Using the Home Page in Canvas
Need to log in to Canvas? Follow this link to the Canvas log in portal.
This website and resources are intended for Portland State instructors. For PSU students looking for help with Canvas and general tech support, please contact the OIT Helpdesk.
Additional Canvas resources for PSU students can be found in OIT’s Canvas Resources for Students.
When students log in to your course for the first time, they need something friendly and welcoming that orients them and explicitly communicates what to do.
You have several options for your course home page, but OAI recommends setting it to a page you create (also called a Front Page). Starting new students on a syllabus page or a modules list isn’t nearly as welcoming as a page with your contact information, a picture of you, a personal welcome, and/or instructions on what to do first.
By default, your Canvas course will display announcements at the top of the page. This is where you can post important reminders or other course information. You can set how many announcements show up on the home page —but limiting to just one can help make sure students notice the most important and current information.
Course Navigation
When students log in, they will notice the course navigation bar. Canvas lets you simplify navigation by hiding items not used in your course. This can reduce confusion for your students and keep them focused on the relevant course materials.
OAI recommends using Modules to organize all your instructions, content, activities, and assignments. This gives students one central location to look for everything. By doing this, you can hide the Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions, Pages, and Files pages from the navigation bar in the student view.
That means fewer “where is” questions for you and less frustration for your students!
Example Home Pages
Templates
Use a template from the Commons resource library to create your own homepage! To find one of these templates, log into your Canvas course, and click on the Commons link in the Global Navigation bar. Then select the Filter button and check the box labeled Only Portland State University Approved Resources.
Note: These homepage templates will all import into the “Pages” section of the selected course.
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from Teaching@Sydney (University of Sydney, Australia)
Grading in Canvas
Need to log in to Canvas? Follow this link to the Canvas log in portal.
This website and resources are intended for Portland State instructors. For PSU students looking for help with Canvas and general tech support, please contact the OIT Helpdesk.
Additional Canvas resources for PSU students can be found in OIT’s Canvas Resources for Students.
The Gradebook stores all information about student progress in the course, measuring both letter grades and course outcomes. This video provides a basic overview:
From the Canvas Tutorial Video Series for Instructors
Assignments and Grades
The Canvas Gradebook is closely tied to the Assignments index. Anything you want a Gradebook column for must have an Assignment associated with it. By default, assignments appear in the order you create them. This also determines their order in the Gradebook, but you can drag and drop them into the order you want.
To create weighted grades or set specific rules for groups of assignments (such as dropping the lowest score), create Assignment Groups on the Assignments page, not within the Gradebook.
Using SpeedGrader
SpeedGrader is the Canvas tool for viewing student assessment submissions and giving feedback. Using SpeedGrader should help cut down on the time you spend grading, and make grading easier. A video overview of SpeedGrader is also available.
You can use SpeedGrader to:
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- Read written submissions in the DocViewer and use the annotation tools to give feedback within the document.
- Give feedback comments — written, multimedia, or as a file attachment — on the student’s work as a whole.
- Give a score.
- Use a rubric to assign points and add comments. If you use the rubric for grading, the rubric score will transfer to the student’s grade for the assignment.
- View individual student responses to quizzes as well as logs of each student’s quiz attempts.
Accessing SpeedGrader
You can access SpeedGrader either directly from the assignment or through the Gradebook.
Adapted from “Grading in Canvas” in Start Here 102: Best Practices in Online instruction, licensed CC BY 4.0 by Grace Seo, University of Missouri.
Using Canvas Modules
OAI recommends using Modules to develop course organization and navigation. Correctly using Modules simplifies navigation for your students. Modules let you organize instructions, content, activities, and assignments in the order you want students to progress through them. Using Modules avoids the problem of telling students to “go there and do this” and then “go somewhere else and do that.” This can be frustrating — as you may have experienced yourself in poorly designed online training.
(Re-)designing the navigation and organization of your Canvas learning environment can reduce the cognitive overload on your students and allow them to engage with what really matters — the unit material.
— From [Don’t] Get Lost! Using Good Navigation and Organization to Improve Your Canvas Site
By organizing all your instructions, content, activities, and assignments in Modules, you can hide the Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions, Pages, and Files pages from the left navigation list in the student view. This gives students one central location to look for everything. That means fewer “where is” questions for you and less frustration for your students.
The more doors students have to the same items, the more confusing it is for them and the harder it is to be sure they are in the right place. In Canvas, all the other tools organize these items differently than in Modules. For example:
- Discussions are ordered by time of the most recent comment. So if an earlier discussion is still attracting comments, it could appear above the current module discussion unless you have ordered discussions under the “pinned discussions” area.
- Assignments are in the order created unless you grouped them by assignment and dragged-and-dropped them into your preferred order.
- Files are grouped in folders to the extent that you build a folder structure for them. Generally, it’s best to hide the Files area from your student regardless of your planned course structure.
- Quizzes and Discussions appear on their own tool page — and also on the Assignments Tool page if they are graded.
All these can lead students to lose their place in the course, which causes more confusion and delay.
Examples
There are two schools of thought about how to organize items in Modules.
Short Version
Each module begins with an overview Content Page that includes a list of the books or chapters for the module as well as links to other items the students are to read, watch, and explore.
Long Version
Each item is a separate part of the module, including links and readings as well as activities and assignments. For reference, this course uses the long version.
In Review
Making each item a separate module element can significantly increase the length of the module. Long modules can appear overwhelming to students and reduce motivation.
On the other hand, students may skip over readings and not explore links unless they are required to progress through them one at a time.
A Big Takeaway — Consistency Is Key
Once you choose your organization strategy, the best thing you can do for your students is to implement it as consistently as possible.
Face-to-face students get in the habit of going to class at the same time and the same place every week. Online students need to form habits as well, to maintain consistent performance across the term. Consistent organization in your online spaces benefits all students, regardless of your teaching modality. Making sure assignments are always due on the same day of the week and modules always begin on the same day of the week goes a long way to providing structure.
Students also benefit from consistently having a written or video overview of each module describing what they are to do and learn. The overview should also include a list of reading (identifying chapters from books or linking to digital resources) and brief assignment descriptions or links to Assignments, Discussions, or Quizzes. Some faculty members like to put the overview description or video on one page, and then readings and resources on a subsequent page — and then have assignments and activities follow individually in the module. Either way is good as long as you pick one approach and use it consistently.
Templates
Use these templates from the Commons to help you get started organizing your own modules in Canvas. (For help, review how to import and view a Commons resource in Canvas.)
Adapted from “Using Canvas Modules” in Start Here 102: Best Practices in Online instruction, licensed CC BY 4.0 by Grace Seo, University of Missouri.
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Tutorial
Quizzes in Canvas
Need to log in to Canvas? Follow this link to the Canvas log in portal.
This website and resources are intended for Portland State instructors. For PSU students looking for help with Canvas and general tech support, please contact the OIT Helpdesk.
Additional Canvas resources for PSU students can be found in OIT’s Canvas Resources for Students.
Though you and your students may use the terms “test” and “quiz” interchangeably, Canvas calls this type of assessment a “quiz.” You can use Canvas quizzes for assessment, review, and practice.
Canvas currently has two quiz tools: Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes. Eventually, New Quizzes is expected to replace Classic Quizzes. (Covid delayed the deployment timeline, which continues to be extended.) For now, select either Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes when you create a quiz.
Comparing Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes
Most quiz options are available in either quiz tool. You might explore both and use the one you prefer. A few key features are only available in one but not the other. They’re outlined here and in the full features comparison.
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- Consider Classic Quizzes in most cases and (especially if you use Proctorio).
- Consider New Quizzes If you use question banks extensively.
Using Canvas Quizzes in Your Teaching
No matter which tool you use, the following might spark ideas for how you can use Canvas Quizzes to extend student learning.
- Practice quizzes (Classic Quizzes) or quizzes excluded from the final grade (New Quizzes) can help you assess student understanding of material.
- Surveys allow students to respond to questions without being assessed on the “correctness” of their answers. These can be ungraded, or you can award points for completion. (Classic quizzes only)
- You can add feedback to each quiz question to offer a correct answer, explanation, reference (e.g., textbook page number), and so forth.
- You can give students multiple attempts to allow them to retake quizzes.
- You can view quiz statistics showing how many students (and what percentage of the class) chose each possible response to a quiz question.
- Use Moderate this Quiz to give specific students extra time or attempts. This option will appear only after you publish the quiz.
Adapted from “Quizzes in Canvas” in Start Here 102: Best Practices in Online instruction, licensed CC BY 4.0 by Grace Seo, University of Missouri.
Canvas course checklist
Contributors:Misty Hamideh
From basic settings to content organization, this course design checklist outlines the top 15 tasks to make sure your Canvas course is ready for students. Completing all will elevate the quality of your Canvas course and ensure your students can navigate your course materials with ease.
For an editable version of this checklist, make your own copy (File > Make a Copy) of this linked Google Doc.
- Update your profile, including name, pronouns (if comfortable), photo, and preferred contact methods. Students in all your courses can read your profile. (You only need to do this once!)
- Review the default notification settings and adjust them to your own notification preferences if needed.
Related Links
- Choose a Home Page. OAI recommends using the “Pages Front Page” option, which allows you to build a Home Page that best fits the needs of your course.
- Customize your Course Navigation Menu so necessary tool links are available to students and unused tools are hidden.
Related Links
- Add a syllabus that outlines your course expectations and is accessible and culturally inclusive.
- Give meaningful titles to modules and items within modules. OAI recommends modules be organized by week or unit and contain all Canvas pages, files, assignments, quizzes, and other resources needed each week.
- Check that all your Canvas pages are accessible using the built-in accessibility checker.
- If you created video content, make sure your videos are captioned.
- Be sure your content is published in Canvas and all links are valid.
Related Links
- Verify any discussions are set up correctly with dates, clear instructions, examples, and other settings as needed.
- Verify any assignments are set up correctly with dates, clear instructions, examples, and other settings as needed.
- Verify any quizzes are set up correctly with dates, clear instructions, examples, and other settings as needed.
- Verify the Gradebook is arranged according to your grading policy and aligned with your syllabus.
Related Links
- Review your course content from Student View to experience your course from a student perspective.
Note: Don't forget to log into your course through the mobile app to see the mobile experience. If possible, have someone else review your course to make sure your organization and content are clear and easy to follow.
- Check the Calendar tool to verify assignment due dates and other events scheduled for your course.
- Don’t forget to publish the course! Once the course is published, it’s a good idea to send a welcome email to your class to let them know the course is available and how to get started.
Related Links
Instructional design services at Portland State University
We offer course design consultations and course building support here at the Office of Academic Innovation. If you need help working through this checklist or need ideas to enhance your course, you can schedule a consultation with one of OAI’s instructional designers to help you get started. To schedule an appointment, submit a meeting request.
Introduction to Universal Design for Learning
Contributors:Megan McFarland
This brief introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides an overview of the framework and practical UDL examples. UDL is a flexible pedagogical framework to minimize barriers and increase accessibility for the fullest range of students possible. A ramp allows the full range of people to access a building while a stairway allows only some. In the same way, UDL asks us to trade “one size fits all” thinking to imagine curriculum designs that open the doors to any student. UDL focuses on increasing flexibility, choice, and relevance within three main components of curriculum design and implementation: Engagement, Representation, and Expression.
While standard accessibility practices such as structuring text for screen readers and captioning videos are part of UDL (specifically increasing the range of how content is represented), these practices do not encompass all of UDL. Applying a holistic UDL lens to your classroom means deepened comprehension, accurate assessment of student knowledge, and a truly inclusive learning environment that welcomes physical, cognitive, and cultural diversity.
UDL Basics: A Lens, Not a Checklist
So how can we apply UDL to course design? Here are a few ideas to get you started, but the possibilities are truly infinite. UDL is a lens or mindset that prioritizes increased flexibility, choice, and relevance; it should be continually adapted for your particular course(s) and students.
What is it?
How students interact with and are motivated by the instructor, peers, and content
Strategy to try
Use a variety of response options during synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
Examples
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- Verbal responses during discussion
- Written responses in chat
- Artistic responses (doodles, flowcharts, metaphors, etc.)
- Small group breakout rooms
- Paired sharing
- Whole group call and response
- Self-rating levels of understanding in a poll
- Written responses in online discussion forum
- Video responses in online discussion forum (e.g. FlipGrid)
What is it?
Strategy to try
Allow students to choose when and how they receive content.
Examples
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- Optional small-group Zoom sessions
- Readings from various source types (research articles, primary sources, fictional or artistic interpretations, etc.)
- Videos (documentaries, news broadcasts, etc.)
- Audio (podcasts, radio, etc.)
- Choose Your Own (students find their own related resource and share with the class)
What is it?
Strategy to try
Use key learning objectives as a guide to offer options for how students can show their learning.
Examples
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- Construct a thesis statement.
- Support with at least three pieces of evidence.
- Analyze connections between evidence.
- Write a traditional research paper.
- Present with slides.
- Build a website.
- Interview experts in a podcast.
Learn More Elsewhere
Use Google Docs for Student Collaboration
When students work in groups for an activity, you’ll often want them to document their work. You can facilitate this by creating shared Google Docs for students to use.
There are two ways to identify each collaborator in a Google Doc. One is to have students write in suggesting mode, which creates colored text and names each author in the margin. Edits are shown with strike-through text. This option is selected in the small menu with a pencil icon located in the upper right corner of the open Google Doc screen.
Another method is to have students use comments to annotate the main text. Comments are made by highlighting a portion of text. This creates an icon in the right margin, which becomes a text-entry field when you click it. Comments are identified by author, and others can reply. Comments that include @StudentUsername will also send an email of the comment to the person named, which is helpful for asynchronous collaboration.
Steps to set up docs and sharing permission
- Create and name a Google doc for each student group.
- For each doc, click the blue Share button in the top right corner.
- In the Get link area of the share pop-up, click View and change it to Edit.
- From the sharing menu, select Portland State…anyone in this group with this link can edit.
- Copy each document link and save them in your class prep notes, labeled with the group name/number.
You can now post the doc links for students in Canvas, or share them in the chat of a Zoom meeting. Clarify for students whether you want them to identify each collaborator’s work, and whether they should use suggesting mode or comments for this. You can also share this tutorial with them. As owner of the docs, you can always change the sharing settings later to prevent further work in them.
Google Docs auto-saves regularly, and past versions can be viewed and restored. Nevertheless it’s good to remind students to save a local copy of any text they don’t want accidentally changed or deleted. For more information, check out Google’s support site for Google Docs.
End-of-term checklist
You can use this article as a checklist to help you wrap up your course at the end of term.
Canvas gradebook
If you’ve been using the Canvas gradebook, make sure you’ve entered all of your grades, double-checking to ensure the Canvas grades accurately reflect the grading parameters you intend. Then make sure that all assignment grades have been posted for your students to review.
It’s also good practice to download a copy of the gradebook for your records.
Submit final grades
The grade in the Canvas gradebook is not official, so you will also need to enter your students’ grades into Banner.
How to get students access to your course after the end of the term
By default, students will no longer have access to their Canvas courses beginning the first day of the following term (i.e. Winter term courses will be available to students until the first day of Spring term). If you would just like all students to have access to your course for longer, you can change your Course End date.
If you only want to allow a specific student ongoing access to complete the course, you’ll need to follow the instructions linked below to request access for incomplete students.
Thinking ahead
Now that the term is over, take some time to relax and celebrate your course success! In most cases, this won’t be the last time you teach this course. Take a moment to reflect on the past term and think about ways you might be able to enhance your course for future terms. OAI+ has many articles that can give you ideas about new teaching strategies that you may want to try to implement.
This is also the time to start planning your student communication for the next term. Early and regular communication with your students is important and can start weeks before the term officially begins.
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Zoom Recording and Student Privacy
You may have Zoom class recordings you’d like to share with students in a subsequent class. This is possible under FERPA as long as no students from your earlier class appear in the recording. There are two ways to avoid recording students in Zoom. These depend on whether you record to the Zoom Cloud or locally to your computer.
Note: to control a meeting’s recorded layout, you must be the host or participant who starts the recording. You should also make sure your Zoom desktop client is up-to-date. Check for updates by clicking your profile image in the upper right corner of the Zoom desktop app. Toward the bottom of that menu, select Updates.
For Zoom Cloud recordings
For recording to the cloud, use the “Spotlight” option. This lets you choose up to 9 participants to appear in the recording, so it’s great for when you have guest speakers. Learn more about the Spotlight option in the Zoom Help Center. For student discussions, you can either pause the recording or use breakout rooms. You can also edit out student discussion segments from the recording later, by uploading it to MediaSpace. Once you’ve logged into your Kaltura MediaSpace at least once (at https://media.pdx.edu/ ) all your Zoom Cloud recordings are backed up there. This makes it convenient to use the MediaSpace video editor.
For local recordings
If you record locally to your computer, the “Pin” function allows you to select specific video thumbnails to display. Other participants may see the full gallery, but your recording will show only the video(s) you pin. Learn more about the Pin options in the Zoom Help Center. You’ll still need to pause recording for student discussions, move them to a breakout room, or edit them out later.
The Zoom Help Center also has a FAQ list about local and cloud recording layouts.
Recorded videos are most effective when short, so look for key presentations, demonstrations, or explanations to share in later courses rather than following a “lecture capture” model.
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Share Zoom Recordings
When you set a Zoom Cloud recording settings to Share, it generates a link you can make public or restrict to PSU users.
- Sign in to your Zoom web portal at pdx.zoom.us
In the navigation menu on the left, click Recordings.
Click the Share button on the right of the recording you want to make available.
- This displays setting options:
- Share this recording: Allows the recording to be shared publicly or internally. Switch the toggle off if you want the recording to be private. If you share the recording, Zoom will create a web page where visitors can view the cloud recording.
Add expiry date to the link: Allows you to set number of days or specific date when the link will expire for viewers.
Viewers can download: Allows viewers to download the video in addition to viewing it online.
Viewers can see transcript: Allows viewers to see the auto transcript if Zoom was able to process one.
On-demand(Registration Required): Requires users to enter their name and email address before viewing or downloading the recording. The host will be able to download a report with this information.
Password protection: Requires users to enter a password before viewing or downloading the recording. After toggling this to on, enter a custom password and click Save.
Copy sharing information to clipboard: Copies the link and password (if enabled) to your cloud recording. Share this information to allow others to view the cloud recording. - Click Done to save these settings.
This article was last updated on .