Canvas supports several modes of communication, including discussions, conversations, and announcements. This course may use a combination of the options below.
Discussions [1] are threaded discussion areas within the course. Everyone enrolled in the class can post messages of their own and can read and respond to everyone else's messages. A series of messages that make up a conversation is called a "thread."
Conversations [2] is the Canvas messaging tool used instead of email to communicate with a course instructor, a group, an individual student, or a group of students. You can communicate with other people in your course at any time.
Whenever you post a message in a forum or send course mail, please entitle every message with a descriptive subject line. Subject lines that include the gist of a question or comment increase the chances that students and instructors can retrieve the messages we're looking for. Poor subject lines, such as "Question" or "Lesson 1," are useless as search keywords.
Announcements [3]are occasional messages from the instructor that appear when you log into your course. It is important to configure your notifications preferences [4] so that you receive announcements where and when you wish to receive them.
Your Canvas Profile and User Settings let you control your personal information in Canvas. Take a few minutes to personalize your Canvas profile and set your Notification Preferences, by following the instructions below.
Task | Instructions |
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Personalize your Canvas Profile |
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If you use PSU OneID |
Students who are enrolled with OneID will not receive emails automatically from Canvas due to not having PSU email access. We advise that students set up a personal email address for notifications.
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Set your notification preferences |
You have the option to select how, when, and for what information you would like to receive notifications. This can be very helpful when keeping track of items such as discussion posts, assignment due dates, and exams. Visit Canvas Notification Preference Support [6] and follow the instructions for setting up your notification preferences. The video below this table provides additional information. To ensure that your Canvas Inbox messages forward to your regular e-mail account immediately, check the "Notify me right away" option (the checkmark) for each item under "Conversations" in Notification Preferences. |
Set your timezone |
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Download the Canvas App | For information on using the app by device, please see the following:
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Links
[1] http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470/l/190706-how-do-i-reply-to-a-discussion-as-a-student
[2] http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470/l/40303-what-is-conversations
[3] https://guides.instructure.com/m/4212/l/76772-how-do-i-view-announcements-as-a-student
[4] http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470/l/73162-how-do-i-set-my-notification-preferences
[5] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1285
[6] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10624-4212710344
[7] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1559
[8] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1666
[9] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/Notification-Settings-All-Users/ta-p/383690
[10] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/tkb-p/videos