Faculty Support and Training
Academic Technology Services (ATS) provides materials, professional development programs, and workshops specific to the needs of the CSULB campus.
Visit Canvas Workshops for a full listing of all upcoming workshops and recordings of past workshops.
Quick Start: Basic Course Building
Follow these tips for building a basic course quickly in Canvas.
Canvas Development Courses
Sandbox and development courses are empty shells with no students where users can try out Canvas features and draft content that can later be copied to live course shells when they are released each semester. Visit our Canvas Course Types page for more tips on using the sandbox, development, and live courses.
Course Layouts (Templates)
Import a pre-built Canvas Layout (template) and edit it to fit your subject matter. Choose from three different layouts with varying levels of complexity.
Course Migration Job Aid [PDF]
Follow these instructions for copying your migrated BeachBoard course content into the Canvas Live course you will be teaching.
Getting Started to Teach in Canvas Checklist [PDF]
This checklist will help guide you to ensure that your Canvas course has all the recommended, essential elements.
Course Merge
Combine student enrollment from multiple sections (“Source” courses) into a single course environment by submitting a request to ATS.
Passport to Canvas Student Course Request Form
Passport to Canvas is a self-paced course that includes everything students need to know about using the platform. It covers how to keep track of assignments, check grades, and view feedback from instructors. It also helps students learn how to organize learning material and stay in touch with classmates. Students must request this course from ATS-- so share the link to this request form with your students.
Canvas Student Support and Resources
See more resources available to students on this page.
CANVAS - Instructure Resources
Instructure, the makers of Canvas, provide a vast array of materials and videos to help you quickly get familiar with the platform.
When you access Canvas, select the question mark icon [?] on the Global Navigation panel to access Canvas support and training resources.
Canvas Instructor Guides provide detailed written instructions for using all of their features.
- Explore the Canvas gallery of video tutorials/demos to learn how to use all the features.
- Get started quickly with "Set Up Your Canvas Course in 30 Minutes or Less," a series of 7 videos on the essentials of using Canvas.
Find the link to the Training Services Portal [pdf instructions] within your Canvas global navigation panel (see below). This portal gives instructors access to a wide variety of self-paced and live training developed by the makers of Canvas. CSULB currently has a paid subscription for this Training Portal through January 2023- so take advantage of these excellent resources now!
Recommended LIVE Training Sessions
- Course Communications
- Leveraging Modules
- Assignments
- Quiz Basics
- Gradebook and Speedgrader
- Home Pages
- Groupwork & Collaboration
- Data for Teachers
- Student Experience
- Content Area Specialty Session
- Mobile Apps: Teacher App
Recommended ON-DEMAND Training Sessions
- Learning Pathway, Opening Canvas Learn comprised of:
- Opening Canvas
- Creating a Canvas Course
- Getting Started with Assignments & Assessments
- Grading & Feedback
- Stand-Alone Courses:
- Preparing to Launch
- New Quizzes
- Teacher App (iOS or Android)
- Canvas + Google Integration
How to Access the Training Portal
- Visit your SSO/MyApps dashboard and select the Canvas tile:
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- Click on the "Help" icon at the bottom of your Canvas Global Navigation bar.
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- Select the Training Services Portal link from the menu:
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- Select "Authorize" to access your account.
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- Take the tutorial offered on the pop-up window to learn more about the offerings. Or, you can skip it and exit the pop-up.
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- You’ll be taken to the Learning Library tab.
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- Scroll down to view all the tutorials at the bottom of the screen. Or, use the Search, Sort by, and Filter by features to find a specific topic.
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Canvas Commons is a learning object repository/ digital library of educational content that enables educators to find, import, and share resources. Resources include courses, modules, quizzes, assignments, discussions, pages, documents, videos, images, or audio files. Content created by CSULB users is available.
How do I access Canvas Commons?
The Canvas Commons link is on the left Global Navigation panel on Canvas. Content shared by CSULB users will appear at the top of the Commons dashboard by default. Use the search or filter controls to find specific content.
What can I do with Commons?
Create your own personal repository to store course content and materials submitted by peer educators and re-use them across all of your courses. You can contribute to the community by sharing resources that you've created that would be of benefit to others.
The Canvas Community is an online gathering place where Canvas users can share, collaborate, and shape Canvas together.
- Join the discussion! Be part of the Canvas Community to find and share resources among peers.
- Join an Interest Group. Canvas offers a variety of interest groups, including HigherEd Users and multiple language groups. Also, visit Resources by Language to find resources in your preferred language.
- Contribute your ideas to improve Canvas in the Idea Conversations forum. Make suggestions for future development to improve the experience for all.
