Three Steps to Getting Started as a Canvas User
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In this video, you will learn about the Canvas Dashboard, sidebar, Global Navigation menu, and course interface. For more detailed steps to getting started as a Canvas User:
Login and get familiar with your Canvas Dashboard
To log into Canvas, go to Canvas.IllinoisState.edu
Once in Canvas, you’ll see the current courses you have been assigned to teach. To view all courses, select Course from the Global Navigation along the left side, and then select All Courses at the bottom of the list. To customize which courses you’d like to see on your Dashboard, select the star next to each course.
On your Dashboard, you will see the course name, the course code, and the semester listed for each course. There are various ways you can customize each course card, including choosing custom nicknames, changing the color, and changing the position of each card. These changes will only be visible to you.
Note: If you are not assigned to teach any courses yet in Canvas, you can request a temporary sandbox.
Get familiar with your Global Navigation Menu
In Canvas, the gray bar on the left of your screen is your Global Navigation Menu. This remains constant as you navigate Canvas, while your Course Navigation Menu is specific to your individual courses. The tools in your Global Navigation Menu pull from all of your courses. This means that, for example, the Calendar tool pulls Calendar items from all of your courses.
Some key tools you will find in your Global Navigation Menu are:
Calendar
Calendar Overview Video
In your Calendar, you can filter your view by course or view events for all courses at once. You can add calendar items to your course calendars, like an event, an assignment, or a Scheduler appointment group. Scheduler appointment groups can be used for presentation sign-ups, office hours, etc.
Inbox
Studio
In your Studio account, you can create, upload, and store video content for all your courses.
Commons
In the Canvas Commons, you can find, import, and share resources with other educators in the Canvas community.
Adjust your Account Settings
Before you begin teaching in Canvas, you’ll want to go through your Account settings. Your Account settings can be found at the very top of your Global Navigation Menu on the left by clicking on Account. In your Account settings, you can adjust notification preferences and adjust your user settings.
Notifications
Notification Settings Video
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When you click on Notifications, you’ll see a Settings for drop-down menu. Here, you can adjust settings for your entire Canvas account or adjust settings for specific courses you are enrolled in.
Below, Settings for, Course Activities will be listed with your different contact methods and how often you will be contacted. You can adjust each of these notification settings based on your preferences.
User Settings
User Settings Video
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When you click on Profile, you can edit your profile. Here, you can add a profile picture, a biography, and personal links (such as links to your website, blog, portfolio, LinkedIn account, etc.).
When you click on Settings, you can set your pronouns, language preferences, time zone, and additional contact methods.
After you are done adjusting your settings and getting familiar with your dashboard, it’s time to build out a course! Select which course you would like to start adding content to and determine if you want to build your course by using migrated content or by starting from scratch.