Canvas: The Basics

Logging in

To log in:

  1. Open your browser and go to https://umich.instructure.com/.
  2. Click the Canvas login button in the upper-right corner of window.
  3. Type your U-M uniqname and password and hit return.

Finding your course

When you first log onto Canvas, you will see the dashboard Links to an external site. with colored cards showing recent activity for some or all of your courses.

You can see all of your courses by clicking the Courses link in the left-hand menu and then clicking All Courses in the window that opens.

To make a course appear as a colored card on the dashboard, click the star next to its name on the All Courses page.

Canvas courses of an official academic nature are automatically provisioned (created) 180 days prior to the beginning of the term, usually once the setup is completed by the college's curriculum coordinator on M-Pathways.  As instructors get assigned to courses the update is reflected in Canvas. All courses in M-Pathways along with their enrollment data is loaded into Canvas twice a day.

Instructors can request a practice sandbox course site or project site by contacting the ITS Service Center Links to an external site..

Browsers

Canvas supports the last two versions of every browser release. (At this time, Firefox Extended release, which may be installed on some MiWorkspace computers, is not supported by Canvas.) See a full list of supported browsers Links to an external site..

Mobile devices

Most Canvas features are supported on mobile devices. Mobile apps Links to an external site. are also available free for download on both smartphones and tablets.

Profile and user settings

You can change your profile and personal settings at any time.

Notification preferences

You can set notifications to email you when you send out an announcement or make and assignment.

Dashboard

Your dashboard summarizes what's happening in all your courses. To open your Canvas dashboard while you're in your Canvas course, click the yellow Michigan block M in the upper-left corner of the Canvas window.

Course navigation

Primary navigation areas for courses are the menus on the left and, at times, on the right.

Global navigation

The global navigation feature is found along the left side of the Canvas window. It's a fast way to switch between your courses, groups, grades, and calendar.

Roles and permissions

Information about the permissions for Canvas roles Links to an external site. at the University of Michigan.

Publish each Module, Quiz, Assignment, Page, File, and Discussion, as well as your course site

In Canvas, you will publish your course site to make it visible to students, and you must also publish any modules, quizzes, pages, assignments, files, and discussions in your course site. To publish these items, click the little gray circle icon to toggle it to green.

Publishing content toggle

Enabling and hiding tools

You can choose which tools are visible to students in the left navigation menu.

  1. Click Settings at the bottom of the menu.
  2. Click Navigation along the top. 
  3. Drag items between the upper and lower lists to hide (disable) or make them visible (enable) to students. 
  4. IMPORTANT:  Click Save.  You may need to scroll down to see the Save button.

Navigation links in blue text are displayed to students. Navigation links in gray text are hidden from students.

You can also change a feature’s position within the menu: click an icon to the right of a feature and then use the “Move” up-down arrow.  Then click Save.

More about reordering and hiding tools Links to an external site.

Groups

Groups are like a smaller version of a Canvas course site. They're used as a collaborative tool for students working together on group projects and assignments.

Creating Student Groups and adding students

Canvas Basics Guide

Check out Instructure's Canvas Basics Guide Links to an external site. to learn about all features in Canvas.