The Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) can be accessed on desktop devices as well as mobile devices. Canvas can be used to teach fully online courses as well as other modes of instructional delivery including face-to-face, hybrid, converged, and Hyflex classes. In addition, Canvas has a robust community of users from around the globe who share information, tips, and tricks about using Canvas.

• How does Canvas work as a supplement to face-to-face courses?
• How can I use Canvas on my mobile device as an instructor?

Instructors using Canvas can customize their profiles and system notification preferences. Customizing your profile and user settings include adding a profile picture, setting a language preference, setting text (SMS) notifications, setting mobile device push notifications, adding custom email addresses, etc.

• How do I edit my profile in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I add a profile picture in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I add an additional email address as a contact method in Canvas as an instructor?

• How do I change the settings in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I change the language preference in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I set a time zone in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I add a text (SMS) contact method in Canvas as an instructor?
• What feature options can I enable in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I manage new features in my user account as an instructor?
• How do I change my default email address in my user account as an instructor?

• How do I set my Canvas notification preferences as an instructor?
• How do I add contact methods to receive Canvas notifications as an instructor?

Navigating Canvas

Global Navigation is how a user navigates Canvas itself. Course Navigation is how a user navigates through a course within Canvas.

Global Navigation - Navigating the Canvas LMS

• How do I use the Global Navigation Menu as an instructor?
• How do I use the Dashboard as an instructor?
• How do I view my favorite courses in the Card View Dashboard as an instructor?
• How do I use the To Do list and sidebar in the Dashboard as an instructor?
• How do I view global activity for all my courses in the Recent Activity Dashboard as an instructor?
• How do I view grades in the Dashboard as an instructor?
• How do I view all my Canvas courses as an instructor?
• How do I customize my Courses list as an instructor?

Course Navigation - Navigating a course within Canvas

• How do I use the Course Home Page as an instructor?
• How do I use the Course Navigation Menu as an instructor?
• How do I manage Course Navigation links?
• What layout options are available in the Course Home Page as an instructor?
• How do I change the Course Home Page?
• How do I use the Course Activity Stream as an instructor?
• How do I use the Syllabus as an instructor?
• How do I edit the Syllabus description in a course?

Courses Settings & Management

Instructors can manage their course through the Course Settings feature. There are a number of features and settings instructors can leverage to administer their course including customizing course navigation, controlling grade distribution data, adding external applications, viewing the course as a student, publishing course content, and accessing the beta and/or test environments in Canvas to test features before implementing them into the live (production) environment.

Course Management

• How do I use the Course Setup Checklist?
• How do I view enrollments in a course section?
• What are the different states of a Canvas course?
• How do I publish a course?
• How do I show recent announcements in the Course Home Page?
• How do I hide totals in my students’ grade summaries?
• How do I hide grade distribution scoring details from students?
• How do I disable announcement replies for an entire course?
• How do I validate links in a course?
• How do I view course statistics?
• How do I view a course as a test student using Student View?
• How do I conclude a course at the end of a term as an instructor?

Course Settings

How do I use course settings?

• How do I set details for a course?
• How do I add an image to a course card in the Dashboard?
• How do I set a time zone for a course?
• How do I restrict student access to a course before or after the course dates?
• How do I change the language preference for a course?
• How do I use grading schemes in a course?
• How do I view grading schemes in a course?
• How do I enable a grading scheme for a course?
• How do I add a grading scheme in a course?
• How do I view grading periods in a course?
• How do I customize visibility options for a course?
• How do I customize visibility options for course content?
• How do I set a Creative Commons license for a course?
• How do I include a course in the Public Course Index?
• How do I set a course format?

Course Analytics

Instructors can access Course Analytics to gain insight into how students are engaging with course content and how well students are doing in the course. Course Analytics will show you an aggregate of student data in the course including activity by date, submissions, grades, and participation in graphic or tabular format. Access to individual student analytics is also available through Course Analytics.

• How do I view Course Analytics?
• How do I view analytics for a student in a course?

External Apps (LTI)

Learning Interoperability Tools (LTI), also known as external applications, are specialized 3rd party tools that can be integrated into your Canvas course. External apps can augment and enhance your instruction. Currently installed external apps include Kaltura, VoiceThread, Lockdown Browser, and Turnitin. Some free-to-use apps such as MyOpenMath, YouTube, and Quizlet are available through Canvas or the EduAppCenter.

• What are External Apps (LTI Tools)?
• How do I use the Canvas App Center in a course?
• How do I add an external app in a course?
• How do I configure an external app for a course using a URL?
• How do I configure an external app for a course using XML?
• How do I configure an external app for a course using an LTI 2 Registration URL?
• How do I configure a manual entry external app for a course?

Importing/Copying Course Content

Instructors can import course content into Canvas from Moodle and from within Canvas itself. An entire course can be imported or specific parts of a course can be imported. In addition, content can be exported out of Canvas.

• How do I copy content from another Canvas course using the Course Import tool?
• How do I select specific content as part of a course import?
• How do I adjust events and due dates in a course import?
• How do I export a Canvas course?
• How do I import a Canvas course export package?
• How do I view the status of current and prior course imports?