Canvas is a password-protected learning management system that is accessed via the internet. It is a comprehensive and integrated suite of tools that includes the following features:
course development and management tools
content creation and management tools
communication and collaboration tools
assessment tools
Canvas can be used to integrate the internet with instruction at any level, from a web-enhanced class to a fully online one. The instructor can decide which tools to use and can control how the student progresses through the online material.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what Canvas is, click on the above tab to read about 'Canvas from the Student View.'
Canvas from the Student View
The Canvas Home Page
The student view of Canvas has much in common with the instructor view, and it is consistent across each of the courses the student is enrolled in. Both students and instructors have the same Dashboard, which is the page that appears when you first log in to Canvas. This defaults to show cards for your courses and also includes the Global Navigation collection of links (including help and user information) and the Sidebar showing a to-do list, a list of upcoming events, and a link to grades. The Inbox button on the Dashboard also indicates if there are Conversation notifications for the user.
Clicking on a card on the Dashboard takes a user to the course home page, which is chosen by the instructor. (In Unit 2 of this course we will learn how to choose a course home page.) Consistent for every course, however, is the presence of Course Navigation on the left side of the course page, the sIdebar on the right side of the page, and the content area in the middle. The breadcrumbs navigation at the top of the content area may be useful depending on how the instructor has set up the course. The Global Navigation collection of links is always available on the far left side of the window.
Students and instructors have the same initial view when logging in to a Canvas server (the Dashboard). The differences are once inside a course. Instructors have control over the links that appear in Course Navigation, whether individual items are visible to students, and when to publish the course. In Unit 2 you will learn how to make these changes. Course-wide changes are made via the Settings link on Course Navigation, which students can never see.
Using the Test Student
At any time you can see what your course looks like from a generic student's perspective by clicking on the Student View button on the Settings page. This takes you to the course home page. You can then progress through your course as if you were a student and can even submit assignments, take quizzes, and post to discussions. You can leave Student View at any time, which will take you to the same page in instructor view. The scores for the Test Student are not counted in course statistics. The Test Student is also useful for double-checking that your grades are adding up correctly.
The Rich Content Editor is the Canvas tool for adding text, embedding media, and attaching files. Links can also be added easily to other Canvas items, like assignments, quizzes, and discussions. It appears just about anywhere a user can enter data. Its formatting options are similar to those in word processing software, and it includes an option to enter HTML code directly. You used the editor when you posted your introduction in this class. The Canvas Guide answers a broad array of questions on how to do various things using the Rich Content Editor.