Quick Guide to Facilitate and Manage Your Course

The following steps will help you to facilitate and manage your course in Canvas. 

Through out these steps, we've linked to Canvas resources for more detailed help on specific actions.

Before the First Week

First Steps

  1. Review the Canvas site and familiarize yourself with the tools used in the course.
  2. Select the People link to view a list of enrolled students.
  3. Manage the Course Navigation links and hide the ones that will not be used in your course.
  4. Verify that a digital copy is provided to promote equitable delivery methods.
  5. Establish a Teaching Journal to note the lessons learned throughout the course.

Verify and Update Course Information

  1. Update the Home Page and add a short introductory Welcome message for your students.
  2. Check the Course Syllabus and Summary to ensure the information is up to date and that all assignments have correct due dates.
  3. View assignments and update Due Dates as needed. Make sure to include Due Dates for both graded and non-graded assignments.
  4. Update your Start Here module.
  5. Add your name and contact information (e.g., email, office hours, phone number, etc.).
  6. Add information about how long it will usually take you to respond to student emails and to provide feedback on assignments and discussion activities.

Check Accessibility

  1. Please refer to our "Is Your Course Accessible" page to learn about common accessibility issues and how to fix them in your course.
  2. Use the Accessibility Checker tool in Canvas' Rich Content Editor to ensure that your content is accessible.
  3. Use the Validate Links in Content feature to check for any broken links. Update as needed.

Publish Your Course

  1. Publish the course to make it available to students.
  2. Publish the modules to allow students to access the module contents.
  3. Post a welcome Announcement and remind students where they can access the course materials (e.g., textbooks), technologies, and tools.
  4. Review your course in Student View to gauge how your students will see your course.
  5. Set up your course notifications.

Throughout the Semester

Best Practices

  1. Be visible to students by using the Announcements page. Consider adding video or audio to establish presence and engage your students.
  2. Monitor student participation in the course (i.e., discussions and assignments). Reply to discussions, if applicable.
  3. Monitor the Gradebook frequently, grade assignments, and provide timely feedback to students.
  4. Review student feedback from the end-of-module surveys.
  5. Record notes in your Teaching Journal about each module.

If Your Course Has an Exam(s)

  1. Post an announcement to reiterate exam due dates and how they can be accessed.
  2. Make sure the exam is available during the dates indicated on the course schedule.

At the End of the Semester

  1. Post a wrap-up message on the Announcements page to summarize course objectives and achievements.
  2. Finalize and post the grades in the Canvas Gradebook.