Use this comprehensive checklist to get your course site ready for your students.
Getting to Canvas:
For direct access to Canvas, visit https://canvas.csudh.edu. If you are using MyCSUDH, click the Canvas tile located under LaunchPad. Alternatively, you can access Canvas through the main university website at csudh.edu.
Publish Your Course:
Be sure to publish your course when you’re ready! Students can’t see your course until you publish it.
Send an email to your students.
Note: If your course is not published, you cannot use Canvas Inbox to contact students.
Announcements:
1. Delete any announcements from previous semester (if applicable).
2. Create a new “Welcome” announcement.
Course Navigation Settings:
Learn how to Manage Course Navigation links.
Course Content/Modules:
Using modules in Canvas provides a fast and easy way to organize your course.
1. Add content to Modules in Canvas.
2. Set a course homepage.
Course Copy in Canvas:
You can copy course content such as assignments, modules, pages, and discussions from previous Canvas courses into existing courses.
1. Copy your course in Canvas.
2. Import content from another Canvas course.
3. Copy from a previous Blackboard course.
Panopto Video Platform:
Panopto is available to all faculty and staff at CSUDH. For faculty and staff, Panopto is the easiest way to create video lectures or tutorials for your Canvas course or organization. Click here for Panopto Resources!
ZOOM in Canvas:
Access Zoom directly from Canvas. Instructors and students can efficiently perform most Zoom functions from inside Canvas, including scheduling meetings, viewing upcoming meetings, accessing cloud recordings and other Zoom functions.
Enrollment/Add and Drop:
Course enrollments update three times a day (9 am, 3 pm, and 9 pm) via automated process. Students will have access to your Canvas course a few hours after the latest Canvas system update (9 am, 3 pm, and 9 pm).
Inactive Status:
If a student drops your course, their name will be tagged with the label “Inactive”. You will see them listed in the PEOPLE list and it will show the last time the student logged in.
Note: Inactive students do not have access to your course.
Course Merge:
If you need multiple course sections merged into one, please send an email to canvas@csudh.edu with the subject line, “course merge request”. In the message, please provide the course name, numbers, and sections to merge.
Canvas Questions and Support:
In Canvas, the Help button is located in the lower-left corner. Use the help menu to search the help guides and access the Canvas live chat and support hotline (562-270-0480).
Note: The live chat and support hotline are available 24/7.
Other questions?
Email canvas@csudh.edu or create a ticket at csudh.service-now.com.
Reviewing Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions
- Verify dates. Due dates are added to the calendar and the syllabus and serve as reminders to students. Available from and Until dates will unlock and lock the activity.
- Learn the difference between assignment due dates and availability dates.
- Learn how to bulk update due dates and availability dates.
- Canvas allows you to assign different due dates to sections or for individual students needing accommodations.
- Verify the following details for your assessments (Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes)
- Instructions are accurate and well formatted.
- Point values are correct. Learn how to add or edit details in an assignment.
- Assignments: Submission type. Learn how to add or edit details in an assignment.
- Discussions: All course discussions are listed on the Discussions Index Page.
- Quizzes: Quiz Options are correct. Learn what options you can set in a Quiz.
- Assignment Groups are set up correctly. Learn how to use the Assignments Index Page.
- Weighted grading: If using a weighted grading system ensure assignments are weighted correctly. Learn how to weight the final grade according to assignment groups.
- All Group Assignments and Discussions are by default assigned to a single Group Set called Project Groups.
Reviewing course details
- Verify total points possible in the Gradebook is correct.
- Review your syllabus for accuracy.
- Verify all course links are valid by using the course link validator.
- Set the Course Navigation menu. Only enable menu items that your students need. For example, in many cases, the following should be hidden: Files, Pages, Outcomes, Conferences, Collaborations. If using Modules you can hide even more links to simplify navigation for students.
- If using Modules, verify:
- They are logically ordered.
- Lock until dates are correct, if applicable.
- Requirements and Prerequisites are set correctly, if applicable.
- Verify course Home Page is set up correctly.
- Use the Preview option in each quiz to check for errors.
- Verify that all of your content is available in an accessible format.
- Apply a Grading Scheme to your course.
Making your site available to students
- Publish your course when you want students to be able to access the course.
- Send an email to your students