Teaching Tools: Canvas

Getting Started with Canvas

If you are new to Canvas, we recommend completing the interactive Canvas Orientation.

Then, we recommend the Canvas Getting Started Tutorials, especially the tutorials for:

• Explore the Rich Content Editor

• Getting Started with Modules

• Creating an Assignment

Canvas Updates

This Canvas Updates page can keep you up to date with enhancements recently made to Canvas.

Canvas Course Design

Canvas Style Guide

If you need further assistance with developing your course in Canvas, this Canvas Style Guide may be helpful.

Canvas Templates

• How to add templates to a Canvas course

Prior to teaching a course, consult the Course Evaluation Checklist to ensure all the necessary elements of a quality course are in place.

Cleaning up a Canvas Course with Tidy Up

TidyUP makes it easy to identify unpublished pages, delete outdated content and remove empty folders in Canvas courses.

Tidy Up Guides

Making Canvas more accessible with UDOIT

UDOIT is an accessibility checker that can be used to scan a course for accessibility issues with Canvas content and course files. It can be used to remediate issues that can make a course inaccessible to those with disabilities.

UDOIT Advantage GuidesUsing Google Apps with Canvas

• Creating a Google Assignment in Canvas

• Using Google Originality Reports for Google Assignments in Canvas

• Add a Google Drive file to a Canvas Module

• Using the Collaborations feature in Canvas to quickly create shared collaborative documents

Tips and Tricks for Teaching in Canvas

• Bulk edit assignment due dates

• Communicating with Students through Canvas app notifications

• Using Pre-made Rubrics

• Using Chat in Canvas

• Print your Canvas Syllabus

• Using Point Ranges with Rubrics (Video)

• Restoring Deleted Content in Canvas

• Navigating Student Group Homepages in Canvas

• Canvas Keyboard Shortcuts (pdf)

• Video: Sharing and Copying Content between Courses

• Canvas Quick Tips Video Series

Quiz Creation Tools

• UNC Text Quiz Builder - allows you to format a Google doc or Word file for quick conversion to a quiz in Canvas.

• Using ChatGPT to Generate Canvas Quizzes

Standards-based Grading

• Video: Using the Learning Mastery Gradebook in Canvas

• Canvas Guides: Creating and Managing Outcomes (Canvas refers to standards as outcomes)

• Related: Using Specs Grading with the Canvas Gradebook (links to external website)

Advanced Course Design with DesignPLUS

DesignPLUS is a course design toolset that augments Canvas' built-in editing features to allow the user to customize and style content in Canvas more easily. It allows for more advanced formatting and features, such as pull-down menus, buttons, icons, quick checks, etc. It is not necessary for faculty to learn to use DesignPLUS, but for those who wish to augment their design, a site license is available to all NCSSM employees.

• DesignPLUS User Guide

• DesignPLUS Tutorial Videos

• DesignPLUS Showcase

Getting Started with DesignPLUS Training

Filling out this DesignPLUS training form will launch a series of five emails, each with a different one-hour video training designed to help you learn how to use DesignPLUS effectively. Feel free to watch as many of them as suits your individual needs!

For additional one-on-one help getting started with DesignPLUS, or to schedule a training session for small groups, contact TLC.