Canvas Help

How do I create a course?

Your Canvas courses are automatically created for you each quarter. Course creation is based on course offering information in Axess.

Will I have to manually enroll students?

No.  Your roster will be added to your Canvas and synched with enrollment updates, so enrolled students will be able to see the course after you publish it. You and your students will login to your Canvas course using your SUNet ID and password.

When will my course be created?

Canvas course shells are created automatically, usually about 4-5 weeks into the term before your course is scheduled to be offered. It will automatically appear on your Canvas Dashboard when you login.

Why can't students see a file I uploaded in an assignment/quiz?

In most cases, the file, or its containing folder has either not been Published, or the copyright restrictions have not been set. Here's more info on: setting usage rights and publishing materials in Canvas

I can't see my course on the Dashboard anymore. Where did it go?

Default Course Settings close courses at the end of the academic term and remove concluded courses from users' Dashboards. After conclusion, everyone from the course roster retains access to the course, via Canvas' Courses page. Space on the user's Dashboard is reserved for:

• courses from the current term 
• courses with an explicit End Date set in the future. Here's more info on: changing start/end dates for a course
• courses marked as a favorite. Here's more info on: customizing your course list

Can I hide an exam from students until I am ready for them to take it?

Yes! Use "availability dates" to dictate when students can access a quiz. Set an availabilty date early to share when a quiz will occur, but restrict students from viewing the quiz until you're ready. Here's more info on: setting quiz options

Can I delay showing students the results of exams until I have them all graded?

Yes! "Mute" the quiz to withhold grade information and exam answers until you release the results. Student will be informed that results are withheld, and they will be notified when you release the results. Here's more info on: muting a quiz

How can I add a TA/guest to my course?

You can use the "+ People" button on the People page of your course to add guests, TAs, and Course Admins. At Stanford, users MUST have a SUNetID to be added to a course. Here's more info on: adding users to your course.

I've already added someone to my course. Why can't they find it on their Dashboard?

Courses need to be published before  users with the roles of Student, Guest, and Observer can see your course. When you add a user in these roles, Canvas automatically sends an invite once the course has been officially published. Here's more info on: publishing a course. 

Do I have to enroll my students in my course manually?

No. If a student registers through Axess, they will automatically be added to the course in Canvas. Your roster will be added to your Canvas and synched with enrollment updates, so enrolled students will be able to see the course after you publish it. You and your students will login to your Canvas course using your SUNet ID and password.

How can I allow a guest in my course that is not a Stanford employee or student?

Guests and observers to your course MUST have a SUNetID. You can sponsor an individual not affiliated with Stanford here. 

My guests/students can no longer see my course on their Dashboard. Where did it go?

Default Course Settings close courses at the end of the academic term and remove concluded courses from users' Dashboards. After conclusion, everyone from the course roster retains access to the course, via Canvas' Courses page. Space on the user's Dashboard is reserved for:

• courses from the current term 
• courses with an explicit End Date set in the future. Here's more info on: changing start/end dates for a course
• courses marked as a favorite. Here's more info on: customizing your course list

When should I use Announcements vs Discussions?

Announcements are designed to allow instructors to deliver information out to an entire class.  Discussions are designed to allow interactive communication between two or more people within a course. Instructors do have the option to allow replies to Announcements. Also, one person can use a Discussion to communicate information to an entire class. The main distinction between the two is that Announcements are intended for broadcasting information while Discussions are designed for participation in a public conversation. See this short video for more information on using announcements, or this article on creating discussions.

Will students be notified when I make an announcement?

Yes. Canvas automatically notifies students according to their Notification preferences. Make sure your students have Notifications enabled for announcements (located in their personal profile, under Notifications).  See this short video for more information on using announcements.

Can students respond privately to an Announcement?

No. Responses to announcements are made available to the entire course.  Faculty do have the ability to delete student responses if needed.

Why should I use the Inbox tool instead of my email?

Canvas' Inbox tool functions very similarly to email but uses Canvas' internal messaging system. It should be used for two-way communication about items related to your course.  Students are alerted to new messages on their dashboard screen upon logging in. They receive conversations via email or texts based on their notification settings. You are notifed of their responses through the Inbox, which can be forwarded to your regular email. One distinct benefit of using the Inbox tool is rapid addressing for individuals or groups.

Where do students submit written assignments in Canvas?

When you create your assignment, use the Assignment Type of "Online", and specify the submission options. The "File Upload" option allows students to submit their assignments, and also allows you to restrict the file types (.docx, .pdf, etc.). Here's more info on: creating assignments

Do I have to download students' submitted assignments to grade them?

No. Canvas provides a tool called "SpeedGrader" that allows you to easily page through student submissions, make comments, and assign grades, all within Canvas. Here's more info on: SpeedGrader

What's the difference between Due Dates and Availability Dates?

In addition to setting a due date for an assignment, instructors can specify a date range when students can submit the assignment. These are called availability dates, and they are optional and modifiable. Here's more info on:  due and availability dates

Can I hide an exam from students until I am ready for them to take it?

Yes! Use "availability dates" to dictate when students can access a quiz. Set an availabilty date early to share when a quiz will occur, but restrict students from viewing the quiz until you're ready. Here's more info on: setting quiz options

Can I delay showing students the results of exams until I have them all graded?

By default, all grades are now hidden. Similar to unmuting an assignment using the old Gradebook, you can post grades and comments from the Grades tool or from SpeedGrader. Here's more info on: changing Canvas' Grade Posting Policy

Can I offer the same exam to two different sections of students, at two different times?

Yes. The "Assign" function in the quiz options allows you to create different due/availability dates for different individuals or groups of students. Here's more info on: assigning multiple due dates

A student accidentally submitted their exam. How can I give them another attempt?

The "Moderate Quiz" function allows you to set an extra attempt for individual or multiple students. Here's more info on: moderating a quiz

How can I give a student more time or other special accomodations for an exam?

The "Moderate Quiz" function allows you to extend the quiz's time limit for individual or multiple students. Here's more info on: moderating  a quiz

Can I delay showing students the results of exams until I have them all graded?

Yes! "Mute" the quiz to withhold grade information and exam answers until you release the results. Student will be informed that results are withheld, and they will be notified when you release the results. Here's more info on: muting a quiz

Do I have to download students' submitted assignments to grade them?

No. Canvas provides a tool called "SpeedGrader" that allows you to easily page through student submissions, make comments, and assign grades, all within Canvas. Here's more info on: SpeedGrader

I'm getting too many emails from Canvas. How can I make them stop?

By default, Canvas notifies you automatically whenever a number of things happen in any active course you have. You can restrict these notifications by category, to come once per day or once per week as a digest, or you can turn them off altogether.  Here's more info on: setting these preferences