Topics Map > Canvas
Canvas - Student Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Logging Into Canvas
How do I login to Canvas?
Students can login to Canvas using their UW-Superior credentials via our Learn@UW-Superior Canvas login page
Who do I contact if I need help logging into Canvas?
Please contact the Technology Services Help Desk. Canvas Support cannot troubleshoot student logins and will advise students to contact the Technology Help Desk.
Please note that while Canvas data is stored indefinitely, but students will only be able to login to Canvas as long as they’re an enrolled student and have active UWS credentials. Students have access to their email and other campus accounts for 180 days beyond university separation. For more information about this timeline, please contact the Technology Services Help Desk.
What browser should I use to access Canvas?
Canvas works best using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers on a computer running MacOS or Windows. You may encounter issues when completing coursework using Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Please complete high-stakes assessments and timed coursework such as quizzes and exams using one of the two recommended browsers on a MacOS or Windows computer.
Getting Help
How do I get help using Canvas?
Please reach out to your class instructor right away if you have questions about your Canvas course. Your instructors are familiar with the design of the course and have the ability to change it if a fix is needed.
For general questions about using the Canvas system, Canvas Support is available 24/7/365 via the Canvas Help menu. When contacting Canvas Support, we recommend using the Live Chat support option to make it easier and quicker for Canvas Support to help you. The Live Chat option allows the Canvas Support tech to see your current Canvas enrollments and will generate a downloadable transcript of your conversation.
What do I do if I’m having trouble viewing something in Canvas?
Occasionally, you may notice that certain Canvas items won’t display in your browser or a page doesn’t load as expected. Refresh your browser to see if that resolves the issue. If it doesn’t, please try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Ensure you’re accessing Canvas using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
- Check if one of your browser extensions is blocking Canvas content from loading.
- Log into Canvas using a private browsing session and visit the page that isn’t loading properly. If it loads correctly in your private browsing session, quit and restart your browser, and then clear your browser cache if you’re still unable to view the broken content.
If the steps above don’t solve the issue, please contact Canvas Support via the Help menu in Canvas. As with any recurring issue in Canvas, if a course deadline is approaching and the issue is preventing you from completing your work on time, we recommend notifying your instructor via email immediately so they’re aware of the issue.
Finding Your Courses
How do I find my course in Canvas?
Check your All Courses list in Canvas. While you’ll see the Canvas Dashboard when you first login to Canvas, the Dashboard only shows a partial list of your available classes. [You can toggle the star icon next to each course listed on the All Courses page to choose whether it shows on your Dashboard.]
UW-Superior does not require that instructors use Canvas for all classes. Canvas courses are available to all instructors, for every class, but instructors do not need to make their Canvas courses available to students.
If a student was recently enrolled in the course, or was just added from the wait list, students will be added to their newly enrolled courses overnight. Enrollments are pushed from e-Hive to Canvas during a nightly process. It can take up to 24 hours for students to gain access to a Canvas course after they’re enrolled.
If you are currently registered for a class in e-Hive, it is important to try logging into Canvas regardless of when the class will be available, because doing so will ensure the student has an active Canvas account that staff can enroll in training courses or message via Canvas.
Upon logging into Canvas, you’ll typically see the Canvas Dashboard, but it may not show all of your current class enrollments. It’s important to visit the Canvas All Courses page to view a full list of your Canvas enrollments, including newly-added courses and concluded courses from previous terms.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I view all my Canvas courses as a student?
What do I do if I don’t see my course in Canvas?
If you’re having trouble finding a course in Canvas, the following steps can help you locate it:
- Contact your instructor to confirm that your course will be offered in Canvas and that it’s configured to be accessible to students.
- Some UW-Superior classes are not offered in Canvas.
- Canvas courses need to be Published by the course instructor in order for students to see it.
- Canvas courses may be configured to allow students to view or participate in the course only after a specific date. Students may need to wait until the start date of the class in order to access the course in Canvas or contact their instructor if they’re still unable to access it at that time.
- If this is your first time logging into Canvas, you may need to request that your instructor sends the invitation again. This most often refers to Continuing Education courses. Your Canvas account is not active until you log in for the first time. It is important to try logging into Canvas regardless of when your class will be available, because doing so will ensure you have an active Canvas account that staff can enroll in training courses or message via Canvas.
- Check your All Courses list. Remember that the Canvas Dashboard is intended to show a subset of your favorite courses (starred on the All Courses page).
Canvas Student Guide: How do I use the Dashboard as a student?
How do I access past courses in Canvas?
If you’re enrolled in a course, and it’s available to you, it will be listed on the All Courses page. If it is not listed there, students should contact their class instructor.
However, instructors are not required to grant students access to a past course. Students should download and backup local copies of their work while their courses are still open. Students should reach out to Canvas Support via the Canvas Help menu if they need assistance downloading their assignment submissions.
How do I remove courses from my Canvas Dashboard?
When enrolled in more than one Canvas course, students can customize the active courses they want to show in their Course list and Dashboard. Courses a Canvas user wants to show on the Dashboard are called favorite courses. Students can favorite any published course that appears on the All Courses page.
When no courses are favorited, the courses list automatically displays up to 20 courses alphabetically in the drop-down menu. However, once a student has selected at least one course as a favorite, only their favorited courses will appear in the Courses list. Students can choose what they see on their Dashboard by marking a course as a favorite by selecting the star next to the name of the course.
When enrolled in more than one Canvas course, you can customize the active courses you want to show in your Course list. To remove a course from the Dashboard, visit the All Courses page, and toggle the star icon next to the course.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I customize my Courses list as a student?
Participating in a Canvas Course
How Do I See Announcements?
Click on "Announcements" in the course navigation menu.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I view announcements as a student?
How Do I See Important Dates?
Click on "Calendar" in the Navigation Menu to see all the assignment due dates for your courses and set your own target dates.
How Do I Know What to Do?
Click on "Dashboard". The sidebar will display a "To Do" List of assignments and tasks from your calendar.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I use the To-Do list and Sidebar in the dashboard?
How Do I Find All the Content in a Course?
Most Canvas courses use "Modules" to organize course content. Each module contains various content items, such as readings, assignments, quizzes, discussions and lectures.
How Do I Find All My Graded Assessments?
Click on "Assignments" in the course navigation menu to view all of your course assignments at a glance. You can also see how your final grade is calculated.
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I view assignments as a student?.
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I submit an online assignment?
How Do I View Grades?
Click on "Grades" in the course navigation menu. You can view current grades for all course assignments, scoring details, content and rubrics.
You can also approximate your future score by using the "What-if Grades" feature.
How Do I Participate in a Discussion?
You can find discussions in your Canvas course modules. You can also navigate to the discussions page from the course navigation menu in some courses.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I view discussions as a student?.
If the discussion is graded, then you can view the rubric to help you meet the discussion expectations.
How Do I See Feedback on an Assignment?
Click the "Grades" icon in the course navigation menu to see instructor feedback.
Your instructor may also leave comments directly on your submission.
Canvas Student Guide: How do I view annotated feedback from an instructor?
How Do I see Quiz Results?
You can open the quiz to see quiz attempts and results. If your instructor allows, you can view the results of your quiz along with correct answers. This view will also show your total score, the time and date it was submitted, and how long it took to complete the quiz.
How Do I Get Email or Text Notifications of Updates in My Courses?
You can set up Canvas so it works best for you.
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I edit my profile in my user account?
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I change the settings in my user account?
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I manage my Canvas notification settings?
Using the Canvas ePortfolio
The Canvas Guide pages below answer commonly asked questions about how to use the ePortfolio tool.
- Canvas Student Guide: How do I upload a file or image to my ePortfolio page?
- Canvas Student Guide: How can I share a private ePortfolio?
Using Audio and Video in Canvas
How do I create, upload, and embed audio and video in Canvas?
Instructors may require students to insert audio or videos into discussion posts or other areas of Canvas. To avoid upload storage limits, students should utilize Kaltura My Media when uploading these items, instead of uploading directly to Canvas. They can then use their Kaltura My Media items throughout Canvas.
When completing audio and video assignments in Canvas, please use Kaltura My Media. The guides below walk through adding your My Media items to a Canvas course.
You can record a video or recording of your screen using Kaltura Capture, a free tool that can automatically upload to the My Media tool in our Canvas system. The guides below walk through setting up Kaltura Capture and using it to record videos you can then use in your Canvas Courses.