Canvas Resource Centre

Getting Started

Canvas is the learning management system for Ontario Tech University. These resources can help you login to the system, navigate to your courses, and manage your user preferences and account. Canvas is located at learn.ontariotechu.ca. 

 Starting Up With Canvas

• Important login information
• Canvas for mobile
• Canvas instructor guides

Navigation

• Canvas menus
• Managing course menus
• Using student view and Test Student

Account and Preferences

• Find your account
• Add pronouns to your profile
• Manage notifications
• Change passwords
• Accessibility and Canvas

Help and Support

• Important contacts
• How to provide information for a Canvas ticket

Course Setup

Setting up your course is the first step to using Canvas. Addressing some important setup items before loading in your content will make the process smoother for you and your students. In particular, we recommend hiding grade totals and setting grading policy to manual at the start of every course, in alignment with Ontario Tech University policies.

Courses

• Course release dates and information
• Finding past courses
• Favouriting courses
• Access to courses that have ended
• Exporting class rosters

Importing and Exporting Courses

• Importing old courses
• Exporting courses
• Importing other course content
• Important information for copying courses
• Importing course export packages

Homepage

• Setting the homepage
• Editing the homepage

Course Settings

• Course details
• Changing course navigation and features
• Using third-party Canvas apps
• Hiding grade totals
• Manually releasing grades
• Connecting to Google services

Content

One of the most powerful way to use Canvas is to deliver content to your students. Canvas has a full range of content that can be used, from standard HTML pages to rich multimedia to a virtual classroom. Organize your content in modules so students can easily find content week-to-week.

Syllabus/Course Outline

• Posting your syllabus or course outline

Modules

• An overview of modules in Canvas
• Organizing your course with modules
• Adding content to course modules
• Locking modules
• Using requirements and prerequisites 

Pages

• Add new pages to Canvas
• Edit pages in Canvas

Media

• Using Media Gallery
• Kaltura Virtual Classroom basics
• Kaltura Virtual Classroom advanced 
• Embedding media to Canvas pages and modules
• Uploading media to Kaltura

Files

• Adding and managing files in Canvas

Communication

Canvas gives instructors a variety of ways to communicate with their entire classes or with individual students. Discussion boards can also be a way to connect students virtually to a variety of learning activities and topics.

Announcements

• Add an Announcement in Canvas
• Using Announcements

Inbox

• Messaging using Inbox

Discussions

• Creating Discussion boards
• Creating Group Discussions
• Graded Discussions

Groups

• An overview of Groups
• Creating Groups in Canvas
• Group Discussions in Canvas
• Creating Group Assignments

Assessments

Canvas offers powerful, customizable ways to deliver assessments to your students. Assign work individually or as a group with Assignments, or create quizzes, tests, and exams using Quizzes. The New Quizzes engine is also under development, for launch in Summer 2023.

Assignments

• Creating Assignments
• Using Assignment details
• Assignment Due Dates and Availablility Dates
• Types of Assignment submissions
• Group Assignments
• Using peer review Assignments

Exams

• Deterring cheating with Respondus Lockdown Browser
• Uploading written/long answer questions in a Quiz
• Online exam checklist
• Troubleshooting Guide for Quizzes
• Troubleshooting Guide for Respondus Lockdown Browser

Quizzes

• Creating a Quiz for a quiz, test, or exam
• Working with different question types
• Adding extra time on Quizzes
• Important notes for adding extra time on Quizzes
• Creating a digital copy of a Quiz
• Working with Question Banks
• Randomizing questions in Quizzes

New Quizzes

• Access the New Quizzes Hub

Discussions

• Creating Discussion boards
• Creating Group Discussions
• Graded Discussions

Grades

Canvas allows instructors convenient ways to collect assessments, use rubrics, offer feedback, and record grades. 

Grades

• Changing the course grade posting policy
• Hiding grade totals
• Using Speedgrader
• Giving feedback with the Comment Library
• Regrading Assignments and Quizzes
• Weighting grades

Uploading Final Grades

• Manually entering final grades through MyOntarioTech
• Grade upload process in MyOntarioTech

Analytics

• Using New Analytics