Getting Started with Canvas

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Canvas can be a complex place, no matter your level of experience. We’ve provided our Top 10 Tips for Success in Canvas to help you meet your instructional goals in the e-Learning environment.

1. Canvas Basics

2. Settings

3. Navigation

4. Organization

How to use modules

5. People

How to add participants to a Canvas course

6. Communication

7. Assessments

8. Grading

9. Files

10. Groups

11. Attendance

Creating Seating Charts

If your course shell has not already been created, please visit the UF e-Learning Course Request Process page in order to request a Canvas shell.

Support Services for Instructors

UFIT e-Learning Support
- UFIT’s e-Learning Support is happy to assist you with your needs within Canvas and the e-Learning environment.
UFIT Center for Instructional Technology and Training Instructional Design & Video Services
- UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training utilizes educational technology and evidence-based pedagogy to provide faculty support for all elements of the course development process.
Center for Teaching Excellence
- The Center for Teaching Excellence is dedicated to keeping faculty, staff, and teaching assistants connected and informed through workshops and learning communities.
UFIT Training
- UFIT Training empowers the UF community with technology to enrich teaching and learning, enable research and improve services.
Center for Online Innovation and Production
- The Center for Online Innovation and Production is happy to assist you with your course development needs for UF Online courses.

Tips for Success

Preparation and course launch
- Give yourself time to prepare an existing course for a new semester.
- Ensure that all links work, the syllabus has been updated, announcements are accurate, and everything that students need to access is published and up to date.
Organization and design
- Create a Start Here/Getting Started module and describe your course goals and your approach to learning. It’s a great opportunity to get students excited to meet you and start digging into the course.
- Ensure that your learning objectives are aligned with your assessments.
- Incorporate basic active learning strategies in your instruction.
Groups
- If you use groups, check at least twice a day during drop/add to make sure students who add your course are added to a group.
Communication
- Always include your name and course in announcements, as announcement notifications in Canvas does not include this information.
- Outline office hours in a welcome video and in the syllabus, and prompt students to seek them out when needed.
- Utilize discussions as another opportunity to communicate with students.
- If you use discussion groups, don’t make them too big. A group of 6-10 students is ideal to spark genuine conversation and debate.
- Set clear expectations about when assignments will be graded, when emails will be returned, etc.
People
- Students will be automatically added to your Canvas course by the Registrar’s Office.
- You can combine sections of the same course in the course request process.

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For further assistance, please contact the UFIT Help Desk.

Getting Started with Canvas - for Instructors