The Canvas Global Menu

The black menu to the far left of your screen is the global navigation menu for Canvas which provides access to all of your Canvas modules.

 

The Account link shows your user information and provides access to user settings, notification preferences and personal files. You can also log out with this Account link.

 

The Dashboard gives you an overview of your modules and any upcoming tasks or items that may need your attention.

 

You can click Modules to view all of your modules that are on Canvas. Your favourites are listed but you can click All Modules to see every available module.

 

The Calendar link gives you quick access to your calendar in Canvas where you can see items associated with all of your modules.

 

Your Inbox provides access to your Conversations inbox, the messaging system that you can use to communicate with other users in your modules.

 

Commons is a repository of modules and resources that have been made available by other Canvas users which you can import into your module. Items here are shared through various Creative Commons licenses.

 


Finally, the Help button provides quick access to Canvas Tier 1 24/7 support. If you use the Help button in a module that you are having difficulty with, this can help Canvas support to identify the issue quickly.


The Dashboard


When you log into Canvas you will be brought to your Dashboard. Your dashboard gives you an overview of your modules and any upcoming tasks or items that may need your attention. You can change the way your dashboard is displayed by clicking on the menu at the top right of the screen.


The Dashboard also includes a sidebar to the right, which shows upcoming events across your modules.

If you don’t see a particular module in your Dashboard you can click on the Modules link in your Canvas menu and select All modules. Click on the star next to a module to mark it as a favourite and add it to your Dashboard.


Module Activity Icons

 


Note: Icons may appear at the bottom of the Module card in your dashboard representing recent activity for Announcements, Assignments, Discussions and Files. You can click on these to jump to that section of the particular module. Otherwise just click the name of the module to open the module in Canvas.