Canvas Glossary

Courses

Units of instruction in one subject that typically last one term. These can be created by Canvas admins or instructors. Users are typically enrolled in a course as a user or a teacher. Click the Courses button in the left sidebar to see your courses.

Groups

A collaborative tool where students can work together on group projects and assignments. They enable you to separate students into smaller course units. Groups can be created for students or by students to enable efficient collaboration. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Groups

Announcements

A communication tool that allows instructors to post announcements for all users in a course. Announcements can be created in courses and groups. Canvas admins can also make announcements for an entire Canvas account. Instructors can allow students to reply to announcements. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Announcements

Calendar

A communication tool that shows users all events and assignments in their courses and groups all in one place. You can export a calendar feed for use on other calendar applications. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Calendar

Discussions

A forum designed to facilitate informal communication between students in a course. Discussions can also be created as assignments for grading purposes. Students can also respond to informal and graded discussions in the context of a group. All course students can view and reply to a discussion. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Discussions

SpeedGrader

A grading tool that helps instructors evaluate student work. SpeedGrader allows you to view and grade student assignment submissions in one place using a simple point scale or complex rubric. You can use rubrics for fast assessment and leave text, video, and audio comments for their students. SpeedGrader is also available as a Canvas mobile app on iOS and Android devices. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_SpeedGrader

Course Navigation

A menu on the left side of a Canvas course. It consists of navigation links directed to all the feature areas within a course. Instructors can customize Course Navigation for each course. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Course_Navigation

People

Displays all users enrolled in a course, along with lots of information about their activities in Canvas. Instructors can click a student's name to view a summary of their activity in a course. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_People

Dashboard

A panel of content that acts as the Canvas default landing page and provides an overview of all Canvas activity for a user. It shows all courses and groups, recent activity, to-do items, upcoming assignments, and recent feedback. It's typically the first screen you see when your first log in to Canvas. Click the Dashboard button on the left sidebar to go to your dashboard. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4431

Rich Content Editor

A word processor that you use to create and format content within Canvas. You use it almost everywhere to create your pages and other course objects. A.K.A RCE https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Rich_Content_Editor

Notifications

Allow users to determine where and when they will be notified about activity in Canvas. Each Canvas user can adjust the Notification Preferences in their Profile to content them via email or SMS on a schedule that fits their individual needs. Some users will want to be notified of course events on a more regular basis than others. Notifications are set for an entire user's account, not on an individual course basis. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Notification_Preferences

Canvas Community

An external resource provided by Canvas for all Canvas customers. The Canvas Community includes the Canvas Guides, which provides all Canvas documentation and videos, Canvas Feature Ideas, community groups, and more. https://community.canvaslms.com/welcome

Assignments

Any activity assessment that is created by the instructor. Assignments can include Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes. Some assignments are submitted for no grade. Other assignments may be submitted offline by tracked in the Canvas Gradebook or be submitted online. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Assignments

Quizzes

Assignments that can be used to challenge student understanding and assess comprehension of course material. The quiz tool is used to create and administer online quizzes and surveys. You can also use quizzes to conduct and moderate exams and assessments, both graded and ungraded. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Quizzes

Gradebook

Stores information about student progress in Canvas. Canvas includes two types of gradebooks: a standard gradebook that provides a collection of numerical or letter-grade assessments, and a Learning Mastery Gradebook that compiles assessments based on learning standards and outcomes. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Grades

ePortfolios

Allow students to showcase their best work to colleagues and prospective employers. They also make it possible for students to create light-weight websites or presentations. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_ePortfolios

Student View

Allows you to see the course as a student views it and create a Test Student for your course. You can use Student View to see how your students view assignments, discussions, quizzes, and other areas of Canvas. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2976

Activity Stream

Displays all recent activity in Canvas. There are two types in Canvas: Global and Course. The Global Activity Stream is part of the Dashboard and shows recent activity for all courses. The Course Activity Stream is part of a Course Home Page and shows recent activity for a specific course. https//community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1951

Canvas

Learning Management System (LMS) made by Instructure, Inc.

Outcomes

Statements that describe skills, understandings, and attitudes that learners will develop during a course or program. Instructors can specify learning outcomes for their courses and track student progress based on measured standards rather than letter grades. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Outcomes

Course Home Page

The first page that students see in a course. It can be customized to display content based on an instructor's preference. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2554

Global Navigation

The menu that appears on every Canvas page. Global Navigation consists of navigation links that direct users to frequently-used features in Canvas. A big part of Canvas's Global Navigation is the sidebar on every page. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Global_Navigation

Modules

These allow you to organize your content to help control the flow of your course. They are used to organize course content by weeks, units, or a different organizational structure that works for your course. With modules, you are essentially creating a one-directional linear flow of what you would like your students to do. Each module can contain files, discussions, assignments, quizzes, and other learning materials that you would like to use. You can easily add items to your module that you have already created in the course or create new content shells within the modules. Course content can be added to multiple modules or iterated several times throughout an individual module. Modules can be easily organized using the drag and drop feature. Elements within the modules can also be reorganized by dragging and dropping. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Modules

Help

This is part of Global Navigation and helps users get help in Canvas at any time. You can find it at the bottom left corner of your page. Click it to learn more.

Syllabus

This makes it easy to communicate to your students exactly what will be required of them throughout the course in chronological order. You can also set the syllabus as your course home page. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Syllabus

Pages

Where you can put content and educational resources that are part of your course but don't necessarily belong in an assignment, or that you want to refer to in multiple assignments. This is a place where you can include text, video, and links to your files. You can even make links to other pages. Pages can also be used as a collaboration tool where you can create class wikis and set specific user access for each page. Canvas keeps the entire history of the page so you can see how it changes over time. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Pages

Files

Where you upload course files, syllabi, readings, or other documents. As an instructor, you can lock the folders so students cannot access your files. Files can be placed in Modules, Assignments, or Pages. Files and folders are put in alphabetical order and cannot be rearranged. Canvas provides a file repository for each user, group, and course. Files can be public or private. You can add files to your course and share them with your students to access and use during the course. https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4131#jive_content_id_Files