CANVAS Vocabulary

LMS (Learning Management System)

Manages learners and is used for planning, delivering and managing all learning events in an organization including online, virtual classroom, and in person courses.

Pages

Pages are 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, links to your files and 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.

Assignments

An assignment is 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.

Announcements

Announcements is a communication tool that allows instructors to post announcements for all users in a course. Announcements can be created in courses and groups. Instructors can allow students to reply to announcements.

Virtual VIrginia

As a program of Virginia Department of Education, Virtual Virginia (VVA) offers online Advanced Placement (AP), world language, core academic, and elective courses to students throughout the Commonwealth. Virtual Virginia is designed to meet the needs of students who otherwise would be unable to take these courses due to a lack of availability or scheduling conflicts within their school.

Course Navigation

Course Navigation is a menu on the left side of a Canvas course. Course Navigation consists of navigation links directed to all the feature areas within a course. Instructors can customize Course Navigation for each course.

Course Card

Course cards show an overview of course information including the course name, course code, and term [1]. Each card can include up to four tabs [2], which represent the four main Canvas features for student course activity: Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Files.

Course

Courses are units of instruction in one subject that typically last one term. Courses can be created by Canvas admins or instructors. Users are typically enrolled in a course as a user or a teacher.

Discussions

Discussions is 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 Discussions content is public, and all course students can view and reply to a discussion.

FIles

Files are 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. Files can be public or private.

Global Navigation Menu

Global Navigation is 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.

Module

Modules 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.

Prerequisites

Setting prerequisites on a module means that a student must complete other modules before accessing the next module.

Dashboard

The Dashboard is a panel of content that acts as the Canvas default landing page and provides an overview of all Canvas activity for a user. The Dashboard 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 dashboardrse

Inbox

The Inbox in Canvas is called Conversations and is considered a global tool. It will display ALL messages from ALL your courses. You will not have a separate inbox for each course; however, you can filter messages by course.

Canvas

The LMS used by Franklin County Public Schools.

Rich Text Editor

The Rich Content Editor is 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.

Course Interface

The global navigation bar [1], navigation bar [2], Content area [3] (center of the screen), the course sidebar [4]

Course Sidebar

The sidebar is also part of your Course Home Page and helps you see what you need to do next in your course.

Unpublished

Unpublished in Canvas is draft state of an item until the instructor chooses to "publish" it, which then makes it available for general viewing.

Published

When an item it available for general viewing.