Canvas

How will it help me?

Canvas lets you organize and deliver all your course materials, assignments and grades, and course communications in one location.

In Canvas, you can:

  • share course content such as the syllabus, readings, and video
  • engage students inside and outside of class with online discussions, group projects, and peer review of papers
  • assess student learning through quizzes and assignments where students submit papers, images, audio, or video, and grade and provide feedback on students’ assignments and quizzes.

How do I use Canvas?

  1. Log in to Canvas at canvas.iu.edu using your IU username and passphrase.
  2. Watch and/or read these resources to learn how you can structure the Canvas sites for your courses:
    1. Canvas Video Training Series: First, learn how to use IU’s Course Setup Wizard to apply a template to your course. Other videos include how to use the Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions, and Modules tools and features of the Gradebook.
    2. A Canvas Semester Checklist Pressbook: A comprehensive guide with written directions and some topical videos
    3. 4 Weeks to Canvas Kapow: Shorter directions for setting up your Canvas sites.
  3. UITS Instructional Technology Consultants are available through the CITL for individual consultations on how to effectively use Canvas and other instructional technologies for teaching and learning.

What else should I know about Canvas?

The IUB Registrar creates the official Canvas course sites and adds all of the students and the Faculty of Record in advance of each semester (click here to see the schedule for provisioning the courses).

Besides sharing and organizing content, assignments, grading, and communication, Canvas also incorporates many external tools such as PlayPosit (interactive video), Kaltura Media (streaming video), Turnitin (academic integrity and plagiarism), and IU eTexts (electronic textbooks) to name just a few.

To find out about more about these and other Canvas tools you can leverage, please visit the IU ToolFinder.

Other Helpful Resources