Canvas Basics

Canvas Basics Guide

YOU MUST MANUALLY PUBLISH YOUR COURSES ​ (1 Week PRIOR TO Start of Quarter).

Attendance Tool ​ (& Drexel Photo Class List)​

Attendance IS SO MUCH BETTER IN THAN IN BB LEARN!​

Navigation

You can reorder, hide, or even disable some of those tools if you’re not using them in your course.​

  1. Go into your Canvas course.​
  2. Scroll down and click Settings (always the last item in the course menu).​
  3. In Settings, choose the Navigation tab.​
  4. You’ll see two lists:​ Active items (the ones visible in the left nav for students).​ Hidden items (disabled, students won’t see them).​
  5. Drag-and-drop items within the Active list to change their order.​
  6. Click Save at the bottom.​

Change Order of Left-Handed Navigation in Canvas

  1. You can reorder, hide, or even disable some of those tools if you’re not using them in your course.
  2. Go into your Canvas course.
  3. Scroll down and click Settings (always the last item in the course menu).
  4. In Settings, choose the Navigation tab.
  5. You’ll see two lists:
    Active items (the ones visible in the left nav for students).
    Hidden items (disabled, students won’t see them).
  6. Drag-and-drop items within the Active list to change their order.
  7. Click Save at the bottom.

Also, Recommend Disabling Following Left-hand Nav links (via Settings in Canvas section left nav):

  • Annoto Dashboard, Collaborations, Gradescope (some use, though), Lucid, LockDown Browser, Office365.
  • These are NOT used by CCI.
    • Some may not be active in FA 26. Gradescope and LockDownBrowser are used at CCI. Gradescope is practically a separate Learning Managment System like Canvas or Bb Learn.
  • LockDown Browser is if you wanted to have extreme video monitoring on students while they take an exam.

HIGHLY recommend disabling Files in left nav as well (via Settings in Canvas section left nav):

  • You can set it to have all Files Visible with "Only Available with Link," but it's still a pain to manage, and students can see Files.
  • So disable Files link completely via Settings in Canvas section left nav. Students may see Files you do not wish them to otherwise.

Syllabus​

Course Summary​ (on Syllabus page)​

  • Shows only PUBLISHED items to students WITH A DUE DATE​
  • Lists it even if Available From for item is set for future.​
  • But students only see name & due date until Available From date reached.​
  • Read-only. Updates made elsewhere.​
  • Updates reflect instantly when you change due dates.​
  • To hide it: ​
  • Edit the Syllabus page & uncheck Show Course Summary, then Save.​
  • Course Summary Video:​ https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Canvas+Enable+Disable+Course+Summary/1_0r0lr63x

Calendar! ​Check it! (STUDENTS WILL)​

  • Any Assignment/Quiz/Discussion appears in the Syllabus Course Summary.​
  • Anything other than the title & due date is locked away from student access, until the "Available From" date/time has been reached.​
  • Lower right of Calendar has Undated section​
  • Any Published Assignment/Quiz/Discussion with NO Due Date is there​
  • Can enter EVENTS (like your office hours) here too.​ Has LOCATION field (office or Zoom link).​
  • Calendar How to Video: https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Canvas+Calendar/1_8ynn6qst

Notifications

End users control most notification settings.​

  • Email or push, and frequency of either: immediately/daily/weekly/off

Account-level controls?​ Course-level controls?​ Notifications users CANNOT disable​ If "Immediately" timing option is chosen, note:​

  • Go to Account > Notifications (includes course-level dropdown)​
  • Course > Home > View Course Notifications (overrides account level)​
  • Inbox unread count badge (red dot on Inbox icon)​
  • Announcements appearing in course Announcement area​
  • Truly Instant for: Announcements & Inbox messages​=
  • NOT Instant for rest: Delayed 10-60 min. ​
  • (e.g. for Assignment changes, grade notices)​

Annoucements

Watch Canvas Video: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Video-Shorts/Video-What-are-Announcements/ta-p/650869

  • Everyone enrolled with a role that can see the course sees the announcement in Canvas.​
  • Each person’s own notification settings determine whether they also get an email or push when you make an Announcement.​
  • IMPORTANT! Announcements emails are only sent if the course is "Published" at the time of posting. ​
  • They will still see the announcement on the "Announcements" page.​
  • Announcements How to Video: https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Canvas+Add+Announcement/1_8pjqnefc

Post a Course Announcement

The announcements left nav link is hidden if no announcement has been done yet.

  1. In the left Canvas course navigation, click Announcements.
  2. Click + Announcement.
  3. Add your subject and content.
  4. (Optional) Check the box Delay posting if you want to schedule it.
  5. Click Save (or Save & Publish).

Send to Inbox

  • Lite-Email app within Canvas​
  • Can send to individual/select/group/entire class​
  • Always accessible​

Emailing / Communicating with Students from Canvas:

  • It appears that students need to visit https://drexel.instructure.com and accept the course invitation before they get emails.
  • They will see a notification in Canvas once they long in for the first time.
  • You could email all your students from Announcements in Bb Learn to tell your students to go to the above URL and login to Canvas and click the link there to accept the Course Invitation, and include any course invites they see after login on the above URL.
  • Once students login and accept the course invite, any of the methods below will reach them:
  • Announcement in a Canvas course
  • Inbox in left navigation

Send via Canvas Inbox (Conversations)

  1. Click Inbox in the left navigation.
  2. Click pencil-on-paper (or Compose a new message) icon (pencil/paper).
  3. Select course from the Course drop-down.
  4. Check Send an individual message to each recipient.
    1. This bcc's all students, but you will have individual threads in the Inbox in Canvas. For 100+ recipients, Canvas auto-checks the “individual message” box and won’t let you uncheck it.
  5. In the To field, click the Address Book icon, choose All in [course].
  6. Add your subject and message, then click Send.

Students will receive it in their Canvas Inbox, and, if they have notifications turned on, also by email/text. Notifications are turned on by default.

Assignments

Group Assignments

  • Go to the "People" page in your Canvas course. 
  • Next to the "Everyone" tab at top.
  • If other tabs, they are "Group Sets" (groups containing other groups). 
  • NOTE the Group Set Names you have.
  • Go to "Assignments" page in the course & scroll down.
  • Click an assignment & click "Edit."
  • .Scroll down to "Group Assignment".
  • Select from the "Group Set" the group you want.
  • There's no way to test group assignments with Student View as you could in Bb Learn.

Note: Assignment Groups are not for Group Assignments 

  • Not for student groups. No student team work here.
  • Assignment Groups are boxes on the Assignments page that group together assignments.
  • USEFUL & NECESSARY for Weighted Totals! 
  • Post Bb Learn export/import? 
  • - Assignments page shows empty Assignment Group boxes
  • - Often manually created Bb Grade Center columns or categories 
  • Delete empty/unused ones or rename

Weighted Totals (Assignment Groups)

  • Still does not refer to student group or team work here yet
  • One Assignment Group always called "Assignments"
  • Create a new "Assignment Group" 
  • - This helps understand the concept/use
  • - Click "+Group" to make a new Group
  • - First time here? Likely need to cancel or exit out and repeat above steps 
  • Then, click upper right 3 dots or : (top of page, next to "+Assignments")
  • Click "Assignments Group Weight"

Extra Credit? 1 Way

  1. Use Weighted Totals & Assignment Groups (previous topics)
  2. Make an Extra Credit Assignment Group
  3. Make a 0-point assignment, whether it is something students submit to or not.
  4. - State in the description what the max is for Extra Credit
  5. - Canvas does not divide by 0. If it encounters #/0, it defaults to a rule to simply add the numerator to points in Assignment Group or Total Points student has earned
  6. OR...another way...:
  7. - Manually add 5 points to 1 or another individual assignments

Ignore # Highest/Lowest Scores (Assignment Groups)

  1. Still not talking about student group work or team work here
  2. Scroll down & find an Assignment Group on "Assignments" page
  3. Click 3 dots or : (Next to Assignment Group)
  4. Then Edit
  5. - Choose # of highest/lowest scores to ignore
  6. - Rename if wanted

Deleting Unused/Empty Assignment Groups

  • These are the BOXES on the ASSIGNMENT PAGE!​
  • NOT the People page!​
  • CAREFULLY delete Assignment Groups by clicking the 3 dots (vertical ellipsis or ⋮ ) next to Assignment Group names.​
  • ... CAREFULLY (think twice at least) click "Delete."​
  • MAYBE Choose to MOVE assignments WHEN deleting Assignment Groups...​
  • ...unless you are 100% sure!

Accommodation How to:​ Assignments

For assignments, this is a fast way to set accommodations for specific users, including Due Date, Available From/Until Dates.​

  1. Go to the Assignments page. ​
  2. Click 3 dots > Assign to.​
  3. Leave "Everyone"​
  4. Click "+Add."​
  5. Type 1st few letters & select each student's name who needsdifferent dates.​
  6. Select Due Date, Available From/Until Dates for that student.​
  7. Click Save.​
  8. Repeat steps 2-7 for each Assignment.​​

Quizzes/Tests/Exams:

"Classic Quizzes"

Classic Quizzes' ​RANDOM "Question Pool"

  • First, you must have a Question Bank populated with all the questions you want to draw from (e.g., a bank with 50 questions for your midterm).​
  • Inside your Classic Quiz, you do not add questions directly. Instead, you click the "Questions" tab and select "+ New Question Group".​
  • You name the group (e.g., "Midterm Pool") and then click "Link to a Question Bank."​
  • You select your bank and then configure the group to "Pick [10] questions" at "[1] points per question".​
  • Canvas will now randomly pull 10 questions from that bank for each student, just like a Bb Learn Question Pool

"New Quizzes"?​ NOT RECOMMENDED

  • MUST CHECK POINTS POSSIBLE in MODULES *AFTER* CREATION!
  • Points on each question do NOT add up by default. 0 or 10 Points is default. Bizarre!
  • Item Banks (like “Classic's” Question Banks)​
  • Tied to Instructor, NOT Sections. ​
  • Must track down adjuncts or old instructors.​
  • Offers more question types (ordering, categorization, stimulus, hot spot, etc.) than classic. ​
  • Gives little else over “Classic."
  • But if you still want to use them…​
  • New Quizzes How to Video: ​
  • https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Video-Shorts/Video-What-is-New-Quizzes/ta-p/650894​
  • New Quizzes Item Banks: Watch YouTube Video: ​Item Banks 101: New Quizzes Just Got WAY Easier! Angie Teaches Canvas
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne2s4nE9Rh0

Accommodation How to:​ Classic Quizzes

For Classic Quizzes, this is the way I'd recommend setting upaccommodations.​

  1. Edit/create the Quiz.​
  2. Set a Time Limit. AND set a Due Date, Available From, Until for Everyone​
    1. Make SURE that the Available From & Until dates are in the FUTURE (&what you want).​
  3. Click "+ Assign To."​
  4. Type 1st few letters & select each student's name who needs different dates.​
  5. Select Due Date, Available From/Until Dates for that student.​
  6. Save & Publish the Quiz.​
    1. You HAVE to Publish the Quiz for the NEXT part (to see "Moderate thisQuiz").​
    2. So be SURE to set Available from in the FUTURE.
  7. Click "Moderate this Quiz."​
    1. Note on the Quizzes page, you click the Quiz itself (its title), & not 3dots, to find "Moderate this Quiz."​
  8. Click the pencil icon next to a student who needs extra time or attempts​
  9. Enter time (and/or # of attempts).​
    1. "Manually unlock the quiz for the next attempt" is basically a "let thisone student try again right away" button.​
  10. Click "Save."​
  11. Repeat steps a-d for other students with accommodations.​

More on Canvas Quizzes, Tests & Emails

EXTRA ATTEMPTS/TIME or OTHER AVAILABILITY DATES on Quizzes? i.e., Accommodations or Exceptions?

New Quiz Item Banks:

How Students View Grades​

Watch Canvas Video: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Video-Shorts/Video-How-do-I-view-my-grades-in-a-current-course/ta-p/655443​

*What If* Grades ​for Students

Gradebook

Speed Grader Interface

Groups

How to set Groups & Group Sets

  1. Go to the "People" page in your Canvas course
  2. Click "+Group Set."  (A group of groups.  Need at least 1 set.)
  3. Create Groups later" works NOW to manually add students.
  4. Automatically add students?  Use either "Split students by number", or "Split by number of students by group"
    1. Within groups, instructors and students can upload files via the Groups navigation.

Discussion Board / Forum Creation & Editing:

Handling Large PowerPoint Files (Likely with Video and Audio Embedded)

  1. Export your PowerPoint presentation that already contains embedded video and audio...
  2. ...into a video file.
  3. And then export the PowerPoint again, but to a PDF version that is only slides.
  4. Upload the video to Kaltura Drexel Streams & embed it in your Canvas section.
  5. Attach the PDF slides to the video in Canvas, or just underneath the video in a Module in Canvas.

How to Export your PowerPoint:

Exporting Video from PowerPoint on Windows (PC):

  1. Click File menu > click Export > click Create a Video
  2. Choose Video Quality (recommend HD over 4K)
  3. Use Recorded Timings and Narrations (if offered)
  4. Set Seconds spent on each slide (if offered, go 5-10 seconds)
  5. Click Create Video
  6. Choose a save location and a format (MP4 recommended)
  7. Wait while PowerPoint processes (may take awhile; if you don't see progress unless you navigate up one folder level and back down to where the video file was saved).

Exporting Video from PowerPoint on Mac:

  1. Click File menu > click Export > for File Format, select MP4 (more compatible) or MOV
  2. Use Recorded Timings and Narrations (if offered)
  3. Choose Quality setting (Presentation, Internet [recommended], or Low Quality > click Export
  4. Wait while video rendered, progress shown in bottom status bar (may take awhile; if you don't see progress unless you navigate up one folder level and back down to where the video file was saved).

Export to PDF:

  • File > Export > PDF (on Mac)
  • File > Save As > PDF (on Windows)
  • Note: This strips out all audio/video by default, leaving only static slides. Animations and transitions will NOT be preserved in the PDF. But you will have them in the video from the original.
  • See below instructions in the Video section for embedding files.

Canvas Files Edit Multiple Files 1

Canvas Files Edit Multiple Files 2

Modules:​ Publish Each to Be Visible

  • Modules divide up each week or lesson (each module) of a course.​
  • Bb Learn "WEEK" and OTHER CONTENT AREAS end up as Modules in the Modules area.​
  • IMPORTANT!!!  Modules (and what's inside them) must be Published to be visible to students​
    • ✅ means Published.​
    • Just click the 🚫 to make it ✅.​

Modules: How to Video

Modules & Published​ with Lock Until Dates​

  • "Lock Until" Dates in Modules let you set WHEN a Module becomes visible to a student.​
  • MUST ✅ Publish WITH "Lock Until" Dates​
    • Published Modules with "Lock Until" Dates set will show to students at dates you choose.​
    • 🚫 with "Lock Until" won't EVER show to students.​

Add to Modules:​ URL & Text Headers​

  • Click "+" sign in a Module Box > Add drop-down menu.​
  • 2 other options.​
  • Text Header: adds text headings to delineate sections of a module.​
    • Indent the header and what follows, perhaps.​
  • External URL: adds external website link.​

Add to Modules:​ Page & File​

Adding To Modules: Assignments, Quizzes, & Discussions​

Removing Assignments, Quizzes & Discussions from Modules​

  • ASSIGNMENTS & QUIZZES & DISCUSSIONS have their own Page or Section​
    • in the left-hand navigation of a Canvas course.​
  • Delete an Assignment from the Assignment page? Gone!​
  • Delete Quiz from Quiz page? Gone!​
  • Delete Discussion from Discussion page? Gone!​
  • You can ALSO have links to… each Assignment… each Quiz…each
  • Discussion…on the Modules page.​
  • Deleting these from Modules? Might also make them GONE COMPLETLEY.​
  • Once the assignment is saved and edited, it SHOULD be rendered safe.​
  • Still... Maybe MOVE (NOT Remove/Delete) unwanted Assignments, Quizzes, or Discussions to an UNPUBLISHED MODULE.​
  • Or be wary as you remove from Modules.​
  • Do 1 remove at a time for sure, then check.​
    • Has to do with Exported Assignments, Quizzes, or Discussions sometimes being weird.​

Modules & ​Nested Bb Learn Folders​

  • How Bb Learn maps to Canvas:​
    • Bb Learn "weeks"/Content Areas > Canvas Modules​
    • Folders > Text Headers within modules OR separate modules (if nested)​
  • Examples:​
    • Single folder in Bb Learn?​
      • Bb: Week 2 > Lectures > Week 2 Lecture.ppt​
      • Canvas: "Week 2" module with "Lectures" header + file​
  • Nested folders in Bb Learn?​
    • Bb: Week 2 > Course Materials > Lecture > Week 2 Lecture.ppt​
    • Canvas: "Week 2" module with "Course Materials" header ​
  • + separate "Lecture" module with file!!!!​
  • So you can end up with some odd modules that WERE NESTED FOLDERS.​

Changing Lecture Slides in Modules

  1. Post the new Lecture Slides Page first from the Module. ​
  2. Then delete the old Lecture Slides Page. ​
    1. Or unpublish and move to some unpublished Module.​
  3. There is NO REAL REPLACE​

Module: Prerequisites & Requirements

  • Prerequisites & Requirements How to Video: https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Canvas+Module+Requirements+and+Prerequisites/1_zp2xufxr
  • Keep RULES as Simple as Possible!​
  • Prerequisites & Requirements get tricky quick!​
  • Student View, as long as you do not get very complicated (and are ready to Reset), CAN help accurately test.
  • You CANNOT accurately test them with Student View either.​
  • Once a student submits, even if you have a test account…​
    • GETS HARD to undo & test again.​
    • Even with "Moderate" submissions with Classic Quizzes.​
    • Easy to have conflicting rules.​
  • Be a *little* WARY of using "Lock until" Date with Prerequisites on the same module. ​
  • Stories now & then that when the "Lock until" date passes…​
  • Canvas often unlocks the module for all students…​
    • …ignoring the prerequisite.​
    • Might work fine for you, but be aware.​

Tip: Pages​ & Files

  • Keep unpublished/hidden from students. ​
  • Future assignments/lectures etc too easily visible to students.​
  • Rare you will need to visit these places directly yourself.​
  • WORK WITHIN MODULES INSTEAD.​

Videos? Use Kaltura or Drexel Streams​

Screenshot 2025-12-08 at 11.37.34 AM

  • Use this icon:

Screenshot 2025-12-08 at 11.38.38 AM

External Tools in Modules

  • External tools in Modules: Adding Content > External Tools​
  • Well-known items…​
  • Kaltura: Use Modules > + > External Tool > Kaltura Embed. Use for all videos. Mentioned already.​
  • Zoom: Works like Bb Learn.​
  • LockDown Browser: Works like in Bb Learn.​
  • Microsoft Education: Not recommended. It's basically OneDrive; other MS assignment tools not enabled. Office 365 tool not approved by CCI IT.​
  • Echo Video (Echo360): Enabled in all Canvas sections. Nothing you need to do. Mike Galloway can add if needed.​
  • Echo Video has an improved chat!!!​

Canvas Embed Kaltura Video 1

Canvas Embed Kaltura Video 2

Canvas Embed Kaltura Video 3

Other Important Instructor Things

Editing View Permissions:

Canvas_Files_Edit_Permission_Individual_1

Canvas_Files_Edit_Permission_Individual_2

Rich Content Editor (RCE) (a.k.a. WYSIWYG, a.a.k.a. the text-editor box tool bar)

Large Files in Canvas

Instructor’s Student View:

Tags: Canvas