Getting Started with Canvas (Instructors)

Table of Contents

• Accessing Canvas
• Requesting Canvas Manually Created Course
• Understanding Basic Navigation
• Applying an OHIO Canvas Course Template
• Explore Canvas Commons
• Finding Your Courses
• Build Your Course
• Icons in Canvas
• Requesting Access to Growing with Canvas
• Install Third-Party Integrations
• Getting Help from Canvas
• Getting Help from OIT
  • Getting Help with Course Syllabus (Concourse)
• Additional Resources

Access Canvas

• Log in to Canvas at canvas.ohio.edu 

Request a Canvas Manually Created Course

• All instructors automatically have one test course available in their Canvas account
  • The test course should appear in the Canvas Dashboard and in the Courses tab in the left navigation menu
  • The test course name will include "Instructor Test Course" and your OHIO ID
• If you'd like additional test courses or would like to request a non-term based course (to use as an orientation, deliver training or professional development, etc.) you can request Canvas manually created courses

Understand Basic Canvas Navigation

• Note that there is a green Global Navigation Menu to access Canvas tools and a white Course Navigation Menu to access content and tools specific to your course. 

Apply an OHIO Canvas Course Template

• Explore and apply an OHIO Canvas course template for a streamlined and consistent student experience. 

Explore Canvas Commons

• Canvas Commons is a repository for course content that enables instructors to find, import, and share resources.
• You can import shared modules, assignments, quizzes, discussions, pages, or files from Commons into your Canvas courses
• You can also share your own course content with other Ohio University faculty using Commons

Finding Your Courses

Canvas is the primary learning management system for OHIO. 

To find your courses: 

• Log in to Canvas at canvas.ohio.edu. Look for your courses on your Dashboard page. If you cannot see all of your expected courses, check the "Courses" tab in the left navigation menu.

  • There are two things to keep in mind when looking for your courses in Canvas:

    • Instructors and courses load to Canvas on the start date of priority registration for the upcoming term.

    • Student enrollments do not load to Canvas courses until 2 weeks before the start date of the course.

    • Students will not be able to see your course in Canvas until you publish the course.

Build Your Course

• Start anew: Understand Canvas features and use them to build your course content
• Set up your Canvas course syllabus

Canvas Icons

• Canvas groups icons into categories such as: Assignment, Attachment/Paper Clip, Discussion, Page, Quiz, Visibility, and Warning. Their Canvas Icon Summary page will give you the location, roles, image, and purpose of each icon.

Requesting Access to the Growing with Canvas Instructor Course

Growing With Canvas is a five-module, Canvas-created active learning course that provides staff and faculty with a combination of Canvas Video Guides and Canvas Guides to orient users on how to utilize the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Anyone listed as an instructor for an academic course in OHIO's Student Information System (PeopleSoft) will be automatically enrolled as a student within the Growing with Canvas instructor training course in Canvas. If you will be teaching a non-academic course in Canvas and are not an instructor for an academic course in PeopleSoft, you can access the Growing with Canvas instructor training course by request.   

• To request access to the Growing with Canvas course:  

  • Select the Create Ticket button in the upper right side of this screen 

  • Under What kind of Canvas request are you making?, select I have a general Canvas request 

  • Under Canvas Course ID, enter Growing with Canvas 

  • Under Description/Additional Details, note that you would like to be enrolled in the Growing with Canvas course. 

  • Select Submit 

  • Outcome: The Canvas team will add you to the course and follow up with you via your ticket when that access has been granted. 

Install Third-Party Integrations

• Install third-party integrations, publisher content, and add-on tools in Canvas. 

Get Help from Canvas

• Live chat with Canvas support (Faculty) 
• Get 24-hours/7-days a week Canvas support  
  • Dial the Canvas Support Hotline number located under "Get Help" in the Canvas Global Navigation Menu 
  • Contact OIT at 740‑593‑1222 if you need help logging in, accessing test or practice courses, or using tools that connect to Canvas.

Get Help from OIT

• Use the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) ticket form to submit a help ticket 
• Visit the Technology Resources and Training page for available training 

Get Help with Concourse Course Syllabus

Concourse is the tool called Course Syllabus in Canvas instructors are required to use to publicly share course syllabi. Learn more about this requirement through OHIO's Concourse Syllabus website. To get help with using or troubleshooting your Course Syllabus in Concourse: 

• Ohio University’s Office of the Provost supports OHIO-specific Concourse Syllabus needs. Additional help material is available on the Concourse Syllabus website. 

• The vendor for this product provides technical support for this tool Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM (Eastern) through their Support Page.

Additional Resources

• Canvas Basics Guide 
• Canvas Instructor Guide 
• Canvas Video Guide 
• Mobile Guides 
• Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist