Canvas for CLA Instructors: Getting Started 

Canvas is a web-based Learning Management System to deliver learning materials and grades, facilitate class activities, and provide students and instructors with a way to communicate with each other. Every course, regardless of delivery style (face-to-face, online, or blended), comes with its own Canvas course site. Instructors can expand the functionality of Canvas with additional learning tools, called LTIs, which allow for assignments created with tools to appear in the Gradebook. 

Getting Started  

We’ve taken some of the guesswork out of building your site with the CLA Canvas template, which comes pre-loaded into most CLA courses at the start of each semester. The template includes dated weekly modules, overview pages, a limited navigation menu, student resources, and a homepage.  

Consider how you want to use your site  

Before you begin creating assignments or uploading files, think about the following questions: How will you use Canvas? How will students engage with the site? Do you organize your syllabus by weeks or units? What information about the course or the content will be most important for students? What accessibility features can you build into your site to improve access?

Create Course Structure

The overall organization and structure of your course can help to relay, emphasize, or connect course themes or ideas. We recommend using a dated weekly module structure, as appears in the CLA Canvas Template. Weekly modules help students quickly find materials and provide a way to scan the course for what is on the horizon.  

Inside modules, you can add overview pages to provide written context or instructions for students. Weekly overview pages are already included in the CLA Template. 

Make a homepage  

Your homepage is the first contact many students have with a course. Creating an informative and welcoming front page can demonstrate your enthusiasm and engagement with the course. Include essential course information such as the meeting time and location, course schedule, instructor contact preferences, and links to the syllabus. We recommend including a welcome video or written message to introduce yourself, the course, and your site to students. 

Create Course Content

Once you’ve settled on the structure of your course and filled in your homepage, add course content to your modules. Adding materials to your modules allows users to move through a module without having to return to the module list. Add discussions, assignments, and quizzes to your modules. Upload any files or add materials through the Library Course Reserve (recommended). 

Be sure to include clear submission instructions for assignments. Any items with linked due dates will show up in the student dashboard. Add pages or files to the To Do list that do not have a gradebook item associated with them. This will include the page in the student’s sidebar as a reminder to complete the task. This is also a great time to set up the gradebook. 

Review and Publish

When you are finished building your course site, use Student View to see how your site will appear for students.  As you view the site from the student’s perspective, consider the following questions: Is your site easy to navigate? Can you find assignments and content quickly?

Ensure your course is as accessible as possible by scanning the course with the UDOIT tool. Check to make sure all links work using the link validator. Finally, check your notification settings to ensure you never miss anything.

When you are satisfied with your site, you must publish the course so students can access it. 

Continue Learning  

Consider further training to expand your skills. We recommend the following programs:

Additional Resources