Welcome to a New Semester: Getting Started with Canvas

Starting a new semester and finding that Canvas feels like a totally new tool? You are not alone. I argue that technical knowledge can be quick to learn and even quicker to forget. I hope this guide will help you refresh your working knowledge of the core features of the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), so you can build, manage, and facilitate your courses with confidence. 

Kristen Pornter-Lauerman and Dr. Julia VanderMolen (2025) argue about the importance of LMS and content structure when you have little time to design your course. Let’s refresh our knowledge about the features of Canvas and what they offer us..

1. The Canvas Dashboard & Course Navigation

Your Dashboard is the first thing students see upon logging in. It gives you a bird’s-eye view of all the courses you are teaching. You can use the ‘card’ view to easily see a thumbnail of each course, or the list view to see a chronological list of all assignments and announcements from all your active courses.

Within each individual course, the Course Navigation menu on the left side is your primary tool. You have the ability to customize which links are visible to students. We recommend hiding links that you do not plan to use to create a cleaner, more streamlined student experience.

2. Building Your Course: Content and Structure

• Modules: Modules are the best way to organize your course content. Think of them as weekly or unit-based folders that contain all the necessary materials—readings, assignments, quizzes, and discussions—in a sequential order. Using Modules ensures students can navigate your course logically.
• Syllabus: The Canvas Syllabus tool automatically generates a course summary based on your assignments and events. You can also add your own text, providing a space for your course policies, learning objectives, and a detailed schedule.
• Pages: Pages are simple web pages within your course where you can present static content like welcome messages, lecture notes, or external links. You can embed videos, images, and other media to make your content more engaging.

3. Engaging with Students: Communication & Feedback

• Announcements: Use Announcements to communicate important, time-sensitive information to your entire class. You can set them to post at a specific time and even allow students to reply to them, fostering a class-wide discussion. 
• Inbox (Canvas Conversations): The Inbox is Canvas’ internal messaging system. It allows you to communicate with individual students, groups, or the entire class. It’s a great way to handle private questions or provide one-on-one feedback.
• Check Ins  and Learning Reflections. Check-ins are crucial for creating a supportive and receptive environment, while learning reflections are essential for solidifying knowledge and promoting deep, lasting understanding. When used together, they create a powerful cycle of engagement, connection, and continuous improvement. Throughout your Modules create such activities and surveys to get student feedback on their learning and your teaching.   

4. Assessing Student Learning

• Assignments & Quizzes: Canvas provides a variety of assignment types, from simple text entry to file uploads and online quizzes. You can customize grading scales, set due dates, and specify submission types to meet the needs of your course.
• Gradebook: The Gradebook provides a comprehensive view of all student grades. You can easily enter grades, adjust weighting, and see an overview of student performance.
• SpeedGrader: This is a fantastic tool for grading. It allows you to view student submissions one at a time, provide inline annotations on documents, and leave audio, video, or text comments. This streamlined process makes giving feedback more efficient.

5. Tips for a Successful Semester

• Finalize Your Course Before Publishing: Although you can make changes on the fly, it’s best practice to build your course content and modules completely before publishing it to students. Some faculty deal with a module at a time. But if your course is asynchronous, it is advisable that every component of the course is well developed. 
• Set Clear Expectations: Use the Syllabus and a “Start Here” or Module 0, as an introductory module to clearly communicate your expectations for student engagement, late work policies, and how to get help. Do you have a specific AI policy? Share it upfront so students know what is expected of them. Dr. Joel Greene has a great article about AI usage in Online Courses.

Enjoy the process: Don’t just design a class to meet a standard or contact hours; design it to be fun to teach and fun to learn. Think about what kind of activities you would enjoy facilitating in Canvas. Be yourself! When students feel a personal connection to their teacher, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn.