Using Canvas as both Instructor and Student

[beesonch]

I am an instructor who uses Canvas, but have recently enrolled in classes at the same university. How do I switch back and forth from using Canvas as an instructor and Canvas as a student? Thank you.

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @beesonch ,

You shouldn't have to do anything to switch. When you enter the course, Canvas will give you access to items within that course according to your role in that course.

You will get notifications, to-do list items, and etc. for both roles. 

[Chris_Hofer]

@beesonch ...

I'll just tag on to @TrishaMeyer1's response that people are first created as "users" within Canvas (no role such as "Teacher", "Student", etc.) is assigned at this account level.  When you are enrolled in a course, this is where you are assigned the role of "Teacher", "Student", etc.  So, it's entirely possible to be an instructor in one course and a student in another.  Hope this helps!

[paul_fynn]

@beesonch notwithstanding the useful contributions above, my advice is always that if you have student and non-student roles I would expect these to be reflected in two separate Canvas accounts as a matter of solid IT governance and practice at institutional level. Each should have distinct privileges and be independent of each other; this may also be reflected in distinct email identities that make it clear whether the account belongs to staff or students. This means that you log on separately to each. The only exception would be in-service training.

Should you change jobs but continue as a student, this then makes the appropriate management of access and privileges more straightforward. As an admin, separating identities allows me to see clearly where students have been added to inappropriate roles (which is a major Data risk) and do something about it.

Where students join our institution as part of the temps bank, or to support assessment or delivery, they have a separate Canvas staff account and a contract defining their data and other responsibilities.