University*of*

Birmingham*Canvas*
Guide*
!

!! !
Created!by!Sian!Gooding!
Contents'
1.Assignments+
How+to+use+assignments+
Creating+an+assignment+
Creating+an+assignment+group+
Viewing+assignments+
+
2.Calendar+
How+to+use+the+Calendar++
Viewing+the+Calendar+
Filtering+the+Calendar+
Adding+an+event+
Using+the+Scheduler+
+
3.Collaborations++
How+to+use+Collaborations++
Activating+Collaborations+
Creating+a+Collaboration+
Viewing+Collaborations+
+
4.Conferences+
How+to+use+Conferences+
Creating+a+Conference+
Viewing+Conferences+
Big+Blue+Button+
Concluded+Conferences+
+
+
+
+
+
+
5.Discussions+
How+to+use+Discussions+
Creating+a+Discussion+
Graded+Discussions+
Publishing+a+Discussions+
Viewing+Discussions++
+
6.Grades+
How+to+use+the+Gradebook+
Viewing+the+Gradebook+
Speedgrader™+
+
7.Homepage+
How+to+use+the+Homepage+
Choosing+your+Homepage+
Using+the+rich+content+editor+to+create+a+page+
Adding+an+Image+to+a+page+
Adding+a+video+to+a+page+
Inserting+links+or+files++
Setting+a+page+as+the+Homepage+
+
8.Quizzes+
Examples+
Creating+a+Quiz+
Creating+a+question+
Importing+a+question+bank+
Creating+a+question+bank+
Viewing+Quizzes+
+
 +
+
9.Syllabus+
Using+the+syllabus++
Examples+
+
10.Settings+
+ + Course+Details+
+ + Course+Sections+
External+Apps+
Feature+Options++
+ + +
 Assignments)
Assignments)include)quizzes,)graded)discussions,)and)
online)submissions)(i.e.)files,)images,)text,)URLs,)etc.))

How)can)Assignments)be)used?)
• Monitor!how!well!students!are!achieving!course!Outcomes!!

• Set!up!online!submissions!that!can!be!quickly!graded!in!the!SpeedGrader!

• Create!varied1due!dates!for!sections!!

• Set!up!peer1reviews!!

• Grade1Discussions,!either!by!the!whole!class!or!student!groups!!

• Record!attendance!!

• Create!ungraded1activities1that1align1with1course1Outcomes!!

• Any!Assignment!you!create!in!the!Assignments!page!will!automatically1
show1up1in1the1Grades,1Calendar,1and1Syllabus1features!and!vise!versa.!

Types1of1Canvas1Assignments11
!
AAssignments!
! • AutoAlinked!to!Assignments!Page,!
AGraded!Discussions! Syllabus!Page!and!Calendar!
! !
AQuizzes! • New!column!automatically!created!in!
(Graded!Quizzes,!Graded! the!Gradebook!(except!Not!Graded)!
Surveys)! !
! !
AAttendance! • Can!be!evaluated!with!rubics!
! !
ANot!Graded! • Can!be!aligned!to!Outcomes!
!
Here!is!an!example!of!some!set!assignments!and!which!sections!
they!appear!in:!

1!

3!

1! Video!assignments!can!be!set!by!allowing!submission!format!to!be!a!video.!

2 Quiz’s!can!be!set!as!assignments!by!choosing!the!graded!option!and!appear!in!the!
assessment!section.!

3! Discussions!like!quizzes!have!the!option!to!be!an!assessed!and!appear!in!the!
graded!discussions!section.!
Creating)an)assignment)
Initially!the!assignment!page!looks!like!this,!to!create!a!new!assignment!
select!the!top!right!blue!button.!

1!

2!

3!

4!

5!

6!
 Assignment!name!goes!hereA!this!is!the!first!thing!students!will!see!
1!
and!what!is!placed!on!the!calendar!view.

2!

Here!you!describe!what!is!required!of!students!in!
the!assignmentA!using!the!right!“insert!content”!
pane!you!can!add!multimedia!such!as!videos!and!
images.!

3! The!options!here!are!to!adjust!the!number!of!points!for!the!assignment,!which!
group!the!assignment!belongs!to!and!how!the!grade!should!be!displayed:!

4! Here!you!choose!the!online!entry!submission!types!and!what!type!of!submission!is!
suitable!for!the!assignment.!!

5! Selecting!the!group!assignment!option!allows!you!to!assign!the!task!to!groupsA!which!
students!can!sign!up!for.!!

Selecting!peer!reviews!
allows!students!to!
review!each!others!
assignments,!you!can!
manually!or!
automatically!assign!
peers.!

The!due!date!and!dates!of!availability!are!the!last!part!of!creating!your!
6!
assignment!as!well!as!choosing!which!group!this!assignment!is!for.!
Creating)an)assignment)group)
Select!the!add!group!button!from!the!
assignment!homepage!

Name!the!group!and!save!

The!group!will!now!appear!separate!to!the!general!assignments!group!

To!add!an!
assignment!to!the!
Viewing)assignments) group!select!here!

The!Assignments!Index!page!is!designed!with!global!settings!at!the!top!of!the!page!
[1],!followed!by!the!Assignment!groups![2].!Individual!assignments!are!nested!within!
each!Assignment!group![3].!
The$Calendar$$
One$of$the$challenges$facing$both$students$and$instructors$is$keeping$track$of$
assignments$planned$throughout$the$term.$$

The$Calendar$helps$everyone$stay$on$schedule$and$up$to$date.$
$
Use$the$calendar$to:$
$
• Remind'students'of'graded'Assignments$with$specific$due$dates.$$

• The$Calendar$automatically'syncs'with'other'features'in'Canvas,'
such'as'Assignments,'Syllabus,'and'Grades.$You$can$change$dates$
easily$by$dragging$and$dropping$assignments$from$one$date$to$another.$$

• The$Calendar$in$Canvas$is$a$global$feature,$meaning$you$can$see$all'of'
your'assignments'from'all'of'your'courses$in$one$place.$$

Below$is$an$example$of$the$how$part$of$the$calendar$(the$scheduler)$
can$be$used:$$

Other$examples$of$how$the$scheduler$can$been$used$are$to:$

•$Create$office$hours$$

•$Schedule$Help$Sessions$$

•$Assign$presentation$times$$

•$Host$appointments$
Viewing$the$Calendar$
To$open$the$calendar,$select$the$top$right$link$

There$are$4$main$features$of$the$calendar$view:$
$
1$ You$can$see$the$Calendar$months$with$events.$
$
2$ The$mini$Calendar$with$the$dates$highlighted$if$they$have$an$event.$
$
3$ The$Calendar$list$for$courses$and$groups.$
$
4$ The$undated$event$lists.$
$

1$

2$

3$

4$

The$month$view$can$be$navigated$from$here$by$clicking$the$arrows$
 Filtering$your$Calendar$
You$can$choose$individual$courses$to$view$on$your$calendar$by$choosing$from$
your$list$of$groups$and$courses$on$the$left$hand$side.$$

In$order$to$filter$your$Calendar$by$courses$
or$groups,$click$the$box$next$to$the$
Calendar.$$

The$calendar$can$show$up$to$10$courses$
and/or$groups$at$a$time.$

Adding$an$event$

Double$click$on$the$date$you$would$
like$to$add$the$event$to,$you$will$
If$you$click$more$options,$you$will$be$taken$ then$be$given$the$following$options$
to$the$Rich$Content$Editor.$Here$you$can$ in$the$add$event$box$
add$video,$images,$and$links$that$will$assist$ !
students$as$they$prepare$for$the$event.$ Editing$an$event$
However$events$are$not$assignments$and$so$
To!edit!an!event!you!have!made!
can‘t$be$graded$by$Canvas.$ double!click!the!event.!
 Using$the$Scheduler$
Firstly$to$access$the$scheduler$select$the$tab$next$to$the$calendar$views$ $

By$clicking$the$create$appointment$group$you$are$given$a$set$of$options$to$fill$$

1$ 1$
Important$details$such$as$the$
Name,$Date,$Location$and$
Time$Range$are$featured$at$the$top$
of$the$edit$box.$
$
2$ More$subtle$options$include$ 2$
limiting$how$many$people$
can$be$seen$in$a$slot$and$how$many$
students$can$attend$a$time$slot$are$
in$the$middle$section.$As$well$as$
which$calendar$you$would$like$to$
add$this$appointment$group$to$ 3$
(which$subject).$
$
Finally$you$can$add$details$
3$ for$instance$what$students$
would$need$to$bring$to$the$ Here$you$have$the$choice$to$save$
appointment.$$ and$not$publish,$if$you$want$
students$to$see$the$appointment$
group$you$must$save$and$publish!$

Once$created$the$appointment$group$will$look$like$this:$

Using$the$settings$button$in$the$top$
right$you$can$edit$the$group$and$also$
message$those$who$haven’t$yet$signed$
up$to$remind$them.$
!

Collaborations+
What!are!Collaborations?!
Canvas!leverages!technologies!like!Google!Docs!and!
EtherPad!to!allow!multiple!users!to!work!together!
on!the!same!document!at!the!same!time.!
Collaborative!documents!are!saved!in!real>time,!
meaning!a!change!made!by!any!of!its!users!will!be!
immediately!visible!to!everyone.!
!

You!can!use!Collaborations!to:!
•!Copy!and!paste!lecture!notes!that!everyone!can!access.!!
•!Create!a!text>based!whiteboard!that!everyone!in!the!classroom!can!
see!and!refer!to!later.!
•!Assign!student!groups!a!collaborative!assignment.!!

The!two!environments!Canvas!uses!for!Collaborations!are:!
• Google!Docs!!
• EtherPad!
!
Everyone!with!a!canvas!account!will!be!able!to!use!EtherPad!however!
in!order!to!use!Google!docs!they!must!firstly!have!created!and!linked!
their!Google!account!to!their!personal!Settings.!

!
!

Collaboration+examples+
Here$are$some$examples$of$how$collaborations$could$be$used$in$
your$Canvas$course:!

$ $ Critical$incident$technique:!!A!group!of!students!is!given!a!
brief!narrative!of!a!problem!or!situation!to!which!they!must!
respond.!They!need!to!develop!a!team!response!to!the!situation,!
usually!within!a!short!amount!of!time,!such!as!a!week.!
!
$ $ Collect$data:!Use!central!documents!to!make!sure!that!data!
collection!is!uniform!and!easy!to!manage.!
!
$ $ Glossary:!Get!groups!to!create!a!glossary!of!terms!they!use!and!
learn!about!in!new!units,!adding!definitions!and!images.!
!
$ $ Presentations:!Give!an!assignment!with!a!presentation!
requirement!to!allow!students!to!work!with!one!
another!to!ensure!a!uniform!final!product.!
!

Advantages$to$use$group$collaboration:!

1. Everything!is!done!online,!and!everyone!has!a!Canvas!account.!
!
2. Canvas!integrates!extremely!well!with!Google!Docs!other!
platforms.!
!
3. Seamless!group!communication!that!can!be!viewed!alongside!
work.!
!
4. Reduces!distractions!(no!need!to!log!in!to!Facebook!to!
message).!

!
!

Activiating+Collaberations+
Collaborations!may!be!hidden!in!your!course!navigation.!Follow!these!steps!
to!show!Collaborations!in!the!course!navigation.!

1.#Open#settings#
#
#
2.#Open#the#navigation#tab#
#
#
3.#To#active,#drag#and#drop#
collaborations#to#the#course#
navigation#and#save.#
#

!
!
To!reorder!the!course!
navigation!you!simply!drag!
and!drop!items,!the!bottom!
Course!
navigation!
section!is!the!hidden!section!
so!any!items!you!won’t!be!
using!can!be!put!here!and!
hidden!from!students.!!

Hidden!!
items!

!
 Creating+a+collaberation++
!

When!creating!a!Collaboration!you!are!given!the!option!to!use!either!!

• EtherPad!
• Google!Docs!!

Students!will!be!able!to!enter!the!document!simply!by!clicking!on!the!
Collaboration!link.!

Here!you!are!given!the!
choice!between!using!
EtherPad!or!Google!Docs!

Once!you’ve!named!the!
document!and!written!a!
description!you!can!
choose!who!will!be!
collaborating!from!all!
the!people!in!the!course!
or!individual!groups.!

Text!editing!tools!!

Messenger!

!
!!

EtherPad>!Here!is!an!example!of!a!collaboration!in!progress.!

To!create!a!google!doc!collaboration!
select!from!the!drop!down!menu!!

!
!

Viewing+collaberations+

Click!here!to!delete!the!
collaboration.!
The!symbol!in!the!top!
left!corner!of!the!
collaboration!shows!
which!environment!it!
is!being!created!in.!! To!edit!the!collaboration>for!
example!who!is!included,!click!
here.!

!
 ! onferences(
Conferences!allow!you!to!broadcast!real2time!audio,!
video,!demo!applications!on!your!desktop,!share!
presentation!slides,!or!demo!online!resources.!!

Currently,!Canvas!integrates!with!BigBlueButton.!!

BigBlueButton!is!an!open!source!web!conferencing!system.!

Use,Conferences,to:,
• Connect!with!your!students!for!online,office,hours!or!special!study!sessions.!!

• Practice!presenting!online.!!

Students!can!set!up!practice,presentations!in!their!student!Groups.!!

• Invite,special,guests!to!your!classroom!by!adding!them!as!a!student!or!
observer!to!your!course.!!

• Broadcast,a,live,event,or,lecture!to!the!students!that!can't!be!onsite.!!

• You!can!also!record,your,conferences!so!students!can!view!them!at!a!later!
date.!!

Note:!Recordings!are!!automatically!deleted!14!days!after!the!conference!ends.!!

Below!is!an!example!of!a!conference!set!up:!

!
Creating(a(conference(
When!you!first!view!the!conference!page!it!will!look!like!this:!

Click!this!button!to!begin!
creating!a!new!
conference!

Having!chosen!to!create!a!new!conference!you!will!be!given!the!
following!options:!

1!
The!name/title!
!
The!type!of!program!you!use!
2! to!have!the!conference! 1!
(this!will!typically!be!
BigBlueButton)!
! 2!
The!duration!of!the!
3! conference!! 3!
Note:!by!ticking!the!option!no! 4!
time!limit!the!duration!is!overwritten!!
!
Whether!you!want!the! 5!
4! conference!recorded!
!
A!description!of!what!the! 6!
5! conference!will!include!
!
Who!is!invited!to!the!
6! conference,!unticking!all!
course!memebers!gives!the!
option!of!individually!selecting!
members.!

Note:!BigBlueButton!can!accommodate!approximately!50!users!in!
a!conference!at!one!time.!A!conference!will!remain!active!on!Big!
Blue!Button!as!long!as!one!person!is!part!of!the!conference!room.!
When!the!last!person!leaves,!the!conference!will!conclude!and!all!
files!and!chats!will!be!removed.!
Viewing(conferences(
When!viewing!conferences!there!are!two!sections,!New,Conferences!and!
Concluded,Conferences!

1!

2!

New!Conferences!are!either!!
Note:!Students!
1! Ready!to!start! cannot!join!a!
conference!until!
!In!progress!where!invited!participants!can!join.! you!have!started!it!
2!

During(the(conference(
Having!started!the!conference!you!will!be!introduced!to!bigbluebutton!in!a!separate!
window.!To!begin!you!must!allow!access!to!your!microphone!and!camera.!!!

!
You!are!given!the!chance!to!test!your!
microphone!and!speakers!before!joining!
the!audio.!
Big(blue(button(
When!the!conference!starts!you!will!see!this!screen:!

Tutorial!videos!for!big!blue!button!
!
are!available!here!to!get!started.!

Concluded(conferences(
1!

3!

2!

1! Concluded!conferences!show!the!date!of!the!conference.!

2! The!length!of!the!conference!in!hours:minutes!(e.g.!0:18!is!18!minutes).!

3! Concluded!conferences!also!shows!the!state!of!each!individual!conference:!

• No!recording!means!the!conference!was!not!recorded.!!

• View![button]!means!the!conference!is!available!for!viewing.!Note:!Recordings!are!
automatically!deleted!!14!days!after!the!conference!ends.!!

• Preparing!video!means!the!conference!is!being!processed.!!
 !

Discussions((
Canvas!provides!an!integrated!system!for!class!
discussions,!allowing!both!instructors!and!students!to!
start!and!contribute!discussion!topics.!!
Discussions!can!also!be!created!as!an!
assignment!for!grading!purposes!(and!
!
seamlessly!integrated!with!the!Canvas!
Gradebook),!or!simply!serve!as!a!forum!
for!topical!and!current!events.!!
Discussions!can!be!created!within!student!groups.!

Examples(
The!following!are!some!examples!of!how!discussions!could!be!
implemented:!!

• To!help!students!start!thinking!about!an!upcoming!Assignment.!

• To!followBup!on!a!conversation!or!question!that!began!in!a!lecture.!!

• Test!student!comprehension!of!course!material.!!

• Debate!contradictory!ideas.!!

• Brainstorm!different!approaches!to!a!lecture!problem.!!

• For!students!to!introduce!themselves!and!discuss!set!problems.!!!
Computer!ScienceB!Foundations!of!CS!

Below!an!example!of!a!discussion!used!to!address!a!common!error!
found!in!assignments.!!
When!you!first!reach!the!discussions!page!this!is!what!you!will!see,!to!
edit!discussions!select!the!cog!in!the!top!right!corner!and!to!create!a!
discussion!you!select!the!top!right!blue!box.! !

Creating(a(discussion((
There(are(three(main(components(to(creating(a(discussion7(the(title(and(
description,(the(general(options(and(whether(the(discussion(will(be(graded.((

The!symbol!
in!the!top!left!shows!
whether!the!discussion!
has!been!published!yet.!!
Here!you!could!list!topics!for!discussion.!!
!

You!can!choose!to!
attach!a!file!and!
various!options!such!
as!enabling!a!podcast!
feed.!

When!creating!the!
Here!you!adjust!the!dates! discussion!you!can!
the!discussion!is!open!for.! insert!content!such!as!
videos!or!images.!!

Once!you!have!finished!modifying!return!to!the!discussion!screen!by!selecting!!
Graded(discussions(
When!grading!a!discussion!you!can!
choose!to!display!the!grade!as:!
!
!

By!selecting!the!peer!review!
option!students!will!be!
randomly!allocated!peers!work!
to!mark!and!comment!on.!

Select!which!group!will!participate!in!the!discussion,!the!due!date!
and!how!long!the!discussion!will!be!open!for!comments.!

Publishing(a(discussion(

To!publish!a!discussion,!click!the!discussion’s!Publish!button.!
!
Once!published!the!button!will!change!from!grey!to!green.!
Viewing(Discussions((

1!

2!

3!

1. Pinned!Discussions.!!

These!are!discussions!that!you!want!your!students!to!see!at!the!top!of!their!
page.!Pinned!discussions!can!be!arranged!in!any!order.!!

Students!will!only!see!this!section!heading!if!there!are!discussions!within!this!
section.!

2.!Discussions.!!

These!are!current!discussions!within!the!course.!Discussions!can!remain!open!
indefinitely,!or!you!can!specify!a!date!range!(as!designated!by!the!available!
from/until!date).!!

Discussions!are!ordered!by!most!recent!activity.!Students!will!only!see!this!
section!heading!if!there!are!discussions!within!the!section.!

3.!Closed!for!Comments!

These!discussions!are!!

• Manually!closed!for!comments!
• Past!the!available!from/until!date.!!

They!are!accessible!in!a!readBonly!state!and!ordered!by!the!most!recent!
activity.!!

Students!will!always!see!this!section!heading,!even!if!there!are!no!
discussions!within!this!section.!
To!delete,!close!for!comments!or!mark!all!comments!as!read!
select!the!setting!cog!next!to!the!edit!button.!! !!!!!

To!pin!a!discussion!drag!and!drop!the!discussion!to!the!
pinned!section:!

Drag!and!drop!discussion!into!pinned!section!!
GradeBook)
The!Gradebook!can!be!used!to:!
• Automatically!calculate!total!and!final!grades!!

• Assign!zeros!after!deadline!

• Download!assignment!submissions!to!grade!or!view!offline!

• Message!students!who!haven’t!submitted!an!assignment!yet!!

• Leave!private!grading!notes/comments!for!the!student!!

• Simultaneously!view!grade!information!across!all!courses!!

• Notify!students!when!an!assignment!has!been!graded!!

• View!Grade!history!!!

• Create!custom!weighting,!curving,!and!grade!ranges!!

Example)
!

Here!is!a!simple!example!of!what!the!learning!mastery!component!of!
Gradebook!looks!like:!
Viewing)the)gradebook)
The!Gradebook!has!two!views.!!

Grid!View!allows!you!to!see!all!students!and!assignments!at!the!
same!time.!!

Individual!View!allows!instructors!to!assess!one!student!and!one!
assignment!at!a!time!and!is!fully!accessible!for!screen!readers.!Both!
views!retain!the!same!Gradebook!settings.!!
You!can!switch!Gradebook!views!at!any!time.!
Once!you!have!selected!your!students,!the!
Gradebook!will!display!the!following!student! 1!
! 2!! 3!!
information:!
1. Student!Name:!View!name!and!section!!
2. Secondary!ID:!this!can!be!the!student's!
email!or!student!number!!
3. Notes:!Any!notes!you!want!to!remember!
about!a!student!!

You!can!sort!your!Gradebook!by!all!students!or!by!section.!

Use!the!Settings!dropOdown!menu!to!specify!settings!
for!the!entire!Gradebook!
!
• View!Grading!History!!

• Download!Scores!(.csv)!!

• Upload!Scores!(from!.csv)!!

• Set!or!change!Assignment!Group!Weights!!

• Show/Hide!Student!Names!!

• Arrange!columns!by!due!date!!

• Treat!ungraded!submissions!as!zeros!!

• Show!Concluded!Enrollments!!

• Show/Hide!Notes!Column!!
 Grades!for!each!assignment!can!be!calculated!as!points,!percentages,!
complete!or!incomplete,!pass!or!fail,!GPA!scale,!and!letter!grades,!and!
assignments!can!be!organized!into!groups!for!weighting!as!well.!

Each!column!in!the!Gradebook!represents!an!assignment.!Each!column!
displays!the!assignment!title,!total!points,!and!each!student's!grade.!Icons!and!
colors!represent!assignments!and!submission!statuses!within!Canvas.!You!can!
sort,!resize,!and!reorder!any!assignment!column.!

Speedgrader)
You!can!use!SpeedGrader!to:!
• Sort!submissions!by!student!and!hide!student!names!for!anonymous!
grading!
• Evaluate!assignments!for!each!student,!including!resubmitted!
assignments!
• Use!rubrics!to!assign!grades!!!
• Leave!feedback!for!your!students!
• Track!your!grading!progress!and!hide!assignments!while!grading!
 1

For!each!student,!SpeedGrader!has!five!areas:!
!
1. View!student!submissions.!Preview!.doc,!.docx,!.ppt,!.pptx,!and!.pdf!
submissions!using!Crocodoc;!review!other!file!format!submissions!using!
the!document!previewer!or!Google!Preview!
!
2. Assign!a!grade!based!on!your!preferred!assessment!method!(points!or!
percentage)!
!
3. View!Rubric!to!assist!with!grading!(if!one!is!added!to!the!assignment)!
!
4. View!discussions!created!by!you!or!the!student!about!the!assignment!
!
5. Create!text,!video,!and/or!audio!commentary!for!the!student!

Note:!You!can!use!keyboard!shortcuts!to!navigate!SpeedGrader.!
Press!the!comma!key!and!a!popOup!window!with!keyboard!shortcuts!will!appear!for!
keyboard!navigation.!

!!
 Course'Home'Page'
What!is!the!Course!Homepage?!
!
The!homepage!is!the!first!page!a!student!will!encounter!when!clicking!the!
course!link,!and!there!are!a!variety!of!options!available!when!creating!a!canvas!
module.!
!
You!can!choose!your!home!page!to:!

• show!your!students!the!Course!Activity!Stream!!

• show!your!students!a!Front!Page!!

• show!your!students!your!Modules!for!the!course!!

• show!your!students!the!Assignments!list!!

• show!your!students!the!Syllabus!!

Examples''
!
Use!of!pictures!on!the!home!page!prevents!
monotony!and!makes!your!course!unique.!
!!

Embedding!files!allows!you!
to!stay!on!the!same!page!
whilst!viewing!important!
documents.!!

This%home%page%includes%lecturer%details%plus%contact%and%office%hours%%
%
Having%this%information%immediately%available%on%the%module%home%page%
connects%online%interaction%with%offline%aspects%of%the%course.!

Including!links!to!important!course!sections!within!the!homepage!keeps!navigation!simple.!
 Choosing'your'homepage'
The!first!step!is!to!choose!the!course!you!want!to!modify:!

!
Then!on!the!right!hand!side!of!the!screen!select!

You!will!then!be!given!the!following!options:!

At!this!point!it!is!up!to!you!which!option!would!be!
most!useful.!!
!
Our!examples!of!best!practice!all!use!Pages!Front!
Page,!to!do!this!you!select!the!link!next!to!Pages!Front!
Page!and!then!create!your!a!page!to!display!
information!about!the!course.!
 You!will!then!be!taken!to!the!pages!section!of!the!course;!here!you!
select!the!blue%box!in!the!top!right!corner!to!create!the!home!page!

Then!you!can!design!your!home!page!!

Using'the'rich'content'editor'

Upload!an!image!
Insert!linksO!you!can!choose!to!link!
to!your!page!
to!webpages!that!would!be!useful! Upload!video!
to!the!course!for!example!if!the! or!audio!to!
course!has!a!Facebook!webpage! your!page!

After!modifying!the!page!you!need!to!save!
A!convenient!way!to!insert!an!image!will!be!to!upload!straight!from!where!you!
have!it!saved!on!the!computer,!to!do!this!you!use!the!pane!on!the!left!hand!side!
of!the!screen:!

From!here!you!click!upload!a!
new!image!

There%is%also%an%option%here%to%find%an%
image%on%flickr%to%insert%

If!the!image!is!saved!on!
your!hard!drive!then!you!
select!choose!file,!
alternatively!if!you!have!
uploaded!the!image!to!the!
canvas!files!you!can!access!
it!from!there!

Once!your!image!has!been!inserted!it!is!easy!to!adjust!position!and!size!by!
simply!selecting!it!

!
When!adding!an!image!to!the!page!using!the!icon!the!options!
available!are:!
!
• To!use!the!image!URL!
• Find!a!picture!of!Flickr!!
• Upload!a!picture!file!you!have!already!uploaded!
!to!the!canvas!course!files!

If!you!would!like!the!image!to!be!saved!on!the!course!
files!and!then!uploaded!you!go!to!files!on!the!left!side!
and!upload!the!image.!

This%is%an%example%of%an%image%I%have%saved%in%the%
course%files%
 Adding'a'video'to'your'page'
!
One!of!the!options!for!your!home!page!is!adding!video!or!audio,!which!can!be!
recorded!whilst!you!are!creating!the!page!or!pre!recorded!and!inserted.!!As!
shown!in!the!examples!of!best!practice!having!a!short!description!of!the!
module!worked!well!but!perhaps!having!a!video!of!the!lecturer!giving!a!short!
description!may!be!more!engaging!for!your!course!and!help!familiarize!the!
student!with!the!tutor!early!on.!

To%add%video%or%audio%click%here%

You!will!then!be!given!two!options:!to!record!or!upload!the!media!you’d!like!to!use!
!
Inserting'links'or'files'to'your'page'

!
Using!the!left!hand!pane!you!can!insert!links!
or!other!files!to!the!page.!
!
!
Adding!links!is!useful!if!you!want!to!direct!
students!to!important!aspects!of!the!course!
such!as!the!assignment!page.!!
!
!
Adding!files!embeds!them!within!the!page!
for!example!inserting!a!pdf!!

Each!sub!title!expands!to!
give!you!a!selection!of!
related!links!to!insert!
easily!
 Once!your!page!has!been!created!it!needs!to!be!made!into!the!front!pageO!
here’s!how.!

Before!you!can!use!this!page!for!the!home!page!you!need!to!publish!
it,!to!do!this!you!click!the!cloud!next!to!settings:!

Once!you!have!created!your!homepage!and!published!it!you!can!view!it!within!
the!page!section,!then!to!set!as!the!front!page!by!clicking!the!cog!and!choosing!
the!option!
‘use%as%Front%Page’!

Once!selected!a!grey!box!saying!Front!Page!will!appear!

Once!this!has!been!selected!you!can!choose!the!page!you!have!created!as!your!front!page!via!
the!choose!home!page!icon!shown!previously.!
Quizzes'
Quizzes!in!Canvas!are!assignments!that!can!be!used!to!
challenge!student!understanding!and!assess!
comprehension!of!course!material.!The!quiz!tool!is!
used!to!create!and!administer!online!quizzes!and!
surveys.!You!can!also!use!quizzes!to!conduct!and!
moderate!exams!and!assessments,!both!graded!and!
ungraded.!

Examples'
!
Computer!ScienceC!Language!and!Logic!

Surveys!are!a!powerful!tool!to!obtain!opinions!and!information!from!
students,!there!are!two!types!of!survey!graded!and!ungraded.!!

A!graded!survey!allows!you!to!give!students!points!for!completing!
the!survey;!however,!it!is!not!graded!based!on!right!or!wrong!
answers.!!
Computer!ScienceC!Software!Engineering!
!
A!graded!quiz!is!the!most!
common!quiz,!and!Canvas!
automatically!creates!a!
column!in!the!Gradebook!for!
any!graded!quizzes!you!build.!
!
!
!
Creating!the!questions!in!the!
content!rich!content!editor!
allows!images!or!other!media!
types!to!be!incorporated!
easily.!
Creating'a'quiz'
There!are!4!basic!options!when!
creating!a!quiz:!

2.Give!the!quiz!a!name!!

3.Write!quiz!instructions!

4.Select!the!quiz!type:!

5.Categorize!the!quiz!into!the!
proper!Assignment!
group.!!

1!

2!

3!

4!

5!

6!
 Quiz%settings%have%the%following%options:%
1! You!can!shuffle!(randomize)!answers.!(You!can!also!shuffle!questions!by!creating!a!question!
group.)!!

2! You!can!choose!to!set!a!time!limit!by!entering!the!number!of!minutes!students!have!to!
complete!the!!entire!quiz.!Timed!quizzes!begin!once!a!student!begins!the!exam!and!will!not!be!
paused!if!the!student!navigates!away!from!the!quiz.!If!no!time!limit!is!set,!students!will!have!
unlimited!time!to!complete!the!quiz.!!

3! You!can!allow!multiple!attempts.!!

Choose!whether!to!keep!the!highest!or!latest!score!of!all!attempts.!By!default!Canvas!will!keep!
the!highest!score!unless!this!setting!is!changed.!!

Limit!the!number!of!attempts.!The!default!dashes!represent!unlimited!attempts.!!

!
!
• Let!Students!See!Their!Quiz!Responses!!You!can!also!control!when!and!for!how!long!
4!
students!can!see!the!correct!answers!to!their!quiz!submissions.!

o Show!immediately!after!quiz!is!submitted:!leave!the!Show!and!Hide!fields!blank.!!

o Show!after!a!specific!date:!set!a!date!and!time!in!the!Show!field.!!

o Hide!after!a!specific!date:!set!a!date!and!time!in!the!Hide!field.!!

o Create!a!time!frame:!set!a!date!and!time!in!the!Show!and!Hide!fields.!!!!

•5! !Show!One!Question!at!a!Time!!

Lock!questions!after!answering:!students!cannot!return!to!the!previous!question!once!
it!has!been!answered.!

6! Set!quiz!restriction!options!
! ! Require!an!access!code!(given!by!a!proctor)!in!order!to!start!the!quiz.!!

! ! Require!students!to!take!a!quiz!from!computer!lab!with!a!specified!IP!address!range.!!!!
There%are%more%options%available%from%the%quiz%page%itself%

1!
8!

2! 9!
3! 10!
4!
5!

6!
7!

When!you!view!a!quiz,!you!can:!

•
1! Edit!a!quiz!!

• Show!a!rubric!to!a!quiz!(or!add!one!if!none!exists)!and!use!the!rubric!to!
2! evaluate!student!answers!(to!!essay!questions,!for!example)!!

•
3! Preview!the!quiz!!

•
4! Lock!this!quiz!now!so!that!students!can!no!longer!access!it!(once!it!is!locked!
the!button!will!change!to!!Manually!Unlock!a!Quiz)!!

•
5! Show!quiz!results!from!students!who!have!taken!the!quiz!!

• Message!students!who!have!taken!the!quiz!already!or!who!haven't!yet!taken!
6!
the!quiz!!

•
7! Delete!this!quiz!!

Related!items!you!can!do!on!other!pages!but!related!to!the!quiz:!
8!
• Show!quiz!statistics!!

Moderate!this!quiz!and!grant!students!more!time!or!additional!attempts!
9!
(option!can!be!used!for!any!type!of!quiz)!

10! Grade!quiz!in!the!SpeedGraderTM!You!can!also!hide!grades!from!students!by!
muting!assignments!in!the!gradebook.!
 To!add!questions!select!the!Questions!tab!next!to!the!settings!

To!manually!create!new! To!choose!a!question!bank!
questions!click!here! click!here!

Creating'a'question'

Firstly!choose!the!type!of!question!and!the!
number!of!points,!the!choices!are:!!

Here!is!an!example!of!the!multiple!choice!option:!!

The!question!text!goes!here!

The!correct!answer!
should!be!in!green!

There!is!an!
option!to!add!
more!answers!
in!the!bottom!
right!
Importing'a'question'bank'
In!order!to!use!a!question!bank!you!must!have!imported!it!before!you!create!
the!quiz.!

Firstly%go%to%course%settings%and%on%the%right%
you%will%see%a%group%of%options,%from%here%
select%import%content%into%this%Course.%

From%here%you%will%be%given%the%option%of%what%file%types%to%
upload@%%

Select!the!type!of!file!your!question!bank!is!saved!as,!and!select!from!
your!files.!
 Then!in!the!Questions!tab!click!Find!Questions!and!select!the!
Question!Bank!you!have!uploaded.!

Creating'a'question'bank'
1

Click!the!Settings!icon![1]!and!click!the!Manage%Question%Banks!link![2].!

Click!Add%Question%Bank!
button!to!create!a!new!
question!bank.!

Name the question bank and press Enter!

!

Open the question bank by clicking the title of the question bank.!

!
Question)bank)options)
After!opening!the!Question!Bank,!you!can:!
• Add!a!Question!
• Edit!Question!Bank! !
!
• Move!Multiple!Questions!!! !
!
• Delete!Question!Bank! !
• Verify!Question!Bank!Bookmark!(by!
default!new!Question!Banks!are!
bookmarked!automatically)!
• Align!Outcomes!

Viewing'Quizzes''
There!are!three!sections!within!the!quiz!sectionC!Assignment%Quizzes,!
Practice%Quizzes!and!Surveys.!

The!Due!date,!points!and! This!symbol!shows!the!quiz! Click!the!

number!of!questions!are! has!been!publishedC! settings!
displayed!following!the!quiz! unpublished!the!symbol!is! symbol!to!
edit!a!quiz.!
title.! grey.!
 The$Syllabus$$
The!Syllabus!in!Canvas!makes!it!easy!to!communicate!to!your!
students!exactly!what!will!be!required!of!them!throughout!the!
course!in!chronological!order.!!

You!can!use!the!syllabus!to:!
• Post!an!introduction!to!your!course!and!policies.!!

• See!the!Assignments!and!the!due!dates.!!

• Display!all!of!the!upcoming!Assignments!and!events!in!your!course.!!

• Display!information!about!your!course!publicly!using!the!public!
syllabus!course!setting.!!

Best$practice$examples$
!
Mechanical!Engineering-!Systems!Modelling! 1
S
2
S

3
S

There!are!three!main!parts!to!the!syllabus:!!
1. A!calendar!and!weighted!assignment!groups!!!
2. The!syllabus!description!!
3. A!syllabus!table!automatically!managed!by!Canvas!
 Computer!Science-!Foundations!of!Computer!Science!

The!Calendar!and!Weighted!Assignment!Groups!section!displays!
information!about!course!events!and!grading.!!

The!assignment!group!information!can!be!edited!in!the!Assignments!
feature!while!the!Calendar!information!can!be!edited!in!both!the!
Assignments!and!Calendar!features.!Any!changes!made!will!be!reflected!in!
the!Syllabus.!

Computer!Science-!Artificial!Intelligence!

The!syllabus!description!is!where!you!can!post!
your!course!description,!a!brief!introduction,!class!
guidelines,!weekly!reminders,!and!other!
important!information.!!
To!edit!the!description!of!the!syllabus!
you!click!the!top!right!hand!button!!
!
From!there!you!can!use!the!Rich!Content!editor.!

You!can!copy!content!from!Word!documents!directly!into!the!
Rich!Content!Editor!or!create!original!content!inside!of!the!
Rich!Content!Editor.!
You!can!also!link!to!your!Syllabus!by!uploading!it!into!Files.!
Canvas!will!automatically!create!a!preview!of!your!document!
so!your!students!don't!have!to!download!it!before!reading!it.!
Canvas&settings&
To#access#Canvas#settings#select#the#settings#tab#in#the#
left#hand#bar.#

The#first#page#you#see#will#be#the#Course#Details#tab,#you#can#view#
the#details#of#your#course,#its#name,#what#your#quota#is,#and#what#
license#that#you’ve#attached#to#this#content#inside#of#your#course.#

You#can#also#view#the#course#status.##

If#the#course#cannot#be#unpublished,#the#hover#text#will#notify#you.#
 In#the#Sections#tab,#you#can#manage#the#
different#sections#of#students#and#see#all#the#
people#associated#with#your#course#according#
to#role.#

In#the#Navigation#tab,#you#can#modify#the#Content#Navigation#links#
listed#in#your#course#and#you#can#drag#and#drop#to#change#the#order.##

You#can#also#hide#specific#links#from#students.#

Course#
navigation#

Hidden##
items#
 The#Apps#tab#allows#you#to#view#installed#apps#and#link#apps#enabled#by#
your#institution#to#your#course.#

External#Apps#add#functionality#to#a#Canvas#course.#For#example,#an#instructor#
may#want#to#include#a#study#aid#(flashcards,#miniIquizzes,#etc.)#to#help#
students#better#understand#the#concepts#being#taught.##

The#Feature#Options#tab#allows#you#to#enable#and#disable#Canvas#features#
within#your#course#as#made##available#by#your#account#admin.#
#