What is Canvas?

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) at SDSU that creates course websites where you can place content, communicate with your students, and more!

How do I get a course in Canvas?

If your course has been scheduled for this semester, your course will be created automatically in Canvas. Faculty, students, and staff use their SDSUID and password to access Canvas. Students who are working as Teaching Assistants and Graduate Teaching Assistants must use their work email not their student email if in work capacity.

How do my students enroll in my Canvas course?

Students are placed in your Canvas course(s) automatically using data sent to our system daily from the student registration system. Students who add your course will appear in your Canvas course. Students who drop your course will be dropped from your Canvas course as well.

How do faculty access Canvas?

The SDSU Canvas site is located at the following web address: http://canvas.sdsu.edu/ If you are new to SDSU, you must setup your Web Portal account before accessing Canvas. Questions about course assignments and teaching status should be directed to your department coordinator.

Recommended steps to set up your course:

Login to Canvas
Modify your Canvas Profile
Customize your Notifications
Access a Canvas Course
Create a Syllabus in Canvas
Create Modules, Pages, and Files/Web links
Add Content to a Page
Add Assignments (Create gradebook grading columns)
Publish your Course
Need Help?

After you login to Canvas, the “Dashboard” is visible. The Dashboard is a listing of your courses represented as cards. The black vertical menu seen at the left can be used for accessing courses, course calendars, course communications, and more. If you do not see a course, see Access a Canvas Course below.

Modify your Canvas Profile

Your canvas profile is seen by students in all the courses you are teaching. You have the option of customizing your Profile by adding a Display Name, adding a Profile Image, and a short Biography.

Within Canvas, click on the Account button at the top left
Click Profile to add a profile
Click on the button and choose Edit Profile to modify your “Name,” which is how you would like students to address you
Click on Save Profile to save your changes

Customize your Notifications

Your Notifications settings in Canvas tells the system WHAT information you wish to be sent outside of Canvas, HOW OFTEN, and WHERE it is sent. By default, Canvas Notifications are sent to a user's SDSU email address (additional options can be chosen as well.

It is recommended that you now set your Notification options. Each set notification preference will automatically apply to all of your courses. They cannot be set individually.

Within Canvas go to the black vertical menu and click on the Account button at the top left
Click Notifications choose your notification preferences

Add Additional Contact Methods

You can add additional contact methods if you wish. For example, you can add a second e-mail address, add your SMS/Text message phone, or other notification method)

1. Within Canvas, click on the Account button at the top left
2. Click Settings
3. On the right side of the page are Ways to Contact. Click button to add a second email address or the button to add an SMS/Text number

Access a Canvas Course

When you are logged into Canvas, you should see your courses under the Course menu and on the Dashboard (The Dashboard is a quick way to get to you current courses). Any course you have been scheduled to teach should automatically appear within Canvas.

On the Global Navigation menu on the left, Click Courses
Click on course you wish to access
You should now see your course and your Course Menu next to the Global Navigation menu. The Course Menu allows you to access announcements, assignments, the gradebook, content areas, course settings and more.

Create a Syllabus in Canvas

You can copy paste your syllabus content into the Canvas Syllabus tool. The Syllabus tool creates a mobile-friendly syllabus that connects directly to the Canvas course calendar, assignments, course tools, and more.

See the section below “Create Modules, Pages, and Files/Weblinks,” to upload your syllabus as a PDF or Word file.

Click on the Syllabus link within the course menu at the left
Click on Edit Button at the top right
Paste the text of your Syllabus within the Syllabus Description window
Click on Update Syllabus to save

Create Modules, Pages, and Files/Weblinks

Modules, which are similar to folders, help you to place and organize your course content. Pages can be placed within a module. Pages give you a place to create instructions and embed content, such as directions for assignments, items such as Word documents, PowerPoints, PDFs, and Canvas Tools.

First Create a Module

1. Click on Modules within the course menu at the left
2. Click on Add a New Module button for each section of your course (some instructors break their course into Chapters, Weeks, Modules, etc)
3. Type in the Module name
4. Click on Add Module

Second Create Pages

1. Access Modules within the course menu at the left
2. To the right of the Module name, click the Add button
3. A new window will appear. Choose Page from the drop-down menu and then click New Page:
4. Name your page and then click Add Item

Third Add Content to a Page

1. Click on Modules within the course menu at the left
2. Click the name of the page in which you want to add content
3. Click the Edit Button
4. On the right side of the page, click Files (see example right)
5. Click Choose File
6. Click Upload

Add Assignments (Create Gradebook Columns)

Create an Assignment for everything you grade a student on during the semester, this may include quizzes, written assignments, participation, attendance, a final, a midterm, etc. Canvas creates a column in the Gradebook for each Assignment you create.

Access Assignments within the course menu at the left
Click on the Add Assignment button
Type in the Assignment name, select a Due Date if applicable, and provide a total points possible
Click on Update

Publish Your Course

When you are ready to activate your course and let students start viewing and/or working with your content, you will need to Publish it. IMPORTANT NOTE - You cannot send email notifications or create announcements that are sent by email until your course is published and the semester has begun.

Click on Home within the course navigation at the left
Within the box at the top of the course, click on the word Publish

Need Help?

Many of your questions can be found by viewing the Canvas Guides. There is also a robust Canvas Community with a wealth of questions, answers, and opportunities to interact with others by joining Canvas Groups. At SDSDU, Instructional Technology Services staffs a virtual help desk, the Virtual FIT Center in Zoom. You can go there Monday - Friday 8am to 4:30pm to obtain help. Finally, SDSU has subscribed to 24/7 support which includes a Canvas Support Hotline -- 619.483.0632

Want to Learn More?

Click here or click NEXT to access the Canvas Instructor Videos