Course Communication

Owned by Christine Sandella
Last updated: Jun 12, 2024
2 min read

Announcements and Inbox are Canvas’s two communication tools. Announcements facilitates communicating with everyone in the course, while Inbox provides a direct email-like messaging system that is secure and easily sortable. Class members are notified via email when they are included in a message using either tool.

Canvas Announcements

Announcements allow instructors to communicate with students about course activities and post interesting course-related topics. Announcements are designed to allow instructors to broadcast information out to all members of a course or to all members of sections within a course. Students may be able to reply to announcements, but replies do not appear in the Inbox.

To post an announcement to your Canvas course:

  1. Click Announcements in your Canvas course navigation menu.

  2. Click the +Announcement button in the upper right-hand corner.

  3. Type your announcement in the rich content editor. Note, you can embed media, attach files, link within Canvas, format your announcement using headings for screen-reader compatibility, and more.

  4. Choose when you would like your announcement to post.

    1. You can schedule an announcement for a future date by clicking the box next to Delay Posting. If not selected, your announcement will post immediately.

  5. Select the options to allow users to comment on your announcement or like it, if applicable.

  6. Once you’ve selected your announcement options, click the Publish button.

Canvas Inbox

Inbox is a sortable and secure communication tool that allows you and your students to access your one-on-one communications (both instructor-student and student-student). To centralize your course communications, be sure to inform your students that they should contact you via Inbox rather than email. You will still receive email notifications when you are messaged via Inbox.

Use the Inbox to:

  • Send a message to someone in your course or group

  • Send a message to yourself (displays in your Sent folder)

  • Reply to messages from others in your course

  • Filter conversations by course or type

  • View and reply to assignment submission comments

To send messages via Canvas Inbox:

  1. Click Inbox on the left-hand Global Navigation menu.

  2. Click the pencil icon on the top right of the screen to compose a message.

  3. From the Course field dropdown menu, select the course to which you would like to send a message.

  4. In the To field, select the users to whom you would like to send a message. You can choose to send the message to all students by selecting Students from the menu, or you can select individual users who are enrolled in the course.

  5. Type your subject in the Subject field.

  6. Type your message in the Message box.

  7. Click the Send button to send your message. Students will receive the message in their Canvas Inbox, and will also receive a notification sent to their Seton Hall email, from which they will be able to respond.