The following are steps to set up your Canvas course site before the beginning of a term.

If you need help with any of the steps below, contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.

Request a Course Site

All Canvas sites are created upon request. If a course you are teaching is not already in Canvas, visit the Request a Canvas Site page to locate the Course Request Form for your school.

After the Courseware Team creates your site, it will appear on your Canvas Dashboard, and the status will be marked Complete on the request form. If you have customized your courses displayed in Canvas, you may need to check the Courses tab to locate your new site.

Copy Content from Other Canvas Sites

If you did not request to have content copied from an existing Canvas site when requesting your new site, or if you want to bring in materials from other Canvas sites at any point in the semester, use Canvas’s Course Import Tool.

When importing content, choose Select Specific Content rather than copying an entire course to avoid excessively duplicating uploaded files. After importing content, review all copied material and be sure to:

  • Revise dates to reflect the current semester
  • Update assignment settings that don’t copy automatically
    • If you use group assignments, they must be linked to an existing group set in the People menu.
    • If you use Turnitin, open each assignment, update the due dates, and re-enable any optional settings.
  • Check visibility of content
    • Publish or unpublish any assignments, quizzes, discussions, or modules as needed.
    • Review the visibility settings of any course files.
  • Copy over Panopto videos
    • If you intend to reuse videos from Panopto/Class Recordings from a prior semester, follow the Copying Video Content directions.
    • Panopto will create a new folder linked to the new site, and you can make reference videos copies visible to your new class.

Update the Course Menu

The course navigation menu is the list of tools on the left side of any screen inside your course. The top item will always be Home, but the additional items can be customized and reordered to enable only the tools students will need. Click Settings at the bottom of the course navigation menu, then click the Navigation tab.

Drag and drop items to reorder the navigation links, or use the Move To option by clicking the Options (three dots) icon and selecting the Move link.

navigation page with groups of enabled and disabled menu items

Enable tools, such as Zoom, Class Recordings, and Ed Discussion, by moving them from the hidden section at the bottom of this page up to the main navigation area. 

Move unused tools to the hidden section to simplify the menu for students. Any tools listed in this section will not be available to students, though teachers and TAs can still see them. 

Save your changes at the bottom of the page when finished.

Request Library Content & Services

If you would like to have content from the Penn Libraries’ Course Reserves service added to your Canvas site, use Leganto to curate your content or get help from the Course Reserves team.

Set Your Homepage

The homepage defaults to the Modules layout in new Canvas sites that do not contain copied content. However, you can choose your preferred homepage, including a customized Front Page, the Syllabus, the Assignments list, or a list of Modules.

If no modules exist when the course site is published, Canvas will prompt you to publish a module or choose a different homepage layout.

Set Up Your Gradebook

If you want Canvas to calculate and communicate grades to students (recommended), you must configure the gradebook settings. For detailed directions, refer to the Setting Up the Gradebook page.

Review Your Course Site

Before publishing your Canvas site, ensure that all links are functional, your content is accessible, and no items are unintentionally hidden from or visible to students:

  • Use the Link Validator to ensure all links work correctly: Select Settings on the course menu, then Validate Links in Content. Start Link Validation to review all course links. Any broken links or links to past Canvas sites will be flagged so you can fix them.
  • Check accessibility: Anywhere you can access the Rich Content Editor (e.g., Pages, Assignments, Announcements, Discussions, and Classic Quizzes), you can use the accessibility checker to review that content. Errors will be flagged with recommended fixes.
  • Test using Student View: Select the Student View button at the top right corner to view the site as a student. Make sure the course menu is set up the way you want and that you cannot access any files, assignments, or pages that should be hidden from students. You can also practice submitting available assignments and quizzes as students would. Click Leave Student View at the bottom of the page to exit. 
  • Check your site’s look on the Canvas mobile app if you expect students to interact with your course site from their mobile devices. Log into your course on the mobile app, then select Student View from the bottom of the menu.

If you need help fixing issues with your Canvas site, contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.

Publish Your Course Site

Students are automatically added to Canvas course sites but can’t access course content until the site is published. Publish your course site when you are ready for students to have access.

Post a Welcome Announcement

The Announcements tab in Canvas course navigation only becomes visible to students after an announcement has been posted.

If you plan to use Announcements in your course, we recommend posting a course welcome message so the tab becomes visible to students.

Getting Help

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