New for the Fall 2024 term, the U of A's new learning management system Canvas is being used by a select group of instructors. Even though these courses are in the first wave of the learning management system (LMS) transition project, they are actual courses, and the course material is being graded.

Canvas can be accessed at https://canvas.ualberta.ca. Users can also check their browser compatibility and other details on Accessing Canvas Courses. 

You will need into the system with your CCID and password. If you don't see your course there, it may not yet have been opened for student access. By default Canvas courses are scheduled to open on the first scheduled day of in-person classes but your instructor may change this date.

Please also remember to check whether your class has been created in eClass since it is possible that you will have courses being delivered on both systems. Instructors may also create a class as a placeholder in eClass with directions for accessing Canvas or add their Canvas course url directly into Bear Tracks. Each LMS has a link to the other on the dashboard and students are able to link directly to courses or calendars from eClass if desired.

Using the Canvas Dashboard

On your Dashboard, your active courses will appear as tiles:

You can modify a course tile to change its colour. You can also give your course a nickname to make it easier to find. Your nickname will affect only your view of the tile:

On the right side of your screen, you will see a link to your current calendar items and your To Do list:

You can also change your Dashboard to display your courses as a list or by recent activity. You can also remove the colour overlay from your course tiles.

Global Navigation

On the left side of the page, you will find the global navigation bar that appears even while you are inside courses:

From here, you can navigate back to your Dashboard, the list of all Courses, your Canvas Calendar, message Inbox, and a link to important Resources you may require. Tools like the Calendar and Inbox contain items from all your courses.

To navigate quickly between courses, you can click on the Courses link and select different courses to access without going back to the Dashboard.

Navigating Within Courses

Once you click on a tile to open a course, you will have an additional course navigation menu to the right of the global navigation menu:

Items in this menu will depend upon your instructor's preferences.

Use the Modules link to find visible assignments, quizzes, exams, course pages, and discussions. Your instructor may choose to make other links available (e.g., Assignments) where you will find other activities to complete. Click on any module item ot open it.

If your instructor has used the U of A's custom-designed template for their course, you will also find some buttons linking to other parts of the course:

Submitting Assignments in Canvas

Canvas assignment submissions allow file uploads or online text submissions depending on the configuration. Students should note that assignments are not completely submitted until the button at the bottom right is clicked:

If you need assistance with anything in your course, please contact eClass at eclass@ualberta.ca or by telephone at +1 780 492 9372.