Navigating the Canvas Course

This guide is essential for anyone looking to effectively navigate a Canvas course, as it provides step-by-step instructions for accessing course materials, submitting assignments, and marking tasks as complete. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to deadlines and understanding the functionality of the platform, ensuring users can manage their coursework efficiently.

Erika Gonzalez
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26 steps
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5 minutes

Instructure

Accessing the Canvas Course

There are two options. The first is to access the course through your dashboard. Click on the "Dashboard" icon in the left side panel.

Click on the card for the class you want to access.

Alternatively, you can click the "Courses" icon in the left side panel.

This will open a list of your active courses. Click on the course you want to access.

Accessing Assignments

Click the three lines in the top left corner.

Click "Modules" from the drop-down list.

Click on the title of the assignment you want to access.

Once you open the assignment, you'll see two dates: the due date, which is when the assignment is due, and the "Available" date, which indicates the last day and time you can access the assignment. When the available date has passed, you will no longer be able to access the assignment. For live courses, this could mean that you are blocked out of the Zoom access. We add a cushion on the available date to allow for flexibility if you can’t meet the due date due to personal or professional reasons, but the available date is the final deadline that affects our ability to review submitted assignments.

Marking an Assignment as Done

For video assignments, you typically mark the assignment as complete in Canvas by clicking the "Mark as Done" button in the top right corner.

Once you click the "Mark as Done" button, it will turn green.

This will also be reflected

Submitting an Assignment

If you have an assignment where you need to submit a document, once you open the assignment, click "Start Assignment" in the top right corner.

This will open a prompt where you can upload a file. Click "Choose File" to upload a document from your computer. Be sure to upload the document according to the specific guidelines for the assignment.

Click "Submit Assignment"

You can confirm your submission by either scrolling to the bottom of the page or checking the top right corner. There will be a "Submission" title, and below it, you'll see a check mark with the word "Submitted."

If, for any reason, your assignment is marked as "Incomplete" for not meeting the submission requirements, you may be required to submit a new version. To do this, return to the original assignment. You'll notice that the "Submit Assignment" button has changed to a "New Attempt" button. Click this button to upload the corrected assignment.

Unlocking Modules

To progress to the next module, completing specific assignments is required. On the course's Modules page, you'll find detailed information about each assignment, including the due date, the points allocated, and the specific requirements needed for the assignment to be considered complete. A greyed-out module indicates that it is currently inaccessible or locked.

You can see that when all the assignments are complete, there will be green check marks and the next module will unlock and no longer greyed out.

Engaging in Discussions

When you open a discussion, scroll to the bottom of the instructions to find the blue "Reply" button. Click "Reply" to open the text box.

Click "Reply" to submit your response.

To respond to another participant's comment, simply click the "Reply" button under their post.

Click "Reply" to submit your response to the comment.

Student Annotations

Certain assignments allow for student annotation, meaning you don’t need to download the PDF to complete it. Instead, you can open the PDF within Canvas and add your annotations directly in the document. This option is ideal for students who don’t have access to a scanner and can’t upload their document. To use this feature, scroll past the instructions and click "Student Annotation."

Once you click on "Student Annotation," the PDF will open, and a toolbar will appear at the top. To type, click the "T" button, which lets you click anywhere on the PDF to start typing.

You can also use the paintbrush tool to mark checkboxes or highlight other areas that don’t require text.

The PDF viewer might appear small, so you can click the double arrow icon in the top right corner to expand the PDF to full screen.