Canvas for Instructors

Reusing your own course content

Instructors can copy/import content from previous courses to new course sections. This allows you to maintain consistency across semesters while saving valuable preparation time.  Guide on how to copy course content. 

Sharing course content with colleagues

Instructors may share their course content with other Instructors. To facilitate this, the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) requires written consent from the original instructor. The recipient must specify where to place the shared content in a live course or development shell (dev is recommended).

To request course sharing, email canvas@humboldt.edu with the following information:

• the name, number and semester of the course you are gifting (i.e., ART 437, spring 2023)
• the name of the person you are gifting it to — and please included them in the email

Teaching multiple sections of the same course or have lab/activity sections?

Cross-listing allows you to combine multiple section enrollments into a single course. This feature is ideal for:

• Instructors managing several sections of the same course
• Courses with associated lab/activity sections

Benefits:

• Manage all course content in one location
• Streamline grading processes
• Provide students with a unified experience for lecture and lab materials

Important: Cross-listing must be completed while courses are unpublished. Since coursework is tied to the course (not section enrollments), cross-listing published courses will result in the loss of existing assignment submissions and grades.

To cross-list your courses, complete our Cross-list Request Form or email us at canvas@humboldt.edu.

If you have a student who needs access to a previous course to complete an Incomplete, please email canvas@humboldt.edu with: 

• Student’s Name
• Student ID
• Completion deadline
• Course name, number, and term  

Upon receiving your request, the Canvas administrator will set up an incomplete section in the course. For additional information see Handling Incompletes in Canvas page or email us.

On August 1, Design Tools will upgrade to DesignPLUS in Canvas.  This amazing upgrade allows for users to create accessible and engaging content.  

This upgrade comes with a redesigned user-friendly interface, more pre-built template content, and more options for customizing the look and feel of course content.

Enroll in Get Started with DesignPLUS to learn more about how you can reimagine your course content with this new tool.

Canvas offers three different types of courses to meet various educational needs. Understanding the differences between these course types will help you choose the right one for your specific purpose.

Live Courses

Live courses are automatically created for scheduled classes with enrolled students. These courses are populated with students approximately one week before the term begins. Canvas administrators cannot create live courses.

Manually Created Courses

Manually created courses are typically used to facilitate training, programs, and resources that are not tied to official class enrollments. These courses can be created by Canvas administrators and are ideal for workshops, faculty development, or resource sharing. Users can be manually added to these courses, making them flexible for various instructional needs outside the standard curriculum.

Development Courses

Development courses provide space for course preparation and content development. Students cannot be added to these courses, allowing instructors to edit and test content without affecting the actual course. This type of course serves as a safe environment to experiment with Canvas features and course design. Once content is ready, it can be imported into either live or manually created courses. Request a development course.

1. What are external apps and integrations? 
   They are tools that add additional features in Canvas, e.g., H5P, Turnitin, Zoom, and TurningPoint Technology (Clickers), etc.
2. What kind of support is available for external apps? 
   Support for External Apps in Canvas
3. How do I request a new external/integrated app? 
   Please submit a software request to CSUBUY Procure-to-Pay for approval. After approval please email us at ctl@humboldt.edu. Please plan ahead and submit your request at least one month in advance of when you need it.

Don't hesitate to explore Instructure Canvas guides or visit the CTL instructor Canvas guides. These guides contain step-by-step instructions and videos to help with creating content and structure, assessments and activities, grading, and communication and collaboration in your course.