New semester Canvas setup

The following information includes tips to help you get started with Canvas during a new semester. If you need assistance, please submit a ticket through the New semester Canvas setup request (requires login) or the new ticket form if you're unable to login.

Have you taught this course at NELB before?

Start by importing the content from your previous course
Delete old announcements
Run the link validator to check for any content that may have broken during the import
Review the other guides below for more tips on using Canvas before you publish your course

Canvas Requirements

The following guides will help you with the minimum requirements for your Canvas course:

Requirement 1: Add/update course syllabus

Tip:
Try linking to a OneDrive document so that you don't need to upload a new version if the syllabus changes.

Requirement 2: First class information

If it's not already included in your syllabus, let the students know what's required for the first class session. This could be readings, assignments, introductions, or other information you need them to prepare.

Tip:
Try posting an announcement to share this information with your students. (Note: Students won't be notified about announcements before the class starts, but they can see the announcements by visiting the published course in Canvas.)

Requirement 3: Publish your course

How do I publish a course?

Tip:
Before you publish your course, consider adjusting the following:

Change your course home page - includes guidance for using an NELB branded template home page
Customize your Course Navigation
(Optional) Add an image to your course card in the Dashboard

Next Steps

After the basic requirements for Canvas are met, you can choose to use additional tools within your Canvas course to support your teaching. Some suggested topics and guides are included below.

Attendance

The Attendance tool used in our Canvas instance at New England Law | Boston is called aPlus+ Attendance. You might also see it called "Attend HE" or "Attend Higher Education" depending on what page you're on.

Zoom & online meetings

Zoom is integrated with Canvas to make sharing meeting information with your students easier.

Assignments & Quizzes

Canvas can be used to collect and grade student work. You can use Canvas to accept only specific file types from students, automatically grade multiple choice questions, keep student names anonymous during grading, and more.

If you'd like to get started with Assignments or Quizzes, we recommend submitting a ticket for Canvas Assistance to schedule time to work one on one with our support staff.

There are two quizzing platforms in Canvas: Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes. You can choose to use either one for your course, though any new features Canvas rolls out will be for New Quizzes only.

Other suggestions

Organize your course with Modules
Run the link validator to check for broken links or content that students don't have the right access to view
View your course as a test student using Student View
Use the Accessibility Checker for guidance on making your content accessible to all learners.
Download your students' email addresses from Canvas

Get help with Canvas

The best way to get help with your Canvas setup and any questions you have during the semester is to submit a ticket through the IT Support Portal. We have a few ways to submit a ticket:

General Canvas assistance
New semester setup
Report a problem - if your question doesn't quite fit with the other categories or you're unable to login, use this form and choose "Software / Web Apps", then "Canvas" to route your ticket to the correct place.

On any page in Canvas, the Global Navigation Menu includes a "Help" link. When you click that, you have the option to search guides from Canvas itself or contact Canvas support through live chat or by phone even when NELB IT staff are unavailable.

Canvas setup tutorial

Canvas also has a tutorial available for guidance as you navigate the pages of your Canvas course. The tutorial is on by default for new users and can be re-enabled from your user settings if you've previously finished it. When it's active, you'll see an explanation of the page you're on and any related documentation links on the right side of your screen.

How do I use the Canvas course setup tutorial?