Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

How to Access Canvas

 Students will have access to Canvas before the start of fall classes. 

Canvas Student Mobile App

Download & Install Mobile App

1. Go to the appropriate app store

    

2. Search for Canvas Student

3. Download and install the Canvas Student app (developed by Instructure)

Find Your Courses on Canvas

When you enter Canvas, it will take you to your Dashboard area. This is unique to each person and shows the Global Navigation Menu (on the left), the courses you have access to, and a To Do List to the right of the page.

• You can also select the Courses option on the Global Navigation Menu to see your courses from anywhere in the system.
• Select a Course Card to enter the course.

Canvas Dashboard

The Canvas Dashboard is the main landing page in Canvas. It is similar to the My Home area in D2L.

Items you will see on the Dashboard

1. Global Navigation Menu – this menu is located on the left side of every page in Canvas.
2. Course Cards – each card represents a course you have access to. It also has icons that show when there are new course announcements, assignments, or discussions.
3. To-Do List/Coming up – shows upcoming assignments, discussions, and other activities that require your attention.
4. View Grades and Recent Feedback – shows recent feedback on assessments that have been posted in your courses.
5. Global Announcements are important messages from the institution that may appear at the top of the dashboard page when posted.

Learn More

How to Personalize Course Cards

You have the ability to personalize your course cards for your own view. You can change the color of the course card and add a nickname for the course that appears to you in your Dashboard and when you look at the Courses menu.

Change the Color

The color chosen for a course is also used in the calendar and To Do list to visually show which course the item is associated with. To change the color, follow the steps below.

1. Select the three-dot menu in the upper-right of the course card
2. Select a color from the list or enter a hex color code
3. Click Apply

Add a Nickname

This option could be helpful if you want to show the course details instead of the entire name of the course in your view. The nickname will appear in the Dashboard, the mobile app, and the Courses list. For example: Rename Research and Argumentative Writing – ENGL-1020-001 to MW-ENGL-1020-001.

1. Select the three-dot menu in the upper-right of the course card
2. Enter the nickname you would like to use in the Nickname field
3. Click Apply

Use the Canvas Calendar

View our calendar using the Calendar link in the global navigation menu to the left. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• Use the Calendar
• Filter the Calendar by Course
• Add an Event to Your Personal Calendar
• Create a Calendar Feed to Your Personal Calendar:
  
  • MS Outlook

Viewing Course Content Modules

The content area in Canvas is called Modules. This area can have links to content pages, files, external tools, URLs, assessments, and activities for the course. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• View Content Modules in Course
• Mark a Module Item as Done for a Module Requirement

Access and Submit Assignments

The Assignments area in Canvas will list all graded assessments in the course. You will see the assignments, discussions, and quizzes. You can view the assignments by date or type. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• View assignments
• Submit assignments
• Check Submitted Assignments
• Know When an Instructor has Graded an Assignment
• View Assignment Comments From an Instructor

Access and Take Quizzes

The quizzes tool works similarly to D2L. Quizzes can be accessed through the Modules area. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• View and Take a Quiz
• Take a Quiz Where You Can Only View One Question at a Time
• Answer Each Type of Question
• Resume a Quiz
• Submit a Quiz
• View Quiz Results
• View Quiz Comments From an Instructor
• Retake a Quiz

Participate in a Discussion

The discussion tool allows students in a course to participate in course and group discussions. These can be accessed by going to the Discussions link on the course menu, or your instructor might choose to link them directly through the content modules area. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• View the Class Discussions
• View the Rubric for the Discussion
• Reply to a Discussion Topic
• Attach a File to a Reply
• Embed an Image in a Reply
• View a Discussion Thread

View Grades

The grades area displays all current grades for the course assessments. You can also view scoring details, comments, and rubrics. Click the links below to learn more about this tool. 

• View Grades
• Meaning of Icons and Colors in the Grades Area
• Use the What-If Grades Feature

Additional Assistance

If you need additional assistance, please use one of the options below.

Canvas Support Options

24/7 Assistance

• Select the Help icon in the Canvas global navigation menu
  
  • Chat support
  • Canvas Support Hotline

TnTech Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL)

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

• Call 931-372-3675
• Email citl@tntech.edu
• Drop-in at Volpe Library, room 113
• Submit a help request form