Canvas - Contacting Students: Announcements, Inbox, Emails, & Why Not Getting Emails

Announcements How to Video:

Canvas Announcements How to Video (no audio)

Notes on Announcements:

  • Everyone enrolled in a 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, once the course is published, but no email will be sent.
  • Canvas's Video on Announcements: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Video-Shorts/Video-What-are-Announcements/ta-p/650869

Post a Course Announcement (Written Instuctions)The announcements left nav link is hidden if no announcement has been done yet.

  1. In the left Canvas course section 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").

Note: Students already have had to accept course invitation to get these notices.

Send to Inbox

  • Inbox in Canvas is basically a lite email app within Canvas​
  • Can send messages to individual/select/group/entire class​
  • Always accessible​

Note: Students already have had to accept course invitation to get these notices.

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.

If Teacher Does Not Get Email for Announcement

Video on If Teacher Does Not Get Email Receipt (NO AUDIO)

For these Echo Video issues with Canvas

Try a different web browser and/or make sure you have disabled the pop-up blocking for both Drexel's Canvas and Echo Video.

The option to allow pop-ups often appears as an icon or small message that collapses when you first visit a website, so logging and close your web browser and re-visting may show the option to allow pop-ups.

Try a different web browser with the above in mind as well, or......you can also do the following for their web browser to allow pop-ups.

Google Chrome: Three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy and security (Chrome) > Site settings> Pop-ups and redirects > Add drexel.instructure.com and echo360.org to "Allowed to send pop-ups"

Edge: Three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy, search, and services (Edge) > Site permissions > All permissions > Pop-ups and redirects > Next to "Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects," click "Add Site" and add drexel.instructure.com and echo360.org

Safari (macOS): Safari menu > Settings > Websites tab > Pop-up Windows > Set drexel.instructure.com and echo360.org to "Allow" (or adjust when visiting those sites)

Firefox: Three-line menu > Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions section > Click "Exceptions..." next to "Block pop-up windows" > Add drexel.instructure.com and echo360.org

Brave: Three-line menu > Settings > Privacy & Security > Site and Shield Settings > Pop-ups and redirects > Click Add under "Allowed to send pop-ups" > Enter drexel.instructure.com and echo360.org

iOS(iPhone/iPad) Safari: Visit the sites directly, then Settings app > Safari > scroll to allow pop-ups per site (or temporarily disable "Block Pop-ups")Chrome on iOS/Android : Chrome app > Three-dot menu > Settings > Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects > Add exceptions for the sites or toggle to "Allow"