Following are steps faculty can take during the beginning of the semester to make Canvas use easier and more efficient! These actions take place after a course has been migrated to Canvas. We recommend that every instructor attend a face-to-face Canvas training and contact their Instructional Consultant with questions about course design. Once your course is ready to be made available in Canvas, these steps are for you!

1. Set Up Notifications

Every Canvas user can filter how and when they receive notifications from Canvas. At the start of the semester, we recommend that faculty inform students of how important it is to enable different notifications, such as Conversations and Announcements. Instructions for how students can set up their notifications can be found here. Instructors cannot enforce those suggestions, as students are the only ones who can change their Notification settings. It is vital that students understand their responsibility to configure these settings.

To set up your own notifications, follow these steps.

2. Organize Your Syllabus

The Syllabus tool in Canvas allows students to view a calendar of assignments, a description of the course, and how grades are weighted within their course. At the beginning of the semester, instructors can use this tool in place of or alongside a written syllabus, as long as all relevant information is addressed. Detailed instructions on how to use Canvas's Syllabus can be found here.

3. Publish Your Course

Once a course is ready, the instructor will need to publish it. A published course cannot be unpublished after students have submitted assignments.

If you have questions about Canvas, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, contact CLEAR's Faculty Helpdesk, or take a look at the Canvas Community's Instructor Guides.