You can communicate with students inside Canvas by using Announcements or Canvas Inbox.

Announcements

Announcements send a message that is broadcast within your course.

To create an Announcement, click on the Announcements tab, click the +Announcement button, and write your message using the Rich Content Editor. The message will immediately be sent, unless you check the delay posting box and specify a date/time.

Uses for announcements:

  • Welcome message to students in Week 1
  • Alert to a last-minute scheduling change (e.g., canceling class)
  • Expectations reminders (e.g., bring laptops to class)
  • Weekly summaries highlighting key points
  • Direct students to resources related to the current week’s topics

If students turn on their notification settings, they will receive an email or text message about your announcement. This setting is turned on by default, but each individual user can turn off their own notifications. Regardless of these settings, students can view your announcement in the Announcements tab, their Recent Activity Dashboard, and Recent Activity Feed.

Tips for ensuring you and your students receive each others’ messages:

  • To ensure that students receive an email regardless of their Canvas Announcement settings, use ISC Classlists to send an email blast.
  • Students will not receive a notification for announcements sent before the term has begun. To message students before the start of the semester, use ISC Classlists.
  • To receive a notification email when students reply to an announcement, confirm that you have the Announcement Created By You notification turned on in your notification settings.

Notifications will never be sent for an announcement in an unpublished or concluded course. Make sure that your course is published and situated within an active Term.

Inbox

The Inbox allows you to message students privately. You can message one student, a group, or the entire class.

You can access Canvas Inbox by clicking Inbox in the global navigation menu on the left side of your dashboard. This feature looks similar to an email portal. You can use the drop-down menu to sort messages by course and status.

Click the Compose icon in the top menu bar to send a message. You will then be prompted to select the course containing the student(s) you need to message. In the To field, use the address book to choose your recipients. Compose the message, attach any files or media, and click Send.

A badge notification displays above the Inbox icon when there is an unread Inbox message. Students will be notified via email only if their Conversation notifications are turned on.

If you want to send a message to the entire class and ensure that students receive an email, use ISC Classlists. This is a great way to communicate with students before your course is published in Canvas.

Criteria-based messaging

The Inbox has a built-in feature linked to the course Gradebook that allows you to message students who meet a specific criterion for an assignment:

  • Have not submitted
  • Have not been graded
  • Scored less than [X]
  • Scored more than [X]

Each student will receive an individual message. Access Message students who… from the Assignment Options Menu (three dots) at the top of a Gradebook column.

Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.