Get started with accessing and setting up your course in Canvas quickly. Below you will find basic instructions on accessing the course site, posting a syllabus, adding files, and publishing the course site.
Get Started:
Access a Canvas Course
Log into PirateNet using your Seton Hall credentials.
Search for and click on the Canvas app.
On your Canvas Dashboard, the card view will display course cards for quick access to all of your courses. The sidebar shows various activities from your courses.
Note: If your course is not listed on your Canvas Dashboard, you might not be listed as the Instructor of Record in Banner. Please contact your department for assistance.
Post the Syllabus
To paste your syllabus:
Copy the content of your syllabus.
In the course navigation menu, click Syllabus.
In the right-hand sidebar, click Edit. This opens the rich text editor.
Paste your syllabus content, and then click Update Syllabus.
To upload a syllabus file:
In the course navigation menu, click Syllabus.
In the right-hand sidebar, click Edit Syllabus Description.
In the Content Pane, click the Files tab.
Click Upload a new file, and then browse for your syllabus file.
Click Upload. A link to the syllabus file will appear in the rich content editor.
Below the rich content editor, click Update Syllabus.
You can use the syllabus tool as an organizational tool by creating an interactive syllabus which links to other course components, such as readings, videos, modules, and assignments. With interactive syllabi, students only have to go to one page on your course to access all other content. Learn how to use the Canvas Syllabus Tool.
Add Content
As an instructor, Files allows you to create a repository of files related to your course. You can upload one or multiple files, publish and unpublish files, and set restriction to files. Organize your files using the folders feature. Learn how to upload files in Canvas.
In the course navigation menu, click Files.
In the right-hand sidebar, click Upload.
Find and click the title of the file that you would like to upload, then click the Open button. You can also drag and drop files from a file window directly into the Canvas file repository.
Validate Course Links
Before you make a course visible to students, verify links to course content throughout your course to ensure they are valid. You can check these links using the course link validator, which searches through course content and returns invalid or unresponsive course content links in both published and unpublished content. Please note, some links flagged as unresponsive are inaccessible by Canvas servers but will still work for students.
Click Settings in the menu.
On the right-hand sidebar, click Validate Links in Content.
Click the Start Link Validation button.
Canvas will list any pages that have invalid links. Click on a page title to edit the page and fix the link. (Note: Old Blackboard course links will no longer work within Canvas.)
Once you have updated the list, click the Restart Link Validation button.
View the Course in Student-View
The Student View feature allows you to determine what your course looks like from a student’s perspective. You can access the Student View button from multiple places within your course.
To enable Student View:
Go to Settings in your course navigation.
Click the Student View button.
Once you have click the Student View button, you will be able to access your course as a fully functional test student.
When you are viewing course content from the student view, you will see a pink border at the bottom of your screen. The Reset Student button will delete your test student's progress so you can reset and resubmit assessments that you are testing. To leave student view and go back to your instructor view, click the Leave Student View button.
Publish the Course
When courses are initially created in the system, they are not published. Students are not able to view or access unpublished courses. Publishing your course in Canvas does not automatically publish all the content. Published content in Canvas will have a green check on the right side of the item. If an item has grey circle with a line though it, it is unpublished. Students will only be able to view published materials. In order to enable students' ability to access a course and its contents, follow the steps below:
Publish an item:
When viewing an item, click the circle with the line through it on the right-hand side. This will publish the item and a green check will appear.
Publish a module:
On the right-hand side of any module name, click the circle with the line through. A menu will appear.
From this menu, you can choose to publish the module and all its items, or just publish the module and leave individual items unpublished.
Publish a course:
From your Canvas Dashboard, click into the unpublished course card.
In the right-hand sidebar, click the Publish button.
Faculty FAQs
Which browser should I use?
For best performance, Use the current version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. View more information about supported browsers.
How do I log into Canvas?
Log into PirateNet using your Seton Hall credentials. Then, search for and click on the Canvas chiclet.
How do I navigate Canvas?
The global navigation menu is located on the far left-side of the screen and is visible from all pages. It contains links to your profile, dashboard, courses, calendar, inbox, history, and help.
For more information about navigating Canvas, watch the Canvas walkthrough video on Global Navigation or read more about the Global Menu.
What is the Dashboard?
The Dashboard is the first area you will see when you log into Canvas. The Dashboard provides a clear view of the activity happening in your current courses. View the Dashboard Guide.
How do I navigate inside a course?
The Course Navigation Menu is a series of links directly on the left side of your course that help you and your students access different course areas. The Course Navigation Menu is visible on all course pages. View the navigation walkthrough video.
How do I add a profile picture in my account?
Images should be square in size to prevent your picture from being resized or distorted. Files can be any size or type (.jpg, .png, .gif) as long as you have room in your personal files to store the file. It is recommended that the photo be as small as possible. View the profile photo guide.
How do I setup notifications about activity in my courses?
Canvas includes a set of default notification settings you can receive for your courses. However, you can set your own notification settings. These custom settings only apply to you; they are not used to control how course updates are sent to other users. View the Canvas notification guide.
All Canvas notifications are sent from notifications@instructure.com.
How can I use Canvas on my mobile device?
The Canvas Teacher mobile app allows faculty to facilitate their courses on the go. Through Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes, this app provides quick access to grading, communicating, and updating—three of the most frequent course facilitation tasks for faculty. Canvas Teacher is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Follow the mobile guide for faculty to install the Canvas Teacher App.
Do not use the mobile browser for viewing courses.
Explore the Canvas Community’s in-depth mobile guides for Android and iOS.
How do I set a time zone in my course?
All dates and times throughout a course are displayed according to the course time zone. Courses automatically default to the account time zone.
How do I create a course site?
Every course listed with the University Registrar has a Canvas course site automatically created. Any student who registers for a class automatically appears in the course’s roster.
Note: If your course is not listed in Canvas, you might not be listed as the Instructor of Record in Banner. Please contact your department for assistance.
How do I enroll students into my course?
For academic courses, student enrollments for your course are populated from SIS to Canvas. It can take up to 24 hours for new enrollments added in SIS to populate or drop from your Canvas site. You cannot manually add students to your academic course.
How do I publish a course (i.e., make it available to students)?
In order for students to view and access your course, you must publish it. You may also unpublish a course if you want to hide it from students. However, once your course contains a graded submission, you cannot unpublish it.
Note: Each semester, a term date is set. This date should not be changed. Even if you publish your course early, students will not be able to view it before the term date.
Why can’t students see my course?
Your course many not be published. Follow the steps outlined above to publish it or review Canvas' how-to article on publishing a course.
How can I see my course from the student’s point of view?
You can view a course the same way that your students view your course through Student View. Enabling Student View creates a Test Student in your course. You can also activate Student View in your Course Settings. Student View will show you if the content is published, locked, or otherwise made unavailable to students. Follow the steps outlined in Canvas' how-to article to see your course from a student’s perspective: View the course in Student View.
How do I merge two courses that I’m teaching?
If any of your academic courses need to be merged in advance of term start, please open a support ticket. Be sure to include the names and course numbers that need to be merged.
Note: Only cross listed courses will be merged. Request merges before courses open to students whenever possible.
What is the best way to organize my Canvas course?
There are a few different ways you can organize your course content in Canvas. The article, Organize Your Course Content, provides a brief overview of the tools available and additional resources on how to use the tool.
If you would like further assistance or would like to discuss options, please contact your Instructional Designer Liaison.