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In this lesson, you’ll learn how to add terms and set term dates to manage course access for users. You will also learn how to create a grading period set, associate it with a term, and create a grading period within that set.
Terms can only be created at the root account level. Once terms are created, grading periods will allow you to establish date ranges for grade reporting.
Notes:
- You can create terms using the SIS Import Tool, but not grading periods.
- Term access dates can only be added manually.
- This lesson outlines a manual process for uploading information in your account. To learn more about using the Canvas API to automatically integrate with your SIS, talk with your CSM and visit the Canvas Guides, review Canvas API documentation, and visit the Canvas Developers Group in the Canvas Community.
Lesson 3 Outline
Terms
What are Terms?
Terms define start and end dates that apply to any course added to that term. For that reason, term dates should be set before adding courses to your account. Terms can be created manually or by using SIS imports.
Additionally, terms are used to filter data in account analytics and account reports.
Add New Term
To manually add a term to your account:
- Click the Terms link in Account Navigation.
- Click the Add New Term link.
Add Term Details
In the Term Details page, add the following information:
- Term Name: Enter a name to display in the Terms page and in the Course Settings page
- SIS ID (Optional): Enter an ID associated with SIS data to enhance searching and filtering for terms in an account
- Term Runs From Dates: Specify the beginning and end dates for your term
- User Can Access Dates (Optional): Enter beginning and end dates that specify when course-level users can access courses within the term. Learn more about user access dates.
Notes:
- Canvas includes a default term that cannot be removed or renamed.
- Use caution when editing Term Runs from and User can access dates, as the fields cannot be left empty they are edited.
- Instructors and students cannot view the Terms page, so please ensure users in your institution are aware of term dates for your institution publicly.
- Not all courses within a term conform to the term dates. Learn more about course dates and section start dates.
Grading Periods
What are grading periods?
Grading periods specify date ranges used for student grade reporting. Student grades are calculated using course assignment scores with due dates that fall within the grading period’s start and end date range. Grading period close dates prevent grade modification after a specified date.
Grading periods are created within grading period sets. When creating a grading period set, you can associate it with terms, and any courses within that term automatically inherit the grading periods.
Add Grading Period Set
To create a grading period set:
- Click the Grading link in Account Navigation.
- Click the Add Set of Grading Periods button.
Add Grading Period Set Details
Enter or select the following details for your grading period set:
- Set name: Enter a searchable name to display in the Grading Periods page.
- Attach terms: Type and select a term name(s) to associate with the grading period. Courses associated the selected terms inherit grading period set dates.
- Weighted grading periods (optional): Assign a weight to individual grading periods.
- Display totals for All Grading Periods (optional): Allow users to view total grades and any assignment group totals in a course associated with the grading period set.
When you are done entering grading period set details, click the Create button [5].
Add Grading Period
Your grading period set displays on the Grading Periods page. To add one or more grading periods to your grading period set, click the Add Grading Period link.
Add Grading Period Details
Add the following for each grading period you wish to include in a grading set:
- Grading Period Title: differentiate between grading periods
- Start Date and End Date: specify start and end dates for the grading period; any course assignment that falls within these dates will be included in the student’s reported grade
- Close Date: specify a date when reported grades can no longer be modified for the grading period
When finished, click the Save button [4].
Learn more about adding grading periods and viewing existing grading periods in an account.
Additional Resources
Canvas Guides
For more in-depth information about the topics covered in this chapter, check out the Canvas Admin Guides chapters on Terms and Grading.
You can also watch the Canvas Admin overview videos about Terms and Grading Periods.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an online community of Canvas users from around the world. It houses a space for Questions and Answers about Canvas and a variety of groups, including the Canvas Administration group.
Up Next in Lesson 4: Grading and Learning Standards
You may prefer to configure your account to standardize learning expectations and measurements as much as possible. In the next lesson, you’ll learn about the following:
Grading Schemes
- Grading schemes establish the criteria ratings used to measure student achievement in a course. This helps ensure that student grades are based on a standardized scale.
- Accounts can house multiple grading schemes, and a course can enable one grading scheme to measure student achievement.
Outcomes
- Outcomes are statements that describe the knowledge and skills students will gain from the courses they take at your institution.
- You can provide outcomes for a variety of subjects, skills, and courses at the account level. Instructors can then find and apply account-level outcomes in their courses.
Rubrics
- Rubrics are tools used to measure student growth and achievement on individual assignments in a course.
- You can create a standard set of rubrics for instructors to use across courses.
Question Banks
- Canvas allows users to create question banks, or quiz question repositories. Questions can be grouped and saved for easy access and use when creating a new quiz.
- You can create question banks for instructors to use in their courses, ensuring that students across courses can be assessed on standardized quiz questions.
In this lesson you’ll learn how to create grading scales, learning standards, rubrics, and question banks for users in your account. The items you create in this lesson standardize learning expectations for student growth and learning measurements. Instructors, course designers, and others who manage course content in your account will have access to these items for use in their courses.
Lesson 4 Quick Links
Grading Schemes
What is a grading scheme?
A grading scheme is a set of criteria used to measure student achievement in a course. Without a grading scheme, student scores are not measured against a specific standard.
Account Grading Schemes
To access your account grading schemes page, click the Grading link in Account Navigation [1]. Then click the Schemes tab [2].
Create a Grading Scheme
To add a grading scheme, click the Add grading scheme button.
Grading schemes are built based on percentage ranges, which are each assigned a name value. To create your grading scheme:
- Enter a name for your grading scheme
- Edit the name for each percentage range
- Edit the percentage range for each item
- Click the Save button
Once a grading scheme is created for your account, it can be linked to courses. However, once a grading scheme has been used to assess a student, the scheme cannot be edited.
Learn more about adding grading schemes and managing grading schemes in an account.
Outcomes
What are outcomes?
Outcomes are statements that describe the knowledge and skills that learners will develop during a course or program. As an admin, you can create outcomes at the account level that instructors may use to measure student progress in a course in your account.
Create Outcome Groups
To create an outcome group for your account outcomes:
- Click the Add Group button.
- Type a name for the group in the New Outcome Group field.
- Provide a description for the outcome group in the Describe this group field.
- Click the Save button.
Add Outcome
To create an outcome within your outcome group:
- Click the Add Outcome button.
- Type a name for the outcome in the New Outcome field.
- Type a description for the outcome in the Describe this outcome field.
- Click the Edit icon to edit criterion rating names and points.
- Enter a Mastery at value.
- Set Calculation method options.
- Click the Save button.
Learn more about creating an outcome.
Import Outcomes
You can also import outcomes to your account using a CSV file upload. View the required Outcomes CSV format.
Once your CSV file is correctly configured, click the Import button.
Drag and drop your CSV file to the upload area or click in the upload area to choose a file from your computer.
Learn more about importing outcomes to your account.
Rubrics
What is a rubric?
A rubric is an assessment tool for communicating expectations and measuring student mastery on a course assignment or assessment. Rubrics are typically comprised of rows and columns. Assessed criteria are defined in rows. Columns are used to define levels of performance for each criterion.
Account Rubrics
To access the rubrics page in your account, click the Outcomes link in Account Navigation [1]. Then click the Manage Rubrics button [2].
Create Rubric
To create a rubric:
- Click the Add Rubric button.
- Enter a title in the Title field.
- Click the Edit icon to edit criteria names and ratings
- Click the Add Criterion link to add new criterion or duplicate existing criterion in the rubric.
- Click the Find Outcome link to add outcomes to the rubric.
- When done, click the Create Rubric button.
Learn more about creating rubrics and managing rubrics in your account.
Question Banks
What are question banks?
Question banks are quiz question repositories. When creating a quiz, users can access question bank questions, making it easier to offer the same quiz questions to students in different courses.
Account Question Banks
To access the Question Banks page in your course, click the Question Banks link in Account Navigation.
Add Question Bank
You must create a new question bank before creating quiz questions.
- Click the Add Question Bank button.
- Enter a name in the Bank Name field.
- Press Enter on your PC or Return on your Mac.
Add Questions to Question Bank
To add a question to your question bank, click the bank name.
From the question bank details page:
- Click the Add a question button in the sidebar.
- Enter question details.
- When done, click the Update Question button.
Learn more about creating a question bank.
Learn more about managing account level question banks.
Additional Resources
Canvas Guides
For more in-depth information about the topics covered in this chapter, check out the Canvas Admin Guides chapters on Terms and Grading.
You can also watch the Canvas Admin overview videos about Terms and Grading Periods.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an online community of Canvas users from around the world. It houses a space for Questions and Answers about Canvas and a variety of groups, including the Canvas Administration group.
Up Next in Lesson 5: My Account's Brand and Functionality
In the next lesson, you’ll learn about how you can customize the look and functionality of your account for all users.
Custom Branding
- Canvas can be customized to the look and feel of your institution.
- Using the Canvas Theme Editor, you can give Canvas the facelift it needs to fit in with your institution either by manually updating branding themes or with CSS or JS uploads.
Canvas Feature Options
- Each institution is unique, and Canvas functionality should match the needs of your institution.
- You can enable Canvas feature options for accounts and courses at your institution.
Eternal Tools
- Canvas can integrate with a variety of specialized teaching and learning tools to make education more fun, interesting, applicable, and memorable.
- You can enable external tools for your entire account.
Now that you have established your account’s settings, added account data, and customized your account, you’re ready to add course-level users to your account. In this lesson you’ll learn how to manage course-level user roles, create courses, and add enrollments in your account. You should only add users and enrollments to your account once your account after completing all of the previous lessons.
Note: You can bulk upload course-level users and course enrollments using the SIS Import Tool.
Lesson 6 Outline
Course Level User Roles and Permissions
After adding admins to your account and establishing your account basics, you are ready to create course-level user roles. A user role defines what a user can do and establishes their permissions within Canvas. When you add a user to Canvas, you must specify their user role. Therefore, user roles with defined permissions must exist in an account before a user can be added.
By default, Canvas includes five course-level user roles: student, teacher, TA, designer, and observer. Each role has preset permissions that determine its level of access to courses and course materials in Canvas. For example, students and parent observers typically do not create quizzes in a course, but teachers, TAs, and course designers likely do. Therefore, some user roles have restricted access to course permissions based on their typical role and responsibilities at an institution. Your institution may also require the need for other course-level users with varying access. You can create additional course-level user roles and preselect their Canvas permissions.
View more information about course-level permissions.
Manage Course-level User Roles
To view and manage course-level user roles in your account:
- Click the Permissions link in Account Navigation.
- Click the Course Roles tab.
- View existing user roles at the top of the Permissions page.
To manage course-level user role permissions:
- Locate the user role on the Permissions page.
- Click the icon next to the name of the permission.
- Select an option from the Permission menu.
You can also create new course-level user roles [7]. Learn how to add course-level user roles in your account.
Courses
The most efficient way to add users to your account is to enroll them directly in a course. You can add courses to your account using the SIS Import tool or create courses manually.
If you have already added courses to your account, skip to the next section.
View Courses
Click the Courses link in Account Navigation [1]. If you have already added courses, you can view them on the Courses page [2].
Create New Courses
To add a new course to your account:
- Click the Add Course button.
- Enter a name for your course in the Course Name field. This displays on the Courses page and on course users’ dashboards.
- Enter a course reference code in the Reference Code field.
- Click the Subaccount drop-down menu and select a sub-account from the list.
- Click the Enrollment Term drop-down menu and select the period during which the course will take place
- Click the Add Course button.
Course Enrollments
All courses in your account display on the Courses page. You can enroll (or add) new and existing users in a course. Canvas can identify new user information when you create course enrollments, and new users will automatically be added to your account when they are enrolled in a course.
View Course
Locate your new course in Courses. If needed, you can filter and search for courses on the Courses page [1].
Once located, click the name of the course to view the course homepage [2].
View Course People Page
Click the People link in Course Navigation [1], and click the Add People button [2].
Add Course Enrollments
To add enrollments in a course:
- Select the Add user(s) by method.
- Enter user information, separating user details with a comma.
- Select the course role for the users you are adding from the Role drop-down menu.
- Select the section to which the enrollments will belong (if applicable)
- Select whether users can only interact with users in their section
- Click the Next button.
Add People to Account
If a user you are adding in a course does not already exist in your account, you can add their user information to add them to your account. Click the Click to add a name link and enter the user’s information [1].
When ready, click the Next button [2].
Add Users
Click the Add Users button.
When a user is manually added to a course in an account, Canvas generates an account invitation email. The user is invited to complete the account registration process by creating a password. Once the user has an account, they can then accept a course invitation.
When users are added to a course manually, they can open the course invitation link in their email to view a preview of the Canvas course. To officially accept, they must click the Accept button in the Canvas interface. However, if you prefer to disable course previews and have users automatically join the course when they view the Canvas course, please contact your Customer Success Manager to disable invitation previews.
Additional Resources
Canvas Guides
For more in-depth information about the topics covered in this chapter, check out the Canvas Admin Guides chapters on Terms and Grading.
You can also watch the Canvas Admin overview videos about Terms and Grading Periods.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an online community of Canvas users from around the world. It houses a space for Questions and Answers about Canvas and a variety of groups, including the Canvas Administration group.
In this chapter you’ll learn how to use the Theme Editor, how to enable feature options available at the account and course levels, and how to integrate external applications for your account.
Lesson 5 Outline
Custom Branding
The Canvas Theme Editor tool allows you to customize the display colors for text, buttons, and links using hex codes. You can also upload custom images and watermarks to display in your Canvas instance.
By default, the Theme Editor is only enabled in an institution’s root account and all sub-accounts adopt the root account theme. However, the tool can be enabled in sub-accounts, allowing for sub-account theme customization. Any design element not changed in a sub-account theme inherits the account-level design.
Additionally, the Theme Editor supports custom cascading style sheets (CSS) and JavaScript (JS) uploads. Your CSM can enable this option in your account. Before using this option in your account, learn about CSS/JS restrictions in Canvas.
Open Themes
To customize the theme for your account, click the Themes link in Account Navigation [1].
The Themes page displays customizable templates [2]. Hover over a template and click the Open in Theme Editor button [3]. You can also click the Add Theme button [4] and select a theme from the list [5].
Theme Editor
The Theme Editor’s Edit sidebar displays four sections. Click the Arrow icon next to the section name to view the customizable options in each section.
- Global Branding: Customize colors for text, links, and buttons throughout Canvas. These colors display on the Canvas Dashboard and in courses.
- Global Navigation: Customize the look of the Global Navigation Menu that persists throughout Canvas.
- Watermarks & Other Images: Upload images to display throughout Canvas and in Canvas mobile apps.
- Login Screen: Customize text and background colors, and add custom images to display on your institution’s Canvas login screen.
If CSS/JS is enabled in your account, you can customize your institution’s Canvas instance and mobile applications by uploading a CSS or JavaScript file. Click the Upload tab [1]. Then click the Select button to upload a CSS or JavaScript file [2].
View Theme
The Theme Editor displays a sample page where you can view any changes made using the customization tools. To preview your customizations, click the Preview Your Changes button [1].
To save your changes, click the Save theme button [2].
Once your theme has been saved, you can apply it to your account. To apply your customizations, click the Apply theme button [3].
Learn more about creating themes for an account.
Learn more about managing themes for an account.
Canvas Feature Options
Canvas is continually creating new features to improve your experience. The majority of improvements are made available as part of the regular release cycle. However, some features may change the workflow for common activities in Canvas during your current term. Because we want your account to function according to your institution’s needs and we want you to learn about these features at your own pace, you can manage some Canvas features from your Account Settings. Feature options allow you to choose if and when you want to enable a new feature for your institution. Most institutions pilot the feature within their institution and then enable it for the entire institution between terms.
View Feature Options
To view available features, click the Settings link in Account Navigation [1]. Then click the Feature Options tab [2].
Feature options are divided into two sections:
- Account [3]: Only account admins can view account feature options. Feature options trickle down, meaning that if an option is enabled at the root account, it will be enabled in all sub-accounts. Sub-account admins can then leave the feature enabled or they can disable the option for their sub-account.
- Course [4]: You can disable, allow, or enable course feature options in your account. If a course feature option is turned off or on in an account, the feature cannot be managed at the course level. If the feature is allowed in a course, instructors can choose to turn the feature on or off for their course.
To view information about a feature, click the Arrow icon next to the feature option name [5].
Learn more about current available feature options in an account.
Learn more about managing new features for an account.
View Feature Previews
A feature preview indicates a feature option in active development.
Making a feature preview available to your institution provides users with access to ongoing improvements. Users who opt in to the feature and join the Community user group can help improve the feature through direct feedback.
Please note that enabling a feature preview means all updates will be displayed automatically in the production environment outside the regular release cycle.
Learn more about feature previews.
External Apps (LTI)
Canvas supports Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) standard for third party tools. This means you can integrate a variety of existing teaching tools to work within Canvas via the EduApp Center. You can enable these tools in your account and they will be available for use in courses in your account.
View Apps
Click the Settings link in Account Navigation [1], then click the Apps tab [2].
Canvas displays an alphabetical list of applications that integrate with Canvas [3]. You can also search for applications [4].
Add External App to Account
To enable an app in your account:
- Click the app icon, then and click the Add App button.
- Enter the required information to enable the app in your account.
- Click the Add App button.
As an admin, you can allow or restrict access to certain application integrations in your account. Learn how to manage a whitelist in the EduApp and how to manage an EduApp Center whitelist in your Canvas account.
You can also configure external apps via URL, XML, LTI 2 Registration URL, and via manual entry.
Additional Resources
Canvas Guides
For more in-depth information about the topics covered in this chapter, check out the Canvas Admin Guides chapters on Terms and Grading.
You can also watch the Canvas Admin overview videos about Terms and Grading Periods.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an online community of Canvas users from around the world. It houses a space for Questions and Answers about Canvas and a variety of groups, including the Canvas Administration group.
Up Next in Lesson 6: Adding Course-level User Roles and Enrollments
Once your account is configured and customized, you are ready to add active users. In the last lesson you will learn about the following:
Course-level User Roles
- Canvas allows you to customize course access for users in your account. You can also create new user roles and manage their permissions.
Courses
- Courses house enrollments that consist of students, instructors, TAs, observers, and any other course-level users your institution requires.
- Create Canvas courses for your enrollments.
Add Users
- To create the best user experience for your faculty and students, your account should be configured and customized before you add course-level users.
In this lesson, you will learn how to add student information system (SIS) data to your account using the SIS Import Tool. The SIS Import Tool allows you to bulk-create a variety of account items using formatted comma separated value (CSV) files.
Notes:
- The SIS Import Tool is a feature that your CSM must enable for your account.
- All CSV file uploads should be tested in your institution’s test environment before attempting to upload them to your production environment. You can learn more about the Canvas test environment.
- This lesson outlines a manual process of using the SIS Import Tool. To learn more about using the Canvas API to automatically integrate with your SIS, talk with your CSM and visit the Canvas Guides, review Canvas API documentation, and visit the Canvas Developers Group in the Canvas Community.
Lesson 2 Outline
General Account Setup Information
Using the SIS Import Tool allows account admins to upload data to their Canvas account quickly. Bulk uploads may be done at any time and in no particular order. Additionally, there are some risks associated with using this tool. For more details about these risks, please view the SIS Imports lesson.
An admin can manually input all of the data identified below. Learn how to manually add admins and course-level users in your account, as well as terms and learning outcomes.
Download and Format SIS Data
Most Student Information Systems (SIS) export account data as CSV files that can be viewed and configured using spreadsheet software. Once CSV files are correctly formatted for Canvas, you can upload them to Canvas, expediting the process of configuring your Canvas account.
Download and format the following information from your SIS:
- Admins (admins.csv): a list of all account-level users
- Accounts (account.csv): a list of all sub-accounts in your account; establishes account structure
- Courses (courses.csv): a list of all courses in your account, specifying to which sub-account they belong
Though not necessary for account setup, you may find it helpful to include additional information in your initial data uploads. If so, you may also download the following data:
- Terms (terms.csv): a list of all terms in your account; a term provides a default set of start and end dates to any course assigned to that term
- Sections (sections.csv): a list of all sections in your account; all course sections must be assigned to a specified course; enrollments (via the enrollments.csv) can be assigned to specific sections
Note: The workflow recommended above is general advice. There may be other files you wish to include in your Canvas setup. Please work with your CSM and review How do I format CSV text files for uploading SIS data into a Canvas account? for more information about uploading SIS data to your Canvas account using CSV files.
Compress CSV Files
When you finish configuring the data files, you can upload each file individually or compress them into a zipped file before uploading them to Canvas.
Compress PC Files
To compress your CSV files on a PC:
- In My Computer, select all of the CSV files
- Right click to view the Options menu
- Select the Send To option
- Select the Compressed (Zipped) Folder option
The zipped (.zip) file displays in My Computer
Upload CSV Files
All CSV file uploads should be tested in your institution’s test environment before attempting to upload to your production environment.
Once your files are formatted and compressed, you can upload them using the SIS Import Tool.
View Upload
Canvas displays a status bar as your data uploads. Large uploads may take a few hours to complete. Once your upload completes, Canvas will verify the success of your data upload.
View Upload Fail
Canvas displays an Import Failure message when it cannot process your data upload. You will need to correct the errors in your CSV files before attempting to re-upload.
View Upload Errors
When Canvas cannot process specific lines in your data upload, it displays an import warning. Click the Download the complete list of errors and warnings here link to download an error list that identifies the location and type of errors in your data upload. You will need to correct the errors in your CSV files before attempting to re-upload.
Learn more about manually uploading SIS files into Canvas and about generating SIS Import Error reports.
Account Information
You can view your uploaded information in your Canvas account.
View Account Information
- Courses: View courses created by the courses.csv and sections.csv imports
- People: View users in your account created by the users.csv and admin.csv imports
- Sub-Accounts: View your account organizational structure created by the accounts.csv import
- Terms: View terms created in your account by the terms.csv import
Additional Resources
Canvas Guides
For more in-depth information about the topics covered in this chapter, check out the Canvas Admin Guide chapter on SIS Imports.
You can also watch the Canvas Admin overview video about the SIS Import Tool.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an online community of Canvas users from around the world. It houses a space for Questions and Answers about Canvas, and a variety of groups, including the Canvas Administration group.
Up Next in Lesson 3: Course Access and Grade Reporting
Once you’re finished uploading data to your account, you can further align your account to your institution’s grading and registration periods. In the next lesson, you will learn about the following:
Terms:
- Terms define course start and end dates, and term access dates specify when users can access courses.
- If you created terms using the SIS Import Tool, you can learn about adjusting term access dates.
Grading Periods:
- Grading periods specify date ranges used for student grade reporting. You can also use grading periods to maintain your institution’s post-term-end grade modification policies.
- Grading periods must be added manually.