You can access Canvas through MyQ, the University intranet.

1. Open MyQ.
2. Locate and select the “Canvas” tile.

3. If prompted, sign in using your Quinnipiac Microsoft 365 (SSO) credentials. If you have issues signing in with your Quinnipiac Microsoft 365 (SSO) credentials: Please contact IT for help using one of the following methods:
• E-mail: help@quinnipiac.edu
• Submit a Technology Help Request
• Call: 203-582-HELP (4357)
• Visit one of their on-campus locations
4. Once your Canvas Dashboard opens, you can add Canvas to your bookmarks/favorites in your browser!

The dark blue bar on the left side of Canvas is called the global navigation and will always appear no matter where you are in Canvas. The global navigation provides access to various areas of Canvas.

“Q” logo: Access the Dashboard (see below)

Account: Update your Canvas profile, profile picture, notification settings, and personal preferences.

Dashboard: View your active courses and recent activity.

Courses: Access all your current, past, and future Canvas courses.

Calendar: View assignment due dates, meetings, and course events across all your courses.

Inbox: Communicate with students and other instructors using Canvas messaging.

History: Quickly return to recently viewed pages.

Commons: Access QU Templates, modules, and other published resources for your courses.

YuJa: Access YuJa Lumina to record or upload videos or creating video quizzes.

Help: Access Canvas support resources and Quinnipiac-specific assistance such as merging courses, QU tech tools, contacting QILT / QU IT, and more.

This video walks you through the global navigation area, and how to use your Dashboard.

The Dashboard is your Canvas home page and provides quick access to your courses. From the Dashboard you can:

• View your published (visible to students) and unpublished (hidden from students) courses.
• Publish (open) your current teaching courses.
• See recent course activity.
• Review your To Do list.
• View upcoming grading and teaching tasks.
• Access your calendar and notifications.

Canvas offers several Dashboard layouts. You can choose the view that best fits your teaching style:

• Card View: Displays each course as a visual card. This is the default view, and recommended for most faculty.
• List View: Shows upcoming assignments and tasks.
• Recent Activity View: Displays recent activity across all courses.

This video walks you through the global navigation area, and how to use your Dashboard.

Once inside a course, the course navigation appears along the left side of the screen.

By default, your course will display the most commonly used course navigation options. Some items in the course navigation may display with a strikethrough eye icon, meaning they either have no content or are disabled, and are not visible to students. Not every menu item needs to be visible to students.

As an instructor, you can customize the course navigation to simplify the student experience by hiding tools you are not using.

Best Practice: Limit the number of visible navigation items so students can easily find course materials. Most online courses rely primarily on Modules as the central pathway through the course.

Your Canvas course home page is the first thing students see when they enter your course. A well-designed home page creates a positive first impression and helps students quickly understand how to navigate the course. Your course, by default, will have a section for a course welcome message and a section for your course syllabus.

An effective home page should include information in both sections. In your welcome message, make sure you tell students how to get started in the course. Avoid placing excessive information on the home page. Instead, direct students to Modules, which should serve as the primary navigation structure for your course.

Regular, purposeful communication is one of the strongest predictors of student success in online and blended courses.

Canvas Announcements provide an easy way to establish instructor presence, keep students informed, and create a sense of connection throughout the semester. Effective announcements do more than remind students about due dates, they guide learning, clarify expectations, celebrate accomplishments, and help students stay engaged. When used consistently, announcements can reduce confusion, encourage participation, and create a more supportive learning environment.

Yes, for both instructors and students. In the app store for your device (including tablets), search for Canvas by Instructure.

Canvas Teacher App

The Canvas Teacher app allows instructors to:

• Post announcements
• Communicate with students
• Review submissions and grade assignments
• View course activity
• Monitor student progress

Note: While the app is convenient for quick tasks, course design and major content updates are best completed using the desktop version of Canvas.

Canvas Student App

Encourage students to download the Canvas Student app to:

• Receive push notifications from their courses
• Submit assignments
• Participate in discussions
• View grades and instructor feedback
• Keep track of upcoming due dates

There are four different course types in Canvas - you will likely only interact with two of the four, course of record and a sandbox. Here’s a table overviewing the differences between the two:

The other two course types are organizations and advising organizations. Organizations are used as collaborative spaces for faculty and staff groups, and advising organizations are for advising activities.

No two course development projects look the same. Some instructors have several months to thoughtfully design a new course, while others may be assigned a course just weeks or even days before the semester begins. The timelines below outline recommended priorities based on the amount of preparation time available. Regardless of your timeline, remember that a well-organized, student-centered course is more important than a course filled with every possible feature. Focus first on creating a clear learning experience, then continue improving your course throughout the semester.

If you are moving from on-ground to online format or converting to a condensed course format, check out this guide.

Click here to schedule a 1-1 consultation with a QILT learning designer →

Ideal Course Development Timeline: 3 Months Before the Semester

Select a section below.

10-12 Weeks Before8-10 Weeks Before6-8 Weeks Before4-6 Weeks Before2-4 Weeks Before1-2 Weeks Before

Plan the Course

• Review the course description and learning outcomes.
• Update or develop the syllabus.
• Create measurable module learning objectives.
• Develop a course map aligning objectives, activities, and assessments.
• Determine the overall course structure (weekly, unit-based, or thematic).

Build Course Content

• Create Modules.
• Develop Pages and instructional materials.
• Record or update lecture videos.
• Locate readings and other course resources.
• Build assignments and discussions.
• Begin creating quizzes and exams.

Design Student Learning Activities

• Create engaging discussions.
• Develop authentic assessments.
• Build rubrics.
• Incorporate opportunities for collaboration.
• Integrate educational technologies where appropriate.

Review Accessibility

• Caption videos. YuJa, Quinnipiac’s academic video platform, does this automatically!
• Add alternative text to images.
• Check document accessibility.
• Review color contrast.
• Use headings consistently.
• Run accessibility checks.

Check Accessibility of Course Content with Panorama

YuJa Panorama is a powerful accessibility tool that integrates directly into Canvas, to identify and fix accessibility issues, generate alternative file formats, and support inclusive learning through AI-powered remediation tools. Instructors can use YuJa Panorama to enhance course accessibility and improve the student learning experience.

Learn more about Panorama by watching a recording of our training session, viewing the resources on our website, or by scheduling a meeting with a learning designer.

Build the Student Experience

• Create a Welcome Announcement.
• Design the Course Home Page.
• Record a Welcome Video.
• Update your instructor profile.
• Add orientation materials.
• Verify navigation is intuitive.

Final Review

• Complete the Course Readiness Checklist.
• Verify due dates.
• Test all links.
• Review the course in Student View.
• Publish all content.
• Ask a colleague or instructional designer to review the course.

Quick Course Development Timeline: 2–4 Weeks Before the Semester

Select a section below.

Learning objectives clearly communicate what students should know and be able to do by the end of a course or module. They provide a roadmap for both instructors and students, helping ensure that instruction, learning activities, and assessments are aligned with the intended outcomes. Whether you are given your learning objectives or creating your own, they are still an important part of the course design process.

Well-written learning objectives help instructors:

• Focus course content on the most important knowledge and skills.
• Design meaningful learning activities.
• Create assessments that accurately measure student learning.
• Organize courses around clear expectations.
• Support Quality Matters standards and evidence-based course design.

For students, learning objectives clarify expectations, reduce uncertainty, and help them understand the purpose behind each learning activity.

An effective syllabus balances essential course information with a focus on learning, engagement, and student success. It clearly communicates course goals, explains expectations in a transparent and inclusive way, and connects students with the resources they need throughout the semester. By writing your syllabus with students in mind, you can create a positive first impression, reduce uncertainty, and foster a learning environment built on trust, clarity, and partnership. Our syllabus guide highlights best practices for creating a syllabus that is organized, accessible, inclusive, and aligned with your course design, helping students begin the semester with confidence and a clear path to success.

Thoughtfully designed assessments help students demonstrate what they have learned while giving instructors useful insight into their progress.

A strong learning community helps students feel connected, supported, and motivated to participate. Explore strategies using the buttons below for building community, strengthening instructor presence, and creating meaningful opportunities for engagement throughout the course.

Educational technology can help make courses more engaging, accessible, and efficient for both instructors and students. Quinnipiac provides access to a range of officially supported tools, along with training and technical assistance. Faculty may also choose to explore other educational technologies, but these tools are not supported by Quinnipiac support staff, and should be reviewed carefully for accessibility, privacy, security, and student data considerations.