Date

March 21, 2025

Type

Owner

Joel Vanner

Tags

CanvasCanvas Faculty & StaffCanvas Sandboxes

Faculty can now self-provision sandbox courses in Canvas! A sandbox is a blank* course you can use to explore Canvas features by creating example modules, assignments, quizzes, and discussion boards. You can also use a sandbox to start designing a course and later copy it into the official Canvas course shell, or to develop an organization site.

Building a course in a Canvas sandbox does not opt-in the course to run in Canvas. Learn more about the Canvas migration and opt-in processes →

*Self-provisioned sandbox courses receive the Quinnipiac Canvas course template automatically pre-loaded.

Open your Canvas Dashboard.
Select the “Start a New Course” button on the right side of the Dashboard page.

Screenshot of the Canvas LMS interface for Quinnipiac University. The page displays a “Coming Up” section with a group discussion assignment and a “Recent Feedback” section stating “Nothing for now.” A button labeled “Start a New Course” is highlighted with a purple rectangle, and below it is a “View Grades” button.

In the “Create Course” box, enter a name for your sandbox.

Is the sandbox for a specific course?

Format: CourseID_LastName_Sandbox_CurrentTerm

Is the sandbox for an organization site?

Format: OrganizationName_LastName_Sandbox

Is the sandbox for your general use?

Format: LastName_Sandbox_MMDDYY

Screenshot of the “Create Course” window in Canvas LMS. The “Course Name” field is filled with “QU100_Smith_Sandbox” and is highlighted with a purple rectangle. A purple arrow points to the blue “Create” button next to a “Cancel” button.

Once the sandbox is created, Canvas will take you to the Settings page of the sandbox.

Choose Home from the course navigation (purple arrow) to go to the course home page.
Choose Import Course Content from the right sidebar (green arrow) to import a Blackboard ZIP file or copy an existing Canvas course into this sandbox.

Screenshot of the Canvas LMS “Settings” page for the course “QU100_Smith_Sandbox.” A purple arrow points to the “Home” button in the left navigation menu. A green arrow points to the “Import Course Content” button.

Your sandbox course comes pre-loaded with the Quinnipiac Canvas course template. More information about the template can be found in the instructor module, located in the Modules section of the course.

Learn more about the Quinnipiac Canvas course template →

Screenshot of the Canvas LMS “Syllabus” page for the course “QU100_Smith_Sandbox” at Quinnipiac University. The page includes a “Recent Announcements” section, a welcome message, and a “Syllabus” section with placeholder text. The right sidebar displays “Course Status” options, including “Import Existing Content,” “Choose Home Page,” and “View Course Stream.” Below, a “Course Navigation” section provides icons and links for “Meet Your Instructor,” “Learning Modules,” and “Technology Help.” A course summary explains how students can track assignments and due dates. The left sidebar contains various navigation links, such as “Announcements,” “Modules,” “Discussions,” “Grades,” and “Syllabus.”

Screenshot of a Canvas LMS course module list. The top module is labeled “Instructor Module (Do Not Publish).” Below are sections titled “About This Template,” containing items such as “Template: Introduction,” “Template: How-to Customize,” and “Template: Image Customizations.” Another section, “About Canvas,” includes “Canvas Resources for Instructors.

QILT is here to help you and answer any questions you may have. Schedule a consultation with the team!

Faculty, staff, and students have access to 24/7/365 phone and chat support through the Help menu in Canvas.

Visit the Faculty Advancement in Teaching Excellence Canvas site for teaching resources, opportunities for engagement, and spaces to connect with colleagues about teaching!

Additional Resources

View full knowledgebase →

View all teaching and learning resources →

Use the buttons below to toggle through resource types.

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Canvas Announcements

Page	Date	Owner
Linking or Embedding a YouTube Video in Canvas	July 3, 2025	Joel Vanner
Enabling E-mail Notifications for Announcements and Messages You Send in Canvas	May 22, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas Course Content

Page	Date	Owner
Linking or Embedding a YouTube Video in Canvas	July 3, 2025	Joel Vanner
Publishing Your Canvas Module and Content (Make Visible to Students)	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Using Text Headers to Organize a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Adding Content to a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Creating a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner

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Canvas Course Management

Page	Date	Owner
Editing the Course Navigation in Canvas	July 2, 2025	Joel Vanner
Adding an External Link to the Canvas Course Navigation	July 2, 2025	Joel Vanner
Copying a Canvas Course for a New Semester	April 25, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner

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Canvas Inbox

Page	Date	Owner
Enabling E-mail Notifications for Announcements and Messages You Send in Canvas	May 22, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas Item Banks

Page	Date	Owner
Migrating Tests and Pools from Blackboard Original to Canvas	April 25, 2025	Alex D'Adamo

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Canvas Modules

Page	Date	Owner
Publishing Your Canvas Module and Content (Make Visible to Students)	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Using Text Headers to Organize a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Adding Content to a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Creating a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Assigning Canvas Modules to Specific Student(s) or Section(s)	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Requiring Canvas Modules to Be Completed in a Set Order	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Locking Canvas Modules Until a Specific Date	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Duplicating/Copying a Module in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Moving Modules and Content in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner

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Canvas Notifications

Page	Date	Owner
Enabling E-mail Notifications for Announcements and Messages You Send in Canvas	May 22, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Canvas Quizzes

Page	Date	Owner
Linking or Embedding a YouTube Video in Canvas	July 3, 2025	Joel Vanner
Migrating Tests and Pools from Blackboard Original to Canvas	April 25, 2025	Alex D'Adamo
Troubleshooting Missing Images in Tests Imported from Blackboard to Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'Adamo
Using LockDown Browser in Canvas	April 28, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Canvas Sandboxes

Page	Date	Owner
Deleting a Sandbox Course in Canvas	May 21, 2025	Alex D'AdamoJoel Vanner
Creating a Canvas Sandbox Course	March 21, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Canvas SpeedGrader

Page	Date	Owner
Annotating in Canvas SpeedGrader (Grading)	April 25, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Communication in Canvas

Page	Date	Owner
Enabling E-mail Notifications for Announcements and Messages You Send in Canvas	May 22, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Elsevier Evolve

Page	Date	Owner
Adding Elsevier Evolve Content to Canvas	April 28, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Khanmigo

Page	Date	Owner
Access Khanmigo in Canvas	December 9, 2024	Joel Vanner

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LockDown Browser

Page	Date	Owner
Using LockDown Browser in Canvas	April 28, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Lucid

Page	Date	Owner
Lucid in Canvas	February 12, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Navigating Canvas

Page	Date	Owner
Editing the Course Navigation in Canvas	July 2, 2025	Joel Vanner
Adding an External Link to the Canvas Course Navigation	July 2, 2025	Joel Vanner
Accessing Canvas (Faculty and Staff)	March 31, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Perusall

Page	Date	Owner
Setting up and Integrating Perusall with Canvas	April 28, 2025	Joel Vanner

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YuJa

Page	Date	Owner
Adding a YuJa Quiz to a Canvas Assignment	March 28, 2025	Alex D'Adamo

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Canvas Training

Page	Date	Owner
Canvas Consultant May 2025 Onsite Session Recordings	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Canvas Training Calendar (Faculty and Staff)	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Training Services Portal (Faculty and Staff) (self-paced modules, recorded and live webinars)	March 25, 2025	Joel Vanner
Canvas Help and Training (Faculty and Staff)	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas Help

Page	Date	Owner
Canvas Help and Training (Faculty and Staff)	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Join the Canvas Community	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Canvas Basics Guide from Instructure	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Faculty Guides from Instructure	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner
Canvas Request Form (Faculty and Staff)	June 4, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas People

Page	Date	Owner
Differentiation Tags in Canvas	June 18, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas Assignments

Page	Date	Owner
Linking or Embedding a YouTube Video in Canvas	July 3, 2025	Joel Vanner

‣

Canvas Discussions

Page	Date	Owner
Linking or Embedding a YouTube Video in Canvas	July 3, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Canvas Gradebook

Page	Date	Owner
Hiding Unpublished Assignments from the Canvas Gradebook	June 30, 2025	Joel Vanner

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Differentiation Tags in Canvas

Page	Date	Owner
Differentiation Tags in Canvas	June 18, 2025	Joel Vanner

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McGraw Hill Connect

Page	Date	Owner
McGraw Hill Connect Resources for Faculty	June 20, 2025	Joel Vanner

Creating a Canvas Sandbox Course

Additional Resources