Features for Instructors

Stay organized by keeping all your course information in one place: Deliver dynamic, engaging learning experiences. For every student. Everywhere. Every day. Canvas LMS is a robust digital foundation for all aspects of higher-ed learning. 

Features for Students

Single place for course information: Students often juggle many classes, and so keeping all course information, such as grades, deadlines, and more in Canvas (even if using third-party tools) helps students stay organized.

Ways to Incorporate

Canvas has many tools and features to help instructors and students work in a single space. Instructors can use the tools and features in a variety of ways.

• Course design and organization: Structure your course with modules that sequentially guide students through the material.

• Communication tools: Utilize announcements to keep students informed about course updates or upcoming deadlines. Engage with students using discussion boards to facilitate peer interaction and collaborative learning.

• Assignments and assessments: Create and manage assignments directly within Canvas, setting due dates and submission types. Use the quiz tool to design and administer quizzes and exams with automatic grading features.

• Gradebook management: Use the Canvas Gradebook to track and post grades. Customize grading schemes and provide feedback directly on submissions. Set up assignment groups and weighted grades to reflect your grading policy accurately.

• Student feedback: Offer personalized feedback through SpeedGrader, which allows you to comment on and grade assignments efficiently.

• Monitoring and analytics: Use the Canvas analytics tools to monitor student activity and performance, helping you identify students who may need additional support.

• Accessibility and inclusion: Ensure all course materials uploaded to Canvas meet accessibility standards. Use the Canvas accessibility checker to verify that content is accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.

• Collaborative projects: Set up group spaces for students to work on projects together. Canvas supports group assignments and collaborative tools.

Accessibility

• Use the Ally course accessibility report to identify and fix inaccessible content. Aim to ensure all content displays green accessibility indicators. 

• When linking information, use meaningful links and hypertexts in lieu of a long URL address. 

• When uploading content to Canvas, make sure the files are named with a meaningful description. Use concise titles and refrain from adding spaces or special characters. 

• A well-organized Canvas course is crucial for both accessibility and usability. 

• All audio content must have a complete text equivalent in the form of transcripts (audio) or captions (video). 

• Prior to uploading content generated within Microsoft Office, use the Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker within the Review tab of the Ribbon to identify and remediate any barriers to accessibility.

Video Transcript

General Information

If your instructor is using Canvas, you’ll be able to log in and access your course information, which can include assignments, quizzes, discussions, grades, deadlines, and more.

• Your course sites are available during the current semester if your instructor is using Canvas.

• If you don’t see your course, see I’m missing a Canvas course site or I’m missing all my Canvas course sites.

• Drop courses in OneCampus or HokieSPA, not Canvas. Your enrollments will update within a day.

• Concluded course sites may not be available to view; contact your instructor for access.

Resources

• Using Canvas at Virginia Tech (for Students)

• Canvas Student Guide