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Building A Free Canvas Course

This 10-step process guides instructors through developing a simple course in Canvas, including logging in, accessing the dashboard, creating a new course, setting up the home page, creating modules, adding content to modules, customizing course details, organizing content with modules, setting up the home page and syllabus, previewing the course, and publishing the course.

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Iryna Liashenko
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39 views3 pages

Building A Free Canvas Course

This 10-step process guides instructors through developing a simple course in Canvas, including logging in, accessing the dashboard, creating a new course, setting up the home page, creating modules, adding content to modules, customizing course details, organizing content with modules, setting up the home page and syllabus, previewing the course, and publishing the course.

Uploaded by

Iryna Liashenko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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This ten-step process below will guide you through developing a simple course in Canvas.

Step 1. Log into Canvas

To sign up for a new Free-for-Teacher Canvas account as an instructor, go to your Canvas


registration URL, click "Need a Canvas Account?", select "Teacher" as the account type, and fill
out the required account information. Then, confirm your agreement to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy and create your password to complete the registration process. More detailed
instructions are here.

Step 2: Accessing the Canvas Dashboard

1. Log in to your Canvas account as an instructor.

2. Once you log in, you will be directed to the Canvas dashboard, which serves as the main hub
for course creation and management.

Step 3: Create a New Course

To create a new course from the Dashboard as an instructor, click the "Start a New Course"
button in the Dashboard sidebar, select the associated account, enter the course name, and click
the "Create" button. The new course will be a course shell where you can add content and
enrollments, and you will be automatically added as the instructor. More detailed instructions
are here.

Step 4: Set Up the Course Home Page

1. Once your course is created, navigate to the "Home" page of your new course.

2. Customize the course home page to provide an introduction and welcome message to your
students. You can include a course overview, important dates, and any other relevant
information.

Step 5: Create the First Module

To add a module in Canvas, go to the "Modules" section in the Course Navigation, click the
"Add Module" button, enter a name for the module, and optionally set a lock date or add
prerequisites. Once the module is created, you can add content items to it by clicking the "Add"
icon or dragging and dropping files into an empty module. More detailed instructions are here.

Step 6: Add Content to the Module

To add course content as module items in Canvas, go to the "Modules" section in the Course
Navigation, click the "Add Item" icon, choose the item type (e.g., Assignment, Quiz, File, Page,
Discussion), and either create a new item or select an existing one to add to the module. Click the
"Add Item" button to include the selected module item. More detailed instructions are here.

For creating the second module in your course, repeat Steps 5 and 6.

Step 7: Customize Course Details (course name, student access, course dates, etc.)

As an instructor, you can manage the details in a Canvas course by accessing the Course Settings
page from the Dashboard. From there, you can set various course details, such as the course
name, course code, time zone, course status, course image, course format, language, file storage,
grading scheme, license, visibility, and more. More detailed instructions are here.

Step 8: Organize your course content

To organize your course content effectively, it is recommended to use Modules. Modules act as
folders containing individual items relevant to specific topics or units. You can use Draft State to
hide a module while building it, lock modules until specific dates, and set prerequisites and
requirements to control students' progression through the course. More detailed instructions are
here:

 How do I add prerequisites to a module?


 How do I add requirements to a module?
 How do I lock a module?
 How do I use modules to view the progress of students in a course?

Step 9. Set up a home page with an introduction and add your syllabus.

1. Add an introduction page where you would invite your students to the course, set the learning
objectives and present yourself with a video greeting. (see the possible template here)

2. Add the syllabus to introduce your students to the course (see the possible template here).

More detailed instructions are here.

To ensure that your mini course is well-organized and visually appealing, use the "Student View"
option to preview how it will appear to your students.

Step 10: Publish the Course

1. When you are satisfied with the course content and organization, click on the "Publish" button
to make the course visible to your students.

2. Once students are populated in the course, start a conversation via the Canvas Inbox, create an
announcement, email via your regular e-mail program, and/or initiate a discussion.
You can find much more detailed instructions on how to incorporate various features in your
course in the Instructor Guide.

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