: lab coats, art supplies, calculators, goggles, etc.
Art and science kits: architecture, design, electronics, horticulture, etc.
Items with access or availability issues (which may include out-of-print titles and old editions)
Many software applications
Optional materials

+ If I cancel my adoption, will my students still get charged?

The Course Works Complete program is a flat-rate, semester-based program that covers all required textbooks for every degree-seeking undergraduate student. The fee is not based on individual classes. Therefore, if you decide to cancel an adoption for your class there is no additional cost or reduction to the student.

If a student is participating in Course Works Select, there will be a reduction in the student charge as that program charges students for the per-item cost of the materials they choose.

+ I use content from resources other than a textbook publisher, such as third-party software, a library resource, Open Educational Resources (OER), etc. Can I continue to do so?

Yes. You may continue to request the same content as prior terms. Many third-party software/courseware providers may already be integrated partners or can be integrated. Library course materials may be offered in Canvas in addition to, or included with, this program. In fact, the use of library materials such as unlimited access ebooks, articles, streaming media, and OER is essential to keep costs for the program down. The more library materials and OER instructors use, the lower the program fee will be for students. For questions regarding non-publisher content’s fit within the program, contact [email protected] .

+ My course(s) will use Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Content, or Creative-Commons (CC) licensed materials. Why would my course participate in this program?

Decisions about Course Works participation are made by individual students, not at the faculty or instructor level.

Course Works Complete as an initiative is designed as a “both/and” environment. We encourage any and all adoption of OER alongside the program’s paid publisher content. Providing free or low-cost content will bring down the associated costs that students pay, a main goal of this program. As program costs continue to go down, the program fee charged to students is also expected to go down.

+ All of my course materials are freely available through the libraries, why would my course participate in this program?

The Course Works Complete program is inclusive of all undergraduate courses. Students taking courses in addition to your course may find their other courses require paid content. We encourage students to consider if Course Works Complete or Course Works Select is a better fit. Check with the library to ensure the items provided through the libraries have adequate capacity to accommodate all your students’ access.

+ Does the Course Works program change the course material adoption process?

There are no changes if you are following the existing protocols for course material adoptions with the campus store. This is true for digital, print, and OER materials. Additional information is available on the faculty and instructor information page ( Crookston, Morris, Rochester, Twin Cities or Duluth ).

If you do not currently adopt your materials with the campus store or libraries, you will want to do so as students in Course Works Complete will expect their materials to be provided as part of the program fee.

In the near future, the libraries and campus stores are working on an improved, integrated adoptions process so that faculty and instructors will have one point of contact for all course material adoptions.

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+ my course doesn’t require textbooks. why would students in my course benefit from this program.

The Course Works Complete program is inclusive of all undergraduate courses. Students taking courses in addition to your course may find their other courses do require paid content. We encourage students to consider if Course Works Complete or Course Works Select is a better fit.

+ How do students access their course materials?

All digital course materials will be provided through Canvas, however you do not need to use Canvas for instructional purposes.

Students initially access ebooks directly through Canvas.

Publisher courseware (such as McGraw-Hill Connect or Pearson MyLab) is accessed through an integration in Canvas or with a provided URL. Most publisher courseware is integrated with Canvas to connect to the publisher’s content platform and students will use the Canvas link to create their initial courseware login. After an initial login has been created, students may go direct or bookmark the login page of the publisher’s content platform.

For non-digital course materials, copies will be distributed to students through the campus store at the start of the course.

+ How long do students have to access these ebooks or courseware?

It depends. A few publishers do not offer more than 6-month access. However, for the majority of ebooks, 5-year or perpetual access is usually available, which would allow student access beyond the course's end. Post-course access is not likely to be restricted unless courses adopt courseware (e.g. MyLab, Connect, Achieve, etc.). Publisher courseware is extremely expensive to create and maintain and is the unfortunate reason why access is restricted to a 1-or-2 term limit.

+ Can students opt out of Course Works Complete? How do they do so?

Yes. Students may opt out of Course Works Complete by the established drop/add deadline in any given semester (see Important Dates page ). When advising students on the opt out process, it is important to consider a student’s full-term course enrollment, and not just a single course. If a student chooses to opt out of the Course Works Complete program, they can participate in Course Works Select and choose which materials to purchase on a course-by-course and material-by-material basis from the campus store. Please view the Student and Family FAQs for complete details on the opt-out process.

+ Can students download ebooks? Or use without internet access?

Yes. The ereader is fully device agnostic, scalable, and allows simultaneous usage across multiple devices. Further, content downloaded to the ereader app can be accessed in offline situations as long as it was downloaded prior to loss of internet connection. As for saving as a file, copyright laws can restrict licensed content from taking form as redistributable files. Allowing content to only be downloaded within the ereader puts the onus on the provider to protect copyright and relieves the University of associated risks.

+ Will course materials still be available at the campus store?

Yes. The campus store will offer all digital course materials directly through Canvas regardless of whether the student is opted in to Course Works Complete or not. For students who are in the program, required print texts will be provided by the campus store automatically. Students who make individual choices through Course Works Select will have those orders fulfilled by the campus store.

If a student opts out of both the Course Works Complete and Course Works Select programs, they must purchase their material from a retailer other than the campus store.

+ Who can participate in Course Works?

There are two tiers to Course Works: Complete and Select

Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible to participate in Course Works Complete, and are auto-enrolled each semester (Fall, Spring) with their student accounts billed a flat-rate fee for access to their required course materials in the Course Works program.

With some exceptions, all other students (non-degree undergraduate, graduate, and professional) are eligible for the Course Works Select program. Participation, access and billing vary by student and course. In Select, students make participation choices at the individual material level; it is not a flat-rate fee like Complete.

During the opting period:

Complete students can opt out and move into Select
Both Complete and Select students can opt out of Course Works entirely and pursue course materials on their own

+ Do students need to sign up for Course Works?

No. Each semester, eligible students are automatically enrolled in Course Works Complete (degree-seeking undergraduates) or Course Works Select (non-degree undergraduates) and provided with access to all of their required course materials—based on the courses a student has signed up for—by the first day of classes.

+ What should a student do if they need academic accommodation due to a disability?

Students with questions about accessibility, using digital content, or accommodations should contact their campus Disability Resource Center for assistance (see navigation for links to campus-specific resources).

+ How can students access course packets?

Custom-created, physical course packets from the U's Printing Services will be distributed to participating students through the campus store during the start of courses. Students will receive an email at their umn.edu address when they are ready to be picked up. If the student is opted in to Course Works Complete, the order for print materials will be automatically placed without the student having to do anything.

Students who have opted out of the Course Works Complete and need to obtain a course packet may place an order through the Course Works Select program in Canvas. Similarly, when ready for pickup, the campus store will notify the student via email that it's ready.

+ Does Course Works include graduate-level course materials?

Materials included depend on the student’s enrollment type. A degree-seeking undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course would have their materials included. A graduate or professional student needs to purchase materials separately through Course Works Select.

+ Is Course Works an option in the summer semester?

Course Works Select is offered in the summer (beginning summer 2025). Course Works Complete is only available in the fall and spring semesters at this time.

General Questions

+ how will my tas access digital materials on their shelf.

TAs will be treated exactly like instructors. TAs will get access to digital materials on their Course Works Shelf in Canvas on the early access date along with everyone else. They will also not be charged for materials like instructors.

If TAs need to be added to courses, they should be added on the Canvas roster.

+ Do I need to use Canvas for instruction?

No. Faculty and instructors are not required to use Canvas for instruction in order for their materials to be included in the Course Works program. Canvas is a single access point for students to access their course materials, and they are available in a separate main navigation tab. regardless of whether faculty and instructors use Canvas in an instructional capacity.

Faculty and instructors wishing to use courseware materials do need to have a Canvas page set up for integration. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Easily create branded workbooks for your online course with this Online Course Workbook Template set.

Watch this short video to find out how to edit the Online Course Workbook template…

Want the secret to creating professional-looking workbooks for your course – without spending lots of time or money?

INTRODUCING…

The Online Course Workbook Template

create professional-looking graphics minutes
designed for use with free version of Canva
drop in your own photos
easily change text, fonts and colours
A4 and US Letter sizes included

Grab your Online Course Workbook Template here…

Does this sound like you?

You need a workbook to complement your awesome online course
You want it to be professional-looking but you aren’t a design pro
You don’t have time to learn how to use complicated design software
Your budget won’t stretch to hiring a designer

If any of this sounds familiar, then you know how challenging it is to create a course workbook from scratch.

That’s what inspired me to make this Online Course Workbook Template – to help busy course creators like you save time and money.

With 80 pages of professional designs, you can mix and match to create a beautiful, fully branded course workbook that will have your students swooning.

With this template set and Canva’s super easy drag-and-drop platform in your toolkit, you don’t need to be a designer to create beautiful branded resources for your online course.

Change text, fonts, colours, and images and in a few hours you’ll be sharing an incredible workbook that truly complements your course.

Go from this

to this…

Creating a professional-looking workbook is super easy

Receive a PDF with A4 and Letter size template download links, Canva instructions and a video tutorial.

Easily and confidently edit text, fonts, colours, shapes, images and duplicate or remove pages using the free version of Canva.

USE & RE-USE

Save and download your completed workbook digitally or for print. Use the template again and again as you need.

INCLUDED IN THE COURSE WORKBOOK TEMPLATE:

The 80-page Online Course Workbook Template set is jam-packed with all the designs you’ll need to create a professional study book for your course. Both A4 and US Letter sizes are included too.

Hi – I’m Miri!

I am dedicated to helping entrepreneurs like you grow profitable online businesses that give you the freedom to live the life you love.

As a teacher, digital designer, owner of 2 Etsy businesses and mother of three, I am happiest encouraging people to grow an awesome online business.

Do I need any software to edit the templates?

All you need to edit the templates is a free Canva account. Go to www.canva.com to sign up.

What can I make with the template?

These templates are specifically designed for you to create a workbook for students to use alongside your online course.

How do I get access to the templates?

You can buy the templates from my Etsy shop, Miri Campbell. Once you checkout, you’ll receive a PDF which has all the links to the Canva templates as well as instructions and a video tutorial.

Are the photos from the examples included?

No- all the photos used in my examples are from Unsplash.com and due to licensing restrictions, I cannot include them for sale as part of the template. However, if you’d like to use the same photos, drop me a line at [email protected] and I’ll send you the link to the free photos I used.

What can I edit and change?

It’s really easy to edit the templates to create a workbook that fits your brand exactly. Using the Canva’s drag-and-drop tools you can change text, fonts, shapes, colours and images. You can also mix and match the pages you need.

How many times can I use the template?

You can use the templates again and again to create as many different workbooks as you like.

Can I sell the workbooks that I make with the templates?

Yes – you can either sell the workbooks you create as a stand alone product or as part of a course. However, please do not redistribute the templates as customizable templates.

Can I get a refund?

Due to the digital nature of this product, I am unable to give refunds. Therefore, please take your time studying the product description before you purchase.

That said, I am happy to offer you help and support if you need it. Drop me a line at [email protected]

80 pages of templates
edit for free in Canva
change text, fonts, colours and images
A4 and US Letter sizes
save cost of hiring a designer
create a workbook in minutes

IMAGES

Course Workbook Template for Canva Ebook Template Workbook
Course Workbook Template for Canva, Ebook Template, Workbook for Course
Classwork book 1
Communicate with Cambridge Course Book 1
Course Workbook, Print Templates
Second Grade Coursebook

VIDEO

The Works Book Haul 📚 #newbooks #bookhaul #booktube #bookgirl
Forum Events gains business wide visibility with the implementation of Workbooks
collins class
Learning Works
Learn SOLIDWORKS 2020
How Innovation Works

COMMENTS

Course Works
Course Works, the University of Minnesota System's comprehensive course materials program, is a collaborative effort between the University's campus stores and libraries designed to ensure that all undergraduate students have the materials they need to succeed in their courses at the start of each semester. The program also aims to ensure ...
Get Help
Step 1: Log into Canvas (opens in new window). Step 2: Within Canvas, click the "Course Works" link located on the left navigation bar to be taken to your My Shelf page. Step 3: For: Ebooks and Library Materials—Navigate to the ebook you'd like to read, and simply click "Read Now". Courseware—Navigate to the courseware product you'd like to ...
Home
If you have opted-out of the the Course Works COMPLETE program -- you can still buy individual textbooks through Course Works Select using the Course Works tab in Canvas OR you can buy the textbook in other ways (e.g. Amazon, etc.) OR you can work with Libraries to request materials in other ways. The Libraries are working closely with the Bookstores to automatically identify textbooks that ...
Finding textbooks and course materials
Save money on textbooks and course materials
CourseWorkBooks Home Page
FREE Pre-Algebra Review Book. For more options, use the menu at the top of this page. CourseWorkBooks supports the following organizations through donations: Staten Island Hope Animal Rescue; Cheesequake Baseball; Website designed by Donny Brusca for CourseWorkBooks, Inc.
Course Works: How it Works
Course Works Program Benefits Benefits to Students. Access to materials: Students have access to their materials by the first day of class and have perpetual access to many course materials, as available from the publisher. Low and predictable costs: A flat rate reduces overall course materials costs when compared to traditional market prices and creates predictability for students.
Course Works
Course Works. Course Works, the University of Minnesota System's comprehensive course materials program, is a collaborative effort between the University's campus stores and libraries designed to ensure that all undergraduate students have the materials they need to succeed in their courses at the start of each semester. The program also ...
CourseWorks Grades and Gradebook: Best Practices
The CourseWorks Gradebook is a robust tool which provides you with all the features you need to set up grading schemes, post grades, annotate student work with feedback, and calculate final grades. Keeping your grades within CourseWorks allows you to maintain transparency with students and keep all your grading data in one place.
CourseWorks Home
Search our FAQ Knowledge base, book a research appointment, reserve a room, register for an event, ask a question, chat, send comments... LibAnswers & LibChat Powered by Springshare.
CourseWorks Support
Explore the self-paced "Introduction to CourseWorks (Canvas) 2.0" online course. Create assignments and grade. Explore the self-paced "Assessment and Grading in CourseWorks (Canvas) 2.0" online course. You can also watch this screencast for a brief overview of the CourseWorks grade book.
CourseWorks
Log in to Columbia University's CourseWorks site, choosing either the graphical or textual option.
How do I add Textbooks into my Course in CourseWorks (Canvas)?
Adding a single textbook. 1. To add a single textbook, first, click on "Add Textbooks" on the top bar. 2. Enter the ISBN and click "Get Book Info". If the item is found, information about the book will appear below. You can then select "Add as Required" or "Add as Recommended" as you wish. The book will then be added to your textbook list.
How to Create Course Workbooks: A Step-by-Step Guide
Course workbooks are an essential tool for students to learn and retain information from a course. A course workbook is a book that contains all the information, exercises, and activities that a student needs to complete a course. It is an interactive workbook that helps the student to engage with the course material and learn at their own pace.
PDF CourseWorks Quick Start
CourseWorks Quick StartC. ick StartIntroductionCourseWorks (aka "Sakai") is the university's new course management system, which allows instructors to develop and maint. n course Web sites. With CourseWorks, instructors can distribute class materials, communicate with students, and promo.
News
In order to publish your Syllabus on both CourseWorks and Vergil, follow these steps: Go to the Settings menu within the course. Scroll down to "Visibility". Underneath "Visibility", check the box for "Customize", and select "Institution" as the option for Syllabus. Scroll all the way down and click "Update Course Details".
Course Works Student and Family FAQs
Course Works Complete includes course materials required by the instructor teaching the course. This can include library materials, open educational resources, journal articles, textbooks, and courseware. ... Physical books and their status are also located in Canvas. Log into Canvas and click on the Course Works tab on the left-hand navigation ...
CourseWorks (Canvas) Faculty Guide
CourseWorks (Canvas) is Barnard and Columbia's learning management system. Your CourseWorks site can serve as your virtual classroom, a home base where students can find all the relevant information for your course. To clear up some confusion about the name: At Columbia and Barnard, the names CourseWorks and Canvas are often used ...
'Sad And Absurd': The U.S.S.R.'s Disastrous Effort To Create A ...
Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen discusses the Soviet effort, in 1929, to create an autonomous Jewish state in the country's far eastern region. Gessen is the author of Where The Jews Aren't.
CourseWorks
CourseWorks | Columbia University Information Technology
Go East, Young Jew, Go East
Go East, Young Jew, Go East | Worlds Revealed
WHERE Masha Gessen on a Planned Jewish Homeland in Soviet Russia
BOOK REVIEW. WHERE THE JEWS AREN'T. The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region. By Masha Gessen. 170 pp. Schocken. $25. By Steven Zipperstein. In the summer of 1932 Birobidzhan, some 4,000 miles from Moscow and near the Chinese border, was pummeled by plagues — floods, dead cows, the collapse of hastily ...
Course Works Faculty and Instructor FAQs
Please submit your textbook and course materials orders as you have in the past to the University Libraries and/or the campus store. If you have questions, need ordering instructions, or want to email us your course materials requests directly, write to: Crookston, Morris, Rochester, or Twin Cities: [email protected]. Duluth: [email protected].
How to make a course workbook using Canva
With this template set and Canva's super easy drag-and-drop platform in your toolkit, you don't need to be a designer to create beautiful branded resources for your online course. Change text, fonts, colours, and images and in a few hours you'll be sharing an incredible workbook that truly complements your course.

Library guide on using Course Works, finding textbooks and course readings

NEW IN FALL 2024

How can a student opt-out?

Getting textbooks and reading using Course Works Complete

I have opted-out of Course Works COMPLETE -- how can I get my textbooks?

I am having trouble reading or getting a textbook - where can I get help?

How can Graduate and Professional Students get textbooks and readings?

Finding textbooks and course materials

New in Fall 2024: Course Works

For graduate students and undergraduates who have opted-out

Fall 2024 ebooks

Summer 2024 ebooks

Other course materials options

Faculty and instructors

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Discussion Boards

How do I add Textbooks into my Course in CourseWorks (Canvas)?

Adding a single textbook

Importing textbooks from another course

Importing textbooks from a file

How to Create Course Workbooks: A Step-by-Step Guide

Key Takeaways

Understanding Course Workbooks

Designing Your Workbook

Creating Content for Your Workbook

Choosing the Right Tools

PDF Software

Microsoft Word

Online Course Platforms

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Interactive Elements in Workbooks

Publishing Your Workbook

Digital Publishing

Physical Publishing

Marketing Your Workbook

Know Your Target Audience

Create a Lead Magnet

Promote Your Workbook on Social Media

Offer a Discount or Bonus

Partner with Other Online Businesses

Using Workbooks for Assessment

Workbooks for Workshops and Webinars

Professional Services for Workbook Creation

Graphic Designer

Other Professional Services

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I structure a course workbook to maximize learning?

What are some best practices for designing a course workbook?

What are some tools and software options for creating course workbooks?

How can I make my course workbook visually appealing and engaging?

What are some common mistakes to avoid when creating course workbooks?

Recent News

CourseWorks (Canvas) Faculty Guide

Setting Up Your Course

Assessment & Grading Tools

Speedgrader & Rubrics

Submit Grades to SSOL

Content & Organization Tools

Community & Communication Tools

Announcements

Collaborations

Video & Recording Tools

Class Video Recordings (Panopto)