How to Use Canvas LMS: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers
Formswrite Team
•
February 15, 2026
How to Use Canvas LMS: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers
Whether you're a student accessing Canvas for the first time or a teacher building your first course, this guide walks you through everything you need to know.
Canvas Requirements
For Students
- A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
- Internet connection
- Your school's Canvas URL (e.g.,
yourschool.instructure.com) - Login credentials from your institution
For Teachers
- Same as above, plus a Canvas account with Teacher role
- For free accounts: sign up at canvas.instructure.com
Supported Browsers
| Browser | Minimum Version |
|---|---|
| Chrome | Latest two versions |
| Firefox | Latest two versions |
| Safari | Latest two versions |
| Edge | Latest two versions |
Canvas is fully web-based — no software installation needed.
Does Canvas Have an App?
Yes. Canvas offers three mobile apps, all free:
| App | Platform | For Whom |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas Student | iOS, Android | Students |
| Canvas Teacher | iOS, Android | Teachers |
| Canvas Parent | iOS, Android | Parents/guardians |
What the Canvas Student App Does
- View courses and modules
- Submit assignments (text, files, photos, videos)
- Take quizzes
- Check grades and feedback
- Participate in discussions
- View the calendar and to-do list
- Receive push notifications for due dates and announcements
What the Canvas Teacher App Does
- View course roster and submissions
- Grade with SpeedGrader on mobile
- Send announcements
- View course analytics
- Manage inbox messages
How to Use Canvas as a Student
1. Log In
Go to your institution's Canvas URL and log in with your school credentials. Many schools use SSO (Single Sign-On) — click your school's login button and use your existing school account.
2. Navigate the Dashboard
After logging in, you'll see the Dashboard with your enrolled courses displayed as cards. You can:
- Click a course card to enter the course
- View To Do items on the right sidebar
- Check Coming Up for upcoming assignments and quizzes
- Access the Calendar for all deadlines across courses
3. Navigate a Course
Inside a course, use the left sidebar menu:
| Menu Item | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Home | Course homepage |
| Announcements | Teacher announcements |
| Modules | Organized course content |
| Assignments | All assignments |
| Discussions | Discussion boards |
| Grades | Your gradebook |
| People | Course roster |
| Files | Course files |
| Syllabus | Course syllabus and schedule |
4. Complete Modules
Most courses use Modules to organize content. Modules contain items in sequence:
- Pages (readings, instructions)
- Files (PDFs, documents)
- External links
- Assignments
- Quizzes
- Discussions
Complete items in order — some modules require you to finish all items before unlocking the next module.
5. Take a Quiz
- Go to Quizzes or find the quiz in a module
- Click on the quiz name
- Read the instructions, time limit, and attempt information
- Click "Take the Quiz"
- Answer questions — you can flag questions to review later
- Click "Submit Quiz" when done
- View your score and feedback (if enabled by teacher)
6. Submit an Assignment
- Go to Assignments or find it in a module
- Click on the assignment name
- Read the instructions and rubric
- Click "Submit Assignment"
- Choose submission type:
- File Upload — drag and drop or browse for files
- Text Entry — type directly in the rich text editor
- Website URL — paste a link
- Media — record audio or video
- Click "Submit Assignment"
7. Check Your Grades
Go to Grades in the sidebar. You'll see:
- All assignments with scores and points
- Comments and feedback from teachers
- Running total and course grade
- Click any assignment name to view detailed feedback
How to Use Canvas as a Teacher
1. Create a Course
Free account: Log in at canvas.instructure.com → Click "Start a New Course"
Institutional account: Your admin creates courses, or you can create sandbox courses.
2. Build Course Structure with Modules
Modules are the backbone of Canvas course organization:
- Go to Modules in the sidebar
- Click "+ Module" to create a new module
- Name it (e.g., "Week 1: Introduction")
- Click "+" inside the module to add items:
- Assignment — graded work
- Quiz — assessments
- Page — content pages
- Discussion — threaded discussions
- File — upload documents
- External URL — link to resources
- External Tool — LTI integrations
3. Create Assignments
- Go to Assignments → "+ Assignment"
- Configure:
- Name and description (rich text with images, links, media)
- Points possible
- Assignment group (for weighted grading)
- Submission type (file, text, URL, media, or no submission)
- Due date and availability dates
- Rubric (optional)
- Click "Save & Publish"
4. Create Quizzes
The Manual Way
- Go to Quizzes → "+ Quiz"
- Choose Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes
- Add questions one by one (multiple choice, true/false, essay, etc.)
- Configure settings (time limit, attempts, shuffle)
- Save and publish
The Fast Way with Formswrite
- Write your quiz in a Google Doc
- Go to Formswrite and convert to Canvas QTI
- In Canvas, go to Settings → Import Course Content
- Select QTI .zip file and upload
- Questions appear in your Question Bank — add them to any quiz
This saves significant time, especially for large exams.
5. Grade with SpeedGrader
SpeedGrader is Canvas's most powerful feature for teachers:
- Go to an assignment → SpeedGrader
- View each student's submission inline
- Annotate PDFs — highlight, comment, draw
- Leave text comments or record video/audio feedback
- Apply a rubric for consistent grading
- Enter the score and move to the next student
- Keyboard shortcuts make it even faster
6. Post Announcements
- Go to Announcements → "+ Announcement"
- Write your message (supports rich text, images, links)
- Choose to send notification to students
- Click "Save"
7. View Analytics
Go to People → click a student → Analytics to see:
- Page views and participation
- Assignment submission rates
- Grade trends over time
Tips for Teachers
Import Quizzes Instead of Creating Manually
Use Formswrite to convert Google Docs to Canvas QTI packages. This is especially valuable for:
- Midterm and final exams with many questions
- Standardized assessments across multiple sections
- Migrating quizzes from another LMS
Use Assignment Groups for Weighted Grades
Set up groups like "Quizzes (30%)", "Assignments (40%)", "Final Exam (30%)" to automatically calculate weighted grades.
Publish Strategically
Create all your content first, then publish modules on a schedule. Use availability dates to control when students can access materials.
Use Rubrics
Create rubrics for assignments and discussions. They save grading time and provide consistent, transparent feedback.
FAQ
Is the Canvas app free?
Yes. All three Canvas apps (Student, Teacher, Parent) are free on iOS and Android.
Can I use Canvas on my phone?
Yes. Canvas works in mobile browsers and through the dedicated apps. The apps provide a better experience with push notifications and offline access.
How do I reset my Canvas password?
Click "Forgot Password?" on the login page. If your school uses SSO, contact your IT department instead.
Can teachers see when students view content?
Yes. Canvas tracks page views and access times. Teachers can see this in the People → Student Analytics section.
How do I import quiz questions into Canvas?
Go to Settings → Import Course Content → select QTI .zip file → upload. Use Formswrite to generate QTI packages from Google Docs automatically.
Can I copy a course from one semester to another?
Yes. Go to Settings → Import Course Content → select Copy a Canvas Course. This copies all content, assignments, and quizzes to a new course shell.
Get Started
Whether you're a student or teacher, Canvas is designed to make online learning easier. For faster quiz creation, try Formswrite — convert your Google Docs into Canvas quizzes in seconds.