Canvas

Overview

Canvas is an online platform used by faculty and staff to provide learning materials and activities that may supplement a face-to-face or blended course, or deliver a fully online experience. Additional learning tools can be added on to Canvas to extend the core functionality and features of the system.

Students or participants may use Canvas to access course material, submit assignments, take quizzes, view grades, and interact with classmates and instructors through online discussions and direct messaging.

Note: Canvas is not HIPAA compliant; no enterprise LMS, that we are aware of, is HIPAA compliant. Therefore, PHI content should not be uploaded to Canvas. Instead PHI content should be stored in a secure option like Box.

Highlights

Instructors

Simplify course creation, management, and posting of content with an intuitive interface and efficient editing tools
Automate tasks such as populating the syllabus, gradebook, and calendar whenever an assignment or quiz is created
Use the Speedgrader to streamline the grading process by viewing and providing feedback using text, audio, video and rubrics in one window
Utilize built-in analytics to better understand site usage and how students interact with course content

Students

Communicate with instructors and classmates from within Canvas and receive notifications via email, text message, or social media
Access Canvas through mobile apps for Android and iOS 
See a quick overview of recent activities and tasks across all Canvas courses in one place on the main dashboard
Stay organized with the Calendar that aggregates all assignments and other due dates across all of Canvas courses

Getting Started

Featured Resources

How-Tos

Canvas: Host a Zoom Meeting within Canvas

The Zoom for Canvas Integration allows you to start and join Zoom meetings from within Canvas. This article is for UMN faculty and staff who would like to use Zoom together with Canvas.
Note: ...

Self-Help Guides

Canvas: Get Started with Canvas

This self-help guide is a starting point for faculty and staff who need to develop a course in Canvas. It orients you to the tool, gives you important design information to consider, and points you to the resources you will need to build your...

Self-Help Guides

Canvas: Create and Organize Content

This self-help guide takes you through the basic process of building a Canvas course site from the ground up, starting with creating and linking content, building assessments, and choosing final course settings.

Resources

Ask the Canvas Community

The Canvas Community is a place where you can ask and answer questions as well as search to find answers to previously asked questions.

Self-Help Guides

Canvas: Assess and Grade Student Work

This self-help guide walks you through the process of planning, creating, and using methods of assessment and evaluation in Canvas.

Self-Help Guides

Canvas: Use Groups for Collaboration

This self-help guide is for instructors and students alike. It guides instructors on how to set up and facilitate Groups in their Canvas courses. It also informs students on how to collaborate within Groups.

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