Canvas Tutorials How to Navigate Canvas as a Student

Student Tutorial Module

The Global Dashboard

The Dashboard is the first thing you will see when you log into Canvas. The Dashboard will display information from ALL of your courses. Review the video tutorial and Canvas guides below.

Info: Viewing Semester Courses in Canvas

Courses in which you have enrolled will become available on the first day of the semester in Canvas. (Flex Studies/Online Students gain access to their courses 2 weeks before the course starts.) Please note that some instructors do not publish the course on the first day of the semester. Unpublished courses will not display on your Canvas dashboard but will display in your course list. If you are not sure if a course is unpublished, click Courses in the global menu and select All Courses. Unpublished courses will be listed in the course list but will not be linked. If you do not see the course in your course list or under future enrollments, contact Information Systems and Services.

If a course is scheduled to be available in Mod II, please note the course start date is set for the first day of the Mod II. Flex/Online courses can be seen 2 weeks before the course/mod starts. However, the course will not open until the first day of the course/mod. You can check semester dates in your Student Portal.

New Options for Students! - Students can now make the global dashboard the To Do list. This option has many improvements to help you keep track of important deadlines for course work. View the tutorial for more details.

Video Tutorial

200 - Canvas Overview for Students from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.

Canvas Guides

Note: These guides are maintained by the Canvas Documentation Team and are available on the Canvas Community site. Some of the information in these guides may not apply to the Southwestern Christian University instance of Canvas. If you have a question about any features mentioned in these guides, please review the Getting Help page for details on who to contact at Southwestern ChristIan University.

How do I use the Global Navigation Menu as a student?
How do I use the Dashboard as a student?
How do I view my favorite courses in the Card View Dashboard as a student?
How do I use the to-do list for all my courses in the List View Dashboard as a student?
How do I add a to-do item in the List View Dashboard as a student?
How do I view global activity for all my courses in the Recent Activity Dashboard as a student?
How do I use the To Do list and sidebar in the Dashboard as a student?
How do I view grades in the Dashboard as a student?
How do I view all my Canvas courses as a student?
How do I customize my Courses list as a student?
How do I view my institution's Public Course Index as a student?
How do I get help with Canvas as a student?
How do I log out of Canvas as a student?
Why can't I access my Course as a student?