This is a guided explanation of how to get started with Canvas for faculty members who have been making minimal use of Canvas so far. The following pages detail how to set up a very basic site, and once you have done this confidently you will be ready to take any next steps you wish to take.
First of all, take a deep breath. For folks who don’t use online tools regularly: you can do this. It will take patience and generosity and flexibility, both with our students and with ourselves. We are in this together, and it will be OK!
Here is a good plan: take a first step and set up your Canvas site to cover basic continuation of instruction for the next two weeks. These pages will guide you through. As you work on it, you will see many further steps you might take. Once you have the basic site set up, we suggest that you then come back and acquaint yourself with the broader Canvas system and its instructional tools. We will have links to in-depth overviews of Canvas available soon.
To get started, we suggest five steps:
- Set up a way to communicate with your students.
- Decide what you want your students to do.
- Organize your course materials in “Modules.”
- Set up assignments to receive student work.
- Present Your Site to Your Students.