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:
Recommended for new faculty:
Video Tutorials: Getting Started and Setting up Your Canvas Courses
We have created a new series of Canvas tutorial videos that allow you to follow along as you set up your courses in 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
Prior to teaching a course, consult the Course Evaluation Checklist to ensure all the necessary elements of a quality course are in place.
Using Google Apps with Canvas
Using Google Originality Reports for Google Assignments in Canvas
Using the Collaborations feature in Canvas to quickly create shared collaborative documents
Tips and Tricks for Teaching in Canvas
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.
Standards-based Grading
Canvas Guides: Creating and Managing Outcomes (Canvas refers to standards as outcomes)
Related: Using Specs Grading with the Canvas Gradebook (links to external website)
Third-Party Add-Ons
CIDI Labs 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.
For additional hep getting started with DesignPLUS, or to schedule a training session for small groups, contact TLC.
CIDI Labs recently transitioned to a new user interface for its editing tools. Even though the new DesignPLUS interface is simpler, the changes are substantial -- so it may take some time to get comfortable with it.
Currently, DesignPLUS defaults to using the legacy sidebar, but this will change to the new, sidebar on June 1, 2024.
To ease the transition and give you ample time to migrate content, you'll be able to switch between the new editor and the legacy version until December 31, 2024. After this date, only the new sidebar will be available.
If you would like to learn more about the new sidebar and how to switch between using the legacy and new sidebar, see the Guides to the new DesignPLUS Sidebar.
CIDI Labs Tidy Up
TidyUP makes it easy to identify unpublished pages, delete outdated content and remove empty folders in Canvas courses.
CIDI Labs UDOIT Advantage
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.
Tutorial Videos