Canvas - Navigation (Left-hand Link) Changes
Navigation (Left-Hand Link) Changes
- See Video on Canvas Missing Navigation/Settings (NO AUDIO)
- You cannot rename the left-hand links. :-(
- You CAN reorder, hide, or even disable some of those tools if you're not using them in your course.
Written Instrutions Below:
- Go into your Canvas course.
- Scroll down and click Settings (always the last item in the course menu).
- In Settings, choose the Navigation tab.
- You'll see two lists: Active items (the ones visible in the left nav for students). Hidden items (disabled, students won’t see them).
- Drag-and-drop items within the Active list to change their order.
- Click Save at the bottom.
We Recommend Disabling the Following Left-hand Nav Links
(via Settings in Canvas section left nav):
- Pages, Files (if not already disabled). Hiding these from students helps make sure students do not see what they shouldn't see before they should.
- 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.
Note: The UI/Functionality on the Settings > Navigation
is TRULY quite bizarre.
It seems straightforward, but in actual use? It is all over the place. Dragging items to the top area that is supposedly enabling view for students is sometimes necessary for you to see the left-hand link at all, for some left-hand links never become visible, and other unexpected (and some expected) behavior. Because of this...
It is SIMPLY EASIEST to drag and drop links on the Navigation page and then check "View as Student."
(We do HAVE a guide on specific behaviors. But to be honest, it is all so convoluted that it's not worth the space here. If you want that, though, reach out.)