Set up a semester of online course pages automatically
Cal State math professor Taiyo Inoue had Codex write small programs to update his Canvas courses; he estimates it saves four to five hours a week.
Done with OpenAI Codex
What they did
Cal State math professor Taiyo Inoue used Codex to write small Python programs that update his Canvas course pages automatically. He is not a programmer but knows enough Python to describe what he wants. The programs set up empty course pages, move materials to a new term calendar, adjust for different class schedules and post timely announcements.
How it went
Inoue estimates Codex saves him roughly four to five hours a week. In demos he starts from an empty Canvas course and fills in a full semester of materials. He used the time to have students solve problems together at whiteboards in class.
Worth knowing
The source is OpenAI's own blog. Inoue uses this low-stakes admin work to show AI-skeptical colleagues where AI helps without raising cheating worries.
Try it yourself with OpenAI Codex
Help me automate upkeep of my Canvas course [course name] using the Canvas API. I need Python scripts that: shift all assignment due dates and materials from [old term dates] to [new term dates], adapt the schedule to a [meeting pattern, e.g. Tuesday/Thursday] pattern, upload files from [folder], and draft announcements for [events]. Explain how to create and safely store an API token for [your institution's Canvas URL]. Start with read-only scripts that list what would change. Show me the planned changes and wait for my approval before writing anything to the live course. If possible, test on a sandbox course first.
Swap the highlighted [parts] for your own details.
Source: OpenAI Academy · Jun 30, 2026
Written with AI assistance from the original post and checked against our editorial guidelines. Results are as reported by the source, not independently verified.
