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Canvas@Illinois, Using module requirements and prerequisites

Module requirements and prerequisites can be used to provide a "to do" list for students and limit access to content until a minimum set of criteria are met.

What are module requirements and prerequisites?

Module requirements and prerequisites can be used to limit access to content until certain criteria are met (for example, achieving a minimum score, viewing specific content, or submitting an assignment) and can also help students track progress in a course. 

Module requirements can be set to define what students must do or complete to allow a module to be marked as complete. This can be as simple as requiring that students review a page or something more substantial like achieving a minimum score on an assignment (like a learning check). These can be helpful for students because it provides a visual to do list and displays their progress as they move through the content.

Module prerequisites restrict access to content until students have met minimum criteria. For example, if you want to prevent students from skipping ahead until they have reviewed or completed assignments, you'd use prerequisites (in combination with module requirements).

Instructions

Expand the sections below to learn how to add module requirements and prerequisites.

Add requirements

  1. From the Modules Index page, select the more options/three-dot button on the module where you'd like to add requirements.

  2. From the drop down menu, select Edit.
    Module page with more options/three dot menu expanded and orange outline around Edit option (with an arrow pointing to it as well).

  3. Select the + Requirement button. This will expand more options in the tray.
    Edit Module Settings tray with orange box and arrow pointing to plus Requirement button

  4. Under Requirements, use the radio buttons to select the appropriate option:
    • Complete all (students must complete all of the selected options)
      • Optionally, you can also check a box to require students move through the content sequentially
    • Complete one (students must complete only one of the selection options)
      Orange box around Requirements section highlighting area with radio button selections

  5. Below the Requirements section, you'll see a "content" box with the first item in the module. Use the drop down menus to make the appropriate selections:
    • First drop down: Use this menu to change the content that is selected (in this example, you could select Week 1: Assignment, Week 1: Discussion, etc.)
    • Second drop down: Use this menu to change what's required for the content to be marked as complete. In this example, you could select view the item, mark as done, or contribute to the page.
      Orange box around the drop down menu sections of the Content box demonstrating options that will appear. The second menu is expanded to show options for view the item, mark as done, and contribute to the page.
  6. If you want to add other requirements, use the + Requirement button to add additional content boxes. You'll notice each time you click the + Requirement button that it adds the next item in the module.

  7. Use the drop down menus to select the appropriate requirement/interaction.

  8. Select the Save button to save changes and close the tray.
    Edit Module Settings tray with orange box and arrow pointing to the Save button.

  9. After the page refreshes, you'll notice a pill icon that says "Complete All Items" (or Complete One Item) and text next to any required items.
    Modules Index page with orange box highlighting the "Complete All Items" pill and dashed orange arrows pointing to requirements for the module that appear after the setting is saved (as an example, Mark as Done, Submit, and Score at least 8)

If you want to add requirements on other modules, you'll need to follow the same steps for each module.

Add prerequisites

  1. From the Modules Index page, select the more options/three-dot button on the second or later module (prerequisites are not an option on the first module in the course).

  2. From the drop down, select Edit.
    Module Index page with more options/three-dot menu expanded on the second module and orange box and arrow pointing to the Edit option.
  3. Select the + Prerequisite button.
    Edit Module Settings tray with orange box and arrow pointing to the plus Prerequisite button.

  4. Use the drop down to select the module that should be completed before accessing that current module's content.
    Edit Module Settings tray with orange box and arrow pointing to prerequisite drop down menu

  5. Select the Save button to save changes and close the tray.

  6. After the page refreshes, you'll notice text that displays the module(s) that must be completed before accessing that module.
    Modules Index page with orange box and arrow pointing to the saved prerequisite for completing Week 1 content before accessing Week 2.

What do students see if module requirements and prerequisites are used?

Module requirements provide a helpful to do/progress list for students to see when they view the Modules Index page. They'll also be able to see whether or not they have access to subsequent modules based on their progress. Below is a screenshot of an example of two modules with requirements and prerequistes:

  1. Module Requirements: This area indicates that all items listed as required for the module must be completed and the red circle with a line through it indicates that the student has not completed all of the requirements.

  2. Required Interaction: Below the content added to the module, students will see information about the assignment (points, due date, etc.) as well as the written required interaction. For example, the page "Week 1: Overview" needs to be marked as done by the student and they also have to submit the "Week 1: Assignment."

  3. Requirement Completion Status: This area visually displays progress within the module. In this example, the student has completed the first two items in the module (indicated by green check marks) but has not completed the last two items (empty circles).

  4. Access to Next Module: This area displays any prerequisites and a status. In this example, since the student has not met the prerequisite of completing Week 1: Introduction to Anthropology, the module remains locked (which is also indicated by the lock icon on the module). Contents within the Week 2 module are not accessible and indicated by the grayed out text that cannot be selected.

Example Modules Index page in student view with progress indicated based on requirements and prerequisites

Tips and strategies

  • If you want students to complete all items in a module, you can quickly add all items by editing the module settings then selecting the + Requirement button repeatedly until it disappears. This will add a content box for each of the items in your module and ensure you don't miss any items. The button will disappear once you run out of items to add.

  • If you set module requirements and later add more items to the module, you'll need to go back and edit the module requirements to add the new items. This is especially important if you enabled the option to require sequential order as you may need to reorder items!

  • If using module prerequisites and requirements, students may need to wait a few minutes before proceeding to the next module (for example, if students must complete a quiz and score at least a number of points, it may take a few minutes to fully process that completion).

  • If you add a prerequisite to a module, but the prerequisite module has no completion requirements, the module will not be locked.

  • In rare cases, student progress can get stuck and will prevent them from progressing forward. To help force the progress to register, edit the module settings where the student is getting stuck to open the tray and then select the Save button (without making any changes). If that doesn't fix the issue, reach out to the Technology Services Help Desk at consult@illinois.edu.

Additional Resources


Keywords:
canvas, module requirement, module requirements, prerequisites, limit access, differentiate, sequence, restrict 
Doc ID:
153195
Owned by:
Canvas G. in University of Illinois Technology Services
Created:
2025-07-14
Updated:
2025-07-17
Sites:
University of Illinois Technology Services