Basic Introduction to How Canvas Works
Canvas Overview Video
Student Enrollment
Students will be added to your class automatically based on SAGE rosters two weeks before the term starts. SAGE and Canvas will auto-sync daily, so if a student adds or drops your class, your roster will be updated.
Navigation
Course Navigation
The course navigation menu is located on the left side of every course page. It allows you to access all the course components, such as assignments, discussions, and files.
Global Navigation
The global navigation menu is located along the left of every page in Canvas. It allows you to access your account settings, notifications, and all the courses you are teaching.
Dashboard
The dashboard is the first thing you see when you log in to Canvas. It provides an overview of all your current courses as well as a to-do list and calendar.
Course Cards
Course cards are the visual representation of each course you are teaching. They appear on your dashboard and provide quick access to the course home page.
Managing the Dashboard
You can customize your dashboard by rearranging the course cards, hiding or showing certain courses.
To-Do List
The to-do list displays all the upcoming assignments, quizzes, and other course activities that require your attention.
Calendar
The calendar displays all your course events, including due dates, assignments, and other course-related activities.
Appointment Scheduler
The appointment scheduler allows you to create appointment slots and students can sign up.
Inbox
The inbox tool in Canvas allows you to send and receive messages with your students.
Rich Content Editor
The RCE displays a menubar, a toolbar, and a content field. Add your content, including text, images, links, and other content in the content field. You can use the menubar and toolbar options to add, edit, and format content. You will find the RCE in the following Canvas features: announcements, assignments, discussions, pages, quizzes, and syllabus.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Publishing
Canvas courses, assignments, modules, discussions, pages, and quizzes all require publishing in Canvas. Make sure to click the "Publish" button. Students will not be able to see items that have not been published.
Saving Work
A commonly missed step in creation of items in Canvas is to click the "Save" button. Always click the Save button when creating or editing in Canvas.
Technical Support