Overview & Features of Canvas
Canvas is a web-based learning management system, so there is nothing to download or install. You can access Canvas from the tile on the Okta dashboard or from https://canvas.pugetsound.edu
Need help with Canvas? Schedule a consultation with Educational Technology, review the Canvas instructor guides, or explore the list of core tools and the glossary of terms below.
Core Canvas Tools
Canvas announcements are messages from instructors to students on the Canvas learning platform. They provide important updates, reminders, or information about course activities.
Canvas assignments are tasks or projects assigned by instructors on the Canvas platform. Students submit their work online, and instructors grade and provide feedback through SpeedGrader.
The Canvas Calendar organizes course schedules, assignment due dates, and events. It helps students and instructors track important dates and deadlines. The calendar can be synced with personal calendars.
The Canvas Chat feature allows real-time communication between students and instructors. It supports instant messaging within a course, enabling quick discussions, questions, and collaboration.
Canvas Discussions allow for threaded, asynchronous discussions on course topics, enabling participants to post and reply at any time. Discussions support text, media, and file attachments to enhance learning and collaboration.
The Canvas Files area stores and organizes course-related documents. Instructors can upload resources like articles and readings for student access. It supports various file types and ensures materials are easily accessible and well-organized.
The Canvas Gradebook is a tool for instructors to record, manage, and calculate student grades. It provides a centralized view of student performance, supports various grading schemes, and allows students to view their grades and feedback.
Canvas Modules organize course content into structured units. They sequence materials such as readings, assignments, quizzes, and discussions, guiding students through the course in a logical order.
Canvas Outcomes track and measure student performance based on specific learning objectives. They help instructors assess student progress towards course goals, align activities with standards, and provide targeted feedback.
Canvas Pages are customizable content areas within a course. Instructors use them to create and share text, images, videos, and links with students. Pages help provide information, resources, and instructions in an organized, easy-to-access format.
Canvas Peer Reviews allow students to evaluate and provide feedback on each other's work. Instructors set criteria for reviews, promoting collaboration among students, critical thinking. and fostering constructive critique among peers.
Classic Canvas quizzes are assessments where instructors create and administer tests online. They support various question types like multiple-choice, essay, and matching, with options for timed or untimed completion.
Canvas New Quizzes offer enhanced assessment features, including advanced question types, and improved analytics. They support a more interactive and customizable exam experience for instructors with more feedback options for students.
Canvas rubrics are scoring tools that define criteria for assessing student work. Instructors use them to evaluate assignments consistently and provide detailed feedback. Rubrics help students understand assignment expectations.
Canvas SpeedGrader is a tool for instructors to efficiently grade and provide feedback on student assignments. It allows commenting, annotation on submitted files, and easy access to rubrics. SpeedGrader saves time by streamlining grading workflows.
The Canvas Syllabus tab provides a central place for course information, including objectives, schedule, and grading policies. It serves as a roadmap for students, outlining course expectations and provides access to course details in one place.
Below is a glossary of other Canvas features, along with the relevant links in the Canvas Guides.
The Global Activity Stream is part of the Canvas Dashboard. It shows recent activity for all courses. The Course Activity Stream is on a course home page and shows recent activity for a specific course.
The Dashboard shows all courses and groups, recent activity, to-do items, upcoming assignments, and recent feedback. The Dashboard provides an overview of all Canvas activity for a user.
The Help button is the last icon in the far left (Global Navigation) menu. It allows users to get help in Canvas by searching documentation or submitting a support ticket to Technology Services.
The Course Home Page is the first landing page that students see in a course. The Course Home Page can be the syllabus, modules, or customized to display content based on an instructor's preference.
Course Navigation is a menu on the left side of a Canvas course. Course Navigation consists of navigation links directed to all the feature areas within a course. Instructors can customize Course Navigation for each course.
Notifications allow users to determine how and how often they will be notified about activity in Canvas. Each user can adjust the notification preferences in their profile to alert them via email or SMS on a schedule that fits their needs.
The Rich Content Editor (RCE) is a space for creating and formatting content within Canvas. You use it throughout Canvas to create your pages and other course materials. Use it for text, HTML, multimedia content, and mathematical notations.
Student View allows instructors to see the course as a student views it and have a test student in a course. Use Student View to determine how your students view announcements, assignments, discussions, modules, quizzes, and other features of Canvas.