If Canvas is the monster underneath your bed, fear no longer! With these five quick tips, you will be on the fast track to eliminating all Canvas ghouls. This Halloween season, learn how to work quickly and effectively in Canvas.
1. Create a widget
If you have the Canvas Mobile app and have never created a widget, now is the perfect time.
“Widgets are a way to view current information at a glance.”
– Apple Support
For iPhone users, widgets appear on your home screen and are larger than app icons. They make it easier to see information when you first open your phone. To set up a Canvas widget, hold down on the app until it starts moving. Then, tap the + icon in the top left corner of your screen. NOTE: Depending on where the app is located on your phone, you may have to tap out of its location to view the entire home screen. Next, search for Canvas under the widget options and choose from the selection of Canvas widgets available to you.
This is a super easy way to keep up to date with Canvas notifications. As a student, I use this widget to view the latest announcements from my classes, and it has really helped me keep track of what my professors are saying.
2. Use the calendar
Canvas’ calendar feature is a wonderful way to manage assignment due dates. As a robust platform, Canvas presents an option to integrate its calendar with the iPhone Calendar app so you can manage all due dates and events in one location.
For the Canvas Mobile app, first go to your Canvas settings. Then tap Subscribe to Calendar Feed. Next, tap Subscribe and then Add. You’re all set!
You can also add your own due dates to the calendar by tapping the + icon on the top right of your calendar tab. Schedule time for test prep, tutoring, group study sessions, and anything else that fits your needs.
For Mac or Windows devices, click on the Calendar tab on the left of your screen. Scroll down to find the Calendar Feed link. Follow the instructions to add Canvas to your calendars. You can also view the calendar in three modes, making it easier to see due dates and appointment scheduling. These tabs are at the top of the Calendar page.
3. Edit your dashboard
Canvas comes with many ways to organize your dashboard. By tapping the three dots in the corner of each course card, you can change the color and name of the course. This way, it is easier to see the different courses you are enrolled in. You can also edit your dashboard to display course grades next to each course. Time to spookify your dashboard!
For the Canvas mobile app, tap the gear icon on the top right of your dashboard page and enable the Show Grades option.
To view grades in Mac or Windows, scroll down and locate the View Grades button on the right of the dashboard page.
4. Enable accessibility features
Canvas has many accessibility features to offer as well as the option to integrate third-party sources.
Accepted screen-readers (from Canvas Instructure community site):
- JAWS (latest version for Chrome/Firefox on Windows)
- NVDA (latest version for Chrome/Firefox on Windows)
- VoiceOver (latest version for Safari/Chrome on Macintosh and iOS mobile)
- Talkback (latest version for Android mobile)
Canvas also offers tools such as audio notifications for chat, font sizing, and quiz moderation for instructors.
5. Modify notifications
Canvas allows users to modify their notifications four ways: daily summary, weekly summary, notify me right away, or don’t send.
To change settings in Canvas Mobile, tap on the Settings tab under your profile picture in the menu on the left side of your screen. Two options will be displayed: Email Notifications and Push Notifications. Here, you can view which emails are enabled to receive notifications and modify what information is being sent via push notification. Push notifications are sent to your mobile device and can only be sent immediately or not at all.
To change settings on Mac or Windows device, navigate to your account and view account notification settings. Under the Settings dropdown menu, you can change your notification preferences for either all courses or individual courses.
I hope you found these five tips helpful! Now, I will be grabbing a cup of coffee and getting my Canvas dashboard ready for the Halloween season!
Sophie Reel is a student content creator for the IT Marketing and Communications Office.
I read this blog and very impressive and motivational article.
Thank you for reading!