Learning in Canvas

Access Canvas through one of these options:

  1. Visit Single Sign On (SSO) and select the Canvas tile. Watch this video for quick instructions:  Logging into SSO and Canvas
  2. Go directly to the Canvas Instructure website and log in with your CSULB credentials.

Start Learning

The following resources will help you become proficient with your use and mastery of the Canvas platform:

  • Passport to Canvas is an optional, self-paced, "orientation" course inside Canvas that gives an overview of the platform from a student's perspective. This course is already in your Canvas account and can be found in your list of courses.
  • Canvas Student Video Guides: Quick tutorials for using Canvas features as a student.
  • Canvas Student Guides: Step-by-step instructions for using the features in Canvas. Toggle through them using the keywords.

Canvas Basics

Read up on a few tips that students want to know about basic interactions in Canvas:

Language Preferences

Canvas supports a wide variety of languages. More information on this can be found here: Canvas Language Support.

Add an Email Address

In Canvas, you can add contact methods to receive notifications. By default, your CSULB email is added to your Canvas account. Contact methods allow you to select how you want to be notified when various events occur within a course. Notifications are applied to all courses in Canvas.

  1. To add more Contact Methods, click on Account from the Global Navigation.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Choose the +Email Address link to add another email.
  4. When finished, select the Register email button.

Adding Email Screenshot

Set Your Notification Preferences

Once you have set up your contact methods, you may choose your notification preferences for each of the Contact Methods in your Canvas Account. Notification preferences apply to all Courses that you are enrolled in at an institution and allow you to choose what reminders you want to receive and how often. To view details for a notification, hover over the notification name.

A different notification frequency can be chosen for each contact method you have added to your Canvas Account.

  • Click on the frequency icons in the column below each contact method.
  • There are four frequencies for email notifications:
    • Notify me immediately- These notifications may be delayed by up to one hour in case an instructor makes additional changes, which prevents you from being spammed by multiple notifications in a short amount of time.
    • Send a daily summary- You will receive a daily notification via email.
    • Send a weekly summary- The date and time of your weekly notifications are posted at the bottom of the notifications page.
    • Notifications off- If you do not want to receive a notification choose this option.
  • For push notifications used on a tablet or phone where the Canvas Student Mobile App is installed, choose notification preferences by the following steps:
    • Click on settings
    • Select Email Notifications
    • Choose a course activity and select the desired frequency

Recommended "Notify me right away" notifications:

Announcements, Conversations, Grades, and Due Dates

With the Canvas Student Mobile App, you can:

  • View grades and course content
  • Submit assignments
  • Keep track of coursework with to-do list and calendar
  • Send and receive messages
  • Post to discussions
  • Watch videos
  • Take quizzes
  • Receive push notifications for new grades and course updates, and much more!

Find the Mobile App in the App Store or Google Play:

Click on "Find my school" and type in Long Beach. Select CSU Long Beach then follow the steps to log in with your campus e-mail and password.

Calendars in Canvas can be turned on or off for both your personal and Course calendars. The Calendar is a great way to view everything you can do for all your courses in one place.

  1. To open the Canvas Calendar, select 'Calendar' from the Global Navigation menu.
  2. In the sidebar, click the color box next to the name of the calendar to turn a calendar on or off. When the color box next to the name of a calendar is empty, the calendar is off. Both events and assignments will be hidden.

There are several areas where you can open a discussion. Please note that some of these areas may not be turned on by your instructor. The most common locations to view a discussion are from the Calendar, Modules, or Discussion Index page.

  1. Begin by clicking the title of the Discussion Topic.
  2. Discussions will have a due date and availability date. The due date is when the discussion must be completed before you are marked as late. The availability date is the start and end date of when you can participate in the discussion.

To reply to a discussion, follow these steps:

  1. To post to a discussion, click on "Reply." Use the Rich Content Editor to compose your discussion post.
  2. Click "Post Reply" when you are ready for other users to view your answer.
    • ​​If enabled, you may be able to reply to a classmate’s post through a threaded reply.
    • Your instructor may require that you reply to the discussion before seeing your classmates' posts. You will see the following statement, "replies are only visible to those who have posted at least one reply" if this setting is turned on. 

To submit assignments in Canvas, click the "Submit Assignment" button on your assignment page. Submission options will appear below the instructions.

File Upload

  1. One option to submit an assignment is by doing a file upload (see below). You can upload a file from your computer, or you may also see the options to submit a file from your OneDrive.
  2. Select the "Submit Assignment" button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Select "Choose File."
  3. Find your file in the pop-up window.
  4. Select "Open," then click the "Submit Assignment" button.

To upload multiple files, click on the choose a file to upload.

There is also a space to leave a comment for your instructor.

Assignments can be re-submitted until the last availability date that your instructor has set for the assignment. Once submitted, you cannot delete your submission. 

  1. Select the "Submit Assignment" button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  2. Be sure the Text Entry tab is selected.
  3. Click in the space below the Rich Content Editor bar and begin typing.
  4. Select the "Submit Assignment" button.

  1. Click on "Grades" in the course navigation bar.
  2. You will see a list of your assignments, the due dates, the status (Late, Excused, Missing), the score assigned by your instructor, and the total points possible.

Students can access the Inbox located on the navigation panel in Canvas. It is an internal messaging system that allows students and instructors to communicate with each other through the platform.

NOTE:  Confirm with your instructors that this is the preferred method of communication before relying on this method. Your instructor may provide other means to communicate when the class begins.

  1. Click on 'Inbox' from the Global Navigation menu.
  2. Then, click on the "Compose a New Message" icon.
  3. Select the course from the dropdown menu.
  4. Choose the name of your instructor from the list.
  5. Add a subject and message, then click the 'Send' button.