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Checklists

Why Use the Checklist Tool?

The Checklist tool allows instructors to create a checklist, or multiple checklists that contain activities students should complete throughout the course.

As checklists can be incorporated in the course content structure, often a weekly checklist is valuable at the end of that week if using a week by week format.

Checklists can be used as requirements to control access to other materials using release conditions. Each checklist contains one or more categories, into which checklist items are organized. 

Instructors can create checklists that:

  • Account for tasks to be completed in a particular order, allowing students to check the tasks off as they are completed (i.e. like following a lab experiment)
  • Allow for review of completed course content (i.e. completed week one, two and three readings)
  • Allow for assignment-based checklists to ensure that the appropriate items are covered in the assignment (i.e. used minimum number of resources, used appropriate citation format, included a works-cited section, etc.)
  • Allow for assignment-based checklists to ensure that the appropriate items are covered in the assignment.

If you have any further questions, please visit the Content Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Create and Manage Checklists

Important: Checklists must first be enabled in the course.

  1. On the navbar, click Course Admin.
  2. Scroll down and under Administration, click on Tools.
  3. Find and enable the Checklist feature by toggling the button to the right to a blue checkmark.

Checklists contain categories, which are used to organize checklist items. For example, you might create the categories Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3, and place week-specific checklist items into the appropriate categories. Alternately, you might use a checklist to organize steps of an assignment. You can assign due dates for checklist items.

NOTE: Creating a checklist is a three-step process. You must create a checklist, create at least one category and create items within the category.

To Create a Checklist:

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. Click New Checklist.
  4. Type a Name for the Checklist.
  5. Type a Description of the Checklist.
  6. Click Save.

To Create a Checklist Category:

Note: Checklist items must reside in a category.

  1. Click on the New Category button, which has opened beneath your checklist description.
  2. Type a Name for the Category, such as Assignments.
  3. Optional: Type a Description for the Category.
  4. Click Save and New Category if you if you want to create more. When you are done you will create items for the checklist.

To Create a Checklist Item.

Note: Checklist items must reside in a category.

  1. Click on the New Item
  2. Select an appropriate Category from the drop-down list.
  3. Type a Name for the Item.
  4. Optional: Type a Description of the Item.
  5. Optional: If you would like a due date to appear for this Item, click the box next to Due Date and select the date.
  6. Optional: Click Display in Calendar to show the item if you want D2L to add the item to your students’ calendar.
  7. Click Save if you are finished creating Items.

  1. On the navbar, click Content.
  2. On the Table of Contents page, for the module you want to add the Checklist to, click Existing Activities.
  3. Your are now given the option to:
    • Add an existing checklist, click Checklist then select the name of the Checklist from the list.
      OR
    • Create a New Checklist.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the checklist and select Preview in a new window.
  4. Students will see the checklist items and due dates as you have entered them.
  5. Students can check the box of an item when they have completed it.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. Click More Actions button at the top of the page.
  4. Click Reorder
  5. Under Sort Order, use the dropdown arrow button to reorder of the checklists.
  6. Click Save.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. Click on the Checklist title, such as Assignment Checklist, to open it and see the items
  4. Scroll down to the lower part of the page until you see Categories and Items. A list of all of the items with due dates will appear in the window.
  5. Click the Reorder button.
  6. A new window will appear with the Checklist Categories/Items and their Sort Order.
  7. Change the number in the Sort Order drop down box to Reorder the list.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the checklist want to copy, and click Copy.
  4. A new checklist is now visible at the bottom of the list of checklists with the title Copy of {original checklist name}.

Warning: Deleting a checklist is permanent. In addition, if you delete a category, you will delete all items in the category.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. On the Checklist page click the More Actions button and select Delete.
  4. On the Delete Checklists page, select the Checklist you would like to delete by clicking on the box to the left of the Checklist name.
  5. Click the Delete Selected
  6. On the confirmation message box, click Delete.

NOTE: If you only have one category, you will NOT be asked to confirm.  The category will automatically be deleted.

To delete Individual Item or Categories:

  1. On the Checklist page click on the name of the Checklist that contains items you wish to delete.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
  3. Click on the Categories and/or Items you wish to delete.
  4. Click Delete.
  5. On the confirmation message box, click Delete.

Note: You can set Release Conditions based on students checking off items from their Checklist to release Content, Assignments, Quizzes, etc.

  1. On the navbar, click on Course Admin.
  2. Click on the Checklist link.
  3. On the Checklist page click
  4. Click the drop-down arrow next to the checklist for which you want to set release conditions, click Edit.
  5. In the Restrictions tab, do any of the following:
    • Click Attach Existing, then select the check box for any condition you want to attach. Click Attach.
    • Click Create and Attach, then select a Condition Type from the drop-down list. Complete any additional Condition Details that appear and click Create.
  6. To set how accessing the checklist is controlled, from the drop-down list, select if All conditions must be met or Any condition must be met.
  7. Click Save and Close.