Learn Canvas

So, you want to learn about Canvas, eh? And you'd like as much information as possible on a single page that you can reference whenever you need? And you're hoping it'll eventually be broken down into subpages someday so that the scrollbar isn't way too long? And you don't mind a little bit of odd formatting while we clean up content we've shamelessly borrowed from other universities? Well, then you've come to the right place.

Comparing Canvas to D2L

Note: The following table is alphabetized by D2L Feature.

D2L Feature	Name in Canvas	Similarities/Differences (Mostly Differences)
Announcements	Announcements	Canvas adds the option for students to comment on Announcements, and for you to give both personal and private replies.
Assignments	Assignments	Assignments includes anything graded in the course. This includes Quizzes, Discussions, even though these have their own tabs in Canvas too. Canvas Assignments can be assigned to individuals, groups, or to everyone at once (the default in D2L).
Assignment Grading	Speedgrader	Canvas is able to use the same grader for all content, including Quizzes and Discussions, not just assignments. Depending on how the Speedgrader is accessed, it will open a new tab instead of opening on the same tab.
Attendance	Attendance	Canvas Attendance includes the Seating Chart as well. Attendance entries are a bit faster thanks to a lack of sub-menu.
Calendar	Calendar	Virtually identical.
Classlist & Groups	People	The layout is different, but the functionality is identical.
Content	Modules	Canvas doesn't doesn't allow you to only select a single module at a time. In other words, all content for the course will always appear when selecting Modules. This can be a bit overwhelming at first. Modules also do not have their own descriptions or release dates.
Course Admin	Settings	Settings contains all of the things not contained elsewhere, but unlike Course Admin does not also contain links back to Content, Assignments, etc. Individual items within Settings are almost universally known by a different name than they are in Course Admin.
Course Home	Home Page	One of the most-immediate differences between Canvas and D2L. Since there are no widgets, the Canvas Home Page is selected from all the "Pages" within your course, or can be set to Modules, Assignments, Syllabus, or your Course Activity Stream. Note: If Syllabus is chosen, the Home button will redirect to the Syllabus page, but this does not happen for the other choices.
Course Navigation Bar	Course Navigation Menu	The Course Navigation Menu is one the left-hand side of the screen. While certain options can be hidden (disabled), they cannot be renamed, and no custom links can be set. Note: Most Disabled items will still appear in YOUR view, but will appear with an icon next to them to show that students will not see them. Note: Links with no content are automatically marked as Disabled in Canvas.
Course Schedule & Syllabus (in Content)	Syllabus	Course Summary includes ALL course content from the assignments page, even those items in the past. There is no space between items. Assignments without dates will still appear on the Course summary in a large group at the bottom of the list and are included in content due "today".
Discussions	Discussions	Canvas does not have forums, only topics. Threads do not auto-expand as they do in D2L (you will need to click to see the replies unless you change your settings). More anonymity options in Canvas. By default, Canvas sorts discussions by most-recent activity. This means that if a student responds to an older discussion, it will jump to the top of the list for everyone with access.
Grades	Grades	Canvas will automatically generate a Grade Item for all activities including assignments, discussions, and quizzes that are marked as graded. Canvas can automatically apply late penalties to grades for you.
Groups	Group Sets	Both include a tool for instructors to make pre-set groups for assignments/projects.
HTML Editor	Rich Content Editor	Documents uploaded to Canvas's editor will appear as a link. To have them automatically preview, one MUST click on the link, select link options, then select "Preview Inline", and finally check the "Expand Preview By Default" option.
Manage Files	Files	Virtually identical EXCEPT that Canvas has a search function!
My Home	Dashboard	Canvas lacks global announcements and other widgets, so their Dashboard only contains your list of courses, upcoming calendar, and links at the bottom of the page.
Quizzes	Quizzes	Ordering questions do not exist in Canvas, and so such questions will need to be remade into Matching questions. When editing questions, Canvas does not provide question numbers, although Question numbers will appear when students take the quiz.
Rubrics	Rubrics	Canvas Rubrics allow easier linking to Outcomes (if Outcomes have been established in the course appropriately).
View As > Student	View As Student	Virtually identical, though Canvas gives it a dedicated button on pages where it is possible and does not allow the switch on pages where students would not have access.
N/A	Pages	Pages is a unique function of Canvas which is a alphabetical collection of every Page made in the course, also known as every HTML-based item in the course. If you have ever used the "Create a File" option in D2L, then you have made an HTML-based item. Unless you have very good reason to do so, it's recommended you Disable the Pages link in your course. This will not prevent students from seeing pages, but it will prevent them from seeing the raw list outside of the Modules section.

Tutorials

Below you will find helpful video (and text) tutorials for most of the basics in Canvas. Not all subjects are covered, and the content is all directly from Canvas support, for now. More-customized tutorials will appear eventually, hand-made by our amazing CTL team, but we hope you'll find these useful for now.

Organize your Course

Modules

Modules control the entire flow of your course and its content. As an instructor, you can add modules, add items to a module, and manage module settings. You can also reorder all modules and module items.

Navigate to the Modules tab from the course navigation menu on the left.
Scroll through your migrated modules. You will need to review and update these to fit with your course's structure.
1. Note: You have the flexibility to structure your course into weeks, units, topics, or any other format you prefer.
Rename and reorder your modules and activities

Use the three dots on the top right of the module to edit the name.
Then, use the dot cluster on the left of each item to drag and reorder your modules and activities to a new location.

Note: Some activities may appear in a new category titled "Imported Assignments," created for activities that cannot be categorized into an existing module. You can access these by selecting Assignments from the course navigation menu. Consider relocating these activities to a more appropriate module for your course.

At the top right of the modules page, click on Student View to see how your modules look from the view of your students.

Note: When you or your students click on Modules, it will take you back to the top of the modules page so it may be helpful to have your most recent module at the top.

For more information on Modules, refer to the video resource below.

Video: Modules Overview

Create and Schedule Announcements

Finally, add new or review the announcements that were migrated from your Brightspace D2L course and make any necessary changes. Use the resources below to learn how to schedule announcements in advance or for a specific section.

Tutorial: How Do I Add an Announcement

How Do I Add an Announcement?

Video: Announcement Overview

Create New Content

Some migrated content elements may not transfer well and will require rebuilding. Canvas offers a versatile toolkit for creating new content, including pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes, links, documents, and external tools. Use the links below to learn more about each content item.

Canvas Pages

Canvas Pages provide a platform for presenting course materials.

Tutorial: How Do I Create a New Page in a Course?

How Do I Create a New page in a Course?

Video: Pages Overview

Assignments

Assignments track student progress and facilitate feedback.

Tutorial: How Do I Create an Assignment?

How Do I Create an Assignment?

Video: Assignments Overview

Quizzes

Quizzes assess student understanding with various question formats.

Tutorial: How Do I Use the Quizzes Index Page?

How Do I Use the Quizzes Index Page?

Video: Quizzes Overview

Discussions

Discussions foster collaborative learning environments.

Tutorial: How Do I Create a Disussion as an Instructor?

How Do I Create a Discussion as an Instructor?

Video: Discussion Overview

Get to Grading

Grades

Each assignment's grades can be calculated as points, percentages, complete or incomplete, pass or fail, GPA scale, and letter grades. Assignments can be organized into groups for weighting.

Only graded assignments, discussions, quizzes, and surveys published are shown in the Gradebook. “Not Graded” assignments will not be shown.

Tutorial: How Do I Use the Gradebook?

How Do I Use the Gradebook?

Video: How Do I Use the Gradebook?

Weighting Grades

You can organize your assignments in Canvas into groups such as "quizzes" or "homework".

When you select this option, you assign a weight to the assignment group rather than to individual assignments. Canvas calculates the grade by dividing the total points a student has earned by the total possible points for all assignments in that group.

Tutorial: Weight Your Gradebook

Weight Your Gradebook

Video: Weight Your Gradebook

Next Steps

Canvas provides a variety of live training courses and webinars.

Visit our CTL Events page to view and sign up for upcoming sessions.

Go get some ice cream (or your treat of preference). You deserve it for making it all the way down here.