Build Your Canvas Course in 30 Minutes

Step 1: Access Canvas (1 minute)

• Go to umassboston.instructure.com or use the quick links on our UMB website. Then log in with your UMass Boston credentials.
• After logging in you will see your Dashboard
• Bookmark the URL for quick access.
• Click on the Course Card for the course you want to edit.
• If you have course content migrated from Blackboard, please start with Step 7 & 8, and then continue with step 2 if you need to create additional course content.

Step 2: Create Course Structure with Modules (10 minutes)

• Navigate to Modules from the course menu. Watch the Modules Overview Video

• Use Modules to organize your course.  Create Modules for your course units, weeks, or topics.
• Click +Module button to add a new Module

• Add a title for the Module
• Click Add Module button
  

• Drag & drop existing files directly into the module (Syllabus documents, pdfs, ppts, etc.)
• Click the + button to add Canvas items (Pages, Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions, etc.)

• Select what type of content you want to add to the Module
• Select: Assignment, Quiz, File, Page, Discussion, Text Header, External URL, or External Tool

Add a Page

• Add an introductory Page in the first module, including a brief course overview or objectives. Watch the Pages Overview Video 
  

• Select [Create Page] to create a new page
• Title the page
• Click the Add Item button
  

• Click on the new page to view/edit page contents

• Click the Edit button to add content to the page

• The Rich Content Editor (RCE) allows you to enter & edit text, insert images & documents, and insert external tools, like VoiceThread, Echo360, and Studio
  View the Rich Content Editor Video
  
• Use the RCE to:

• Enter Text
• Format Text
• Insert Images, Documents, and Links
• Add external tools (such as VoiceThread, Echo360, Studio, etc.).

• When you have finished adding content to your page you can:

• Save & Publish - This will save the page and make it visible to students
• Save - This will save the page but NOT make it visible to students

• View the video to see how to add other components like Files (e.g., syllabus), External Links, or External Tools for additional materials.

Step 3: Add Learning Activities (10 minutes)

Assignments:

To learn more about the Assignments Tool, watch the Assignments Overview video.

• Navigate to Assignments in the course menu.
• Click the  +Assignments  button to create a new assignment

• Name the assignment, add instructions, set due dates, and allocate points.

Discussions:

To learn more about the Discussions Tool, watch the Discussions Overview video.

• Navigate to Discussions in the course menu.
• Click the + Discussion  button to create a new Discussion topic.

• Add a topic or question, set grading if necessary, and due dates.

Quizzes

To learn more about the Quizzes Tool, go to the Build your Canvas Quizzes document.

Step 4: Set up the Gradebook (5 minutes)

• Go to Grades from the course menu, familiarize yourself with the Gradebook layout Gradebook Overview
• Ensure that each assignment and quiz created has corresponding grade columns.
• Click on the “gear” icon on the top-right to explore Gradebook Settings (Late Policies, Grade Posting Policies etc.)

• Adjust grade settings and explore weighted grading in the Assignment page if needed. (Watch this short video on how to set up weighted grades)
  

Step 5: Customize Course Navigation & Home Page (2 minutes)

• Set a Homepage: (Watch this short video on how to set your Home Page)
  

• Go to the Home Page on the Course Navigation
• Click Choose Home Page
• Select what you would like to show on the Home Page
• Click Save

• Use the Modules view or create a custom welcome page.

• (If the UMB Simple Template has been populated for you, you can customize the pages from the template.)

• Adjust the course navigation to remove unnecessary items for a cleaner interface.(Watch the video on how to manage your course menu)

• Click on the Settings tab from your course navigation.
• Click on the Navigation tab from the top menu.
• Drag and drop items to reorder them in the course navigation.
• Click on the Save button at the bottom to save the changes.

Step 6: Publish Your Course (1 minute)

• Once content is ready, click the Publish button at the top-right of your Course Homepage to make the course accessible to students.

• Use Announcements to welcome students and guide them to important information. (Watch this video on how to add an announcement.)

Additional Sections for Migrating Faculty

Step 7: Clean Up Imported Content from Blackboard (5 minutes)

• If you’ve migrated content from Blackboard, you may find duplicate or unnecessary items. Here’s how to clean it up:

• Modules: Go to Modules and delete any redundant, duplicate, or empty modules.
• Files: In the Files area, remove any duplicate files. Don’t delete template files!
• Assignments/Discussions/Quizzes: Review Assignments, Discussions and Quizzes and delete any old or unneeded items.

• Tip: Keep only essential materials that you will be using for the current course.
  

Step 8: Import Content from Migration Shell/Sandbox Shell to Active Course Shell (5 minutes)

• If your course content resides in a migration shell or a sandbox shell, here’s how to import it into your active (with students) course:

• Go to your Active Course- it has the same name as your WISER course.
• Click Settings at the bottom of the course menu.
• Select Import Course Content on the right-hand side.

• Choose Copy a Canvas Course from the content type drop-down.

• Select your Migration Course Shell from the list and choose which content to import (either all content or specific items).

• Review the imported content for any duplicate or unnecessary materials and clean them up following Step 7.

• Once done, ensure that your modules, assignments, and quizzes are correctly organized in your active course shell.
• Publish your Course (go to Step 6 for instructions).

Additional Resources:

• Access the Help section for detailed guides.

Meet with a UMB team member for quick help Mon-Fri 10-4pm via Zoom with Learning Design

Book an one-on-one Consult with a Learning Designer at your convenient time

Chat with Canvas Support (Faculty) 24/7 anytime and anywhere!

Explore Canvas Video Guides for Faculty to find a solution

Call Canvas Support Hotline at +1(855)235-1564