Canvas Learning Path

Become familiar with Canvas and the student experience.

• Access Canvas.
• View Navigating the Course as a student.
• View Navigating your Canvas Course as an Instructor.
• Check out a Canvas Demo Course.
• If you are interested in a safe place to test ideas and play around in Canvas, you can request a Canvas Sandbox (an empty course shell).
• Learn about your Canvas Dashboard and how to customize your course dashboard list.

Whether you’re building in your semester course space, or in your course sandbox, we suggest beginning with a few basic structural elements when getting started. In addition, we also have a recommended course template to help as you begin to build.

Note: For Global Campus courses, you will have an instructional designer to support your course design.

Suggested Actions

• Build a home page (or fill out template).
• Build an instructor introduction page (or fill out template).
• Create Assignment Groups on the Assignments Index Page to match the grading table in your syllabus.
  • All gradable items will appear on the Assignments Index Page including Quizzes and Discussions.
  • This page determines what is in the gradebook.
• Build a course schedule (or fill out template).
• Decide and implement how the Modules Index Page will be organized (by Unit, by Week, etc.) and create Modules.
  • Students should access course content by selecting Modules. What experience do you want them to have when accessing this page?

To merge sections into a single course space, contact your department course scheduler or campus course scheduler. We suggest taking this action prior to building content into the course space.

Canvas Components

Component	Relevant Links
Rich Content Editor	What is the rich content editor?
Assignments Index Page	How do I use Assignments Index Page? How do I add an Assignment Group?
Navigation	How do I use Course Navigation Menu as an Instructor? How do I manage Course Navigation links?
Pages	What are pages? How do I set a front page? How to publish a Page
Modules	What are modules? How do I use the Modules Index Page? How to publish a Module
Inbox	What is the inbox? How do I use the inbox?
Publishing	How do I publish a course? How do I publish or unpublish a module? How do I publish or unpublish a page?

Suggested AOI Resources

• Inclusivity in the Classroom
• Using the Campus-Based Course Template

Once you have decided on the structure of your course, you are ready to start adding content!

Review how to minimize Digital Content in your Canvas space.

Suggested Actions

• Write a student to-do list based on the structure you decided for Modules (by week, unit, et).
• Build content in Canvas.
  • Build content on a page – words, links, images, videos, etc.
  • Upload a file.
  • Add links to the to-do list and/or the Modules.
• Build a simple assignment.
  • Include detailed instructions.
  • Use a due date.
  • Create and attach a
• View assignments and turn them in from student view.
• Build a Classic Quiz.
• Build a Discussion.
• Ensure that all gradable items are in the correct assignment group on the Assignments Index Page.

Canvas Components

Component	Relevant Links
Assignments	What are Assignments? How to publish an Assignment
Quizzes	What are Quizzes? Understanding Classic vs New Quizzes functionality What options can I set in a quiz?
Files	What are files? How do I use Files?
Discussions	What are discussions? Review more specific questions and answer about Discussions. How do I grade a graded discussion in SpeedGrader?
Modules	How do I add course content as module items? How do I add a text header as a module item? How do I add an external URL as a module item?
Groups	What are groups? How do I view all groups in a course? How do I add a group set?
Rubrics	How do I add a rubric in a course? How do I add a rubric to an assignment?

Suggested AOI Resources

• Tips on creating accessible materials
  • It is suggested for accessibility and storage reasons to create non-video content directly into Canvas whenever possible.
• Low-Stakes Formative Assessments
• Engaging Discussions
• Survey Students at beginning of the semester
  • You can tailor to an in-person class.
• Authentic Assessment

Once your course is published, you can start interacting with students.

Suggested Actions

• Create a Welcome Announcement and use announcements throughout the term.
• Grade an assignment, discussion, or quiz using the SpeedGrader.
• View your course as your students will see it using Student View.
• Connect instantly with your students using Chat.
• Create transparency of any changes or upcoming events using
• Inform your students of any missing, or late work using the Message Students Who function in the Gradebook.

Canvas Components

Component	Relevant Links
Announcements	What are Announcements? How do I add an announcement in a course?
SpeedGrader	What is SpeedGrader? How do I use SpeedGrader? How do I grade a file upload? How do I add annotated comments?
Student View	How do I view my course as a test student?
Chat	What is Chat?
Message Students Who...	How to Message Students Who...
New Analytics	New Analytics in the Instructor Guide

Suggested AOI Resources

• Scalable Strategies for Delivering Feedback
• Welcome Announcement

Tools Already Integrated with Canvas

• Panopto
• Perusall
• Zoom
• Collaborations
• Review other integrations.