TA: Getting Started with Canvas

What link should I bookmark to find this and other great resources?

https://teach.extension.harvard.edu/packets-itg/ta

Please do not share this link with students.  This link, and other links in this document, are for faculty only.


I cannot access my current Canvas Course site.

Teaching staff are automatically fed into the system and added to all course sites you are assisting in once the hiring paperwork has been processed. 

Check the status of your teaching assistant appointment by contacting:

Faculty Engagement and Academic Affairs’ (FEAA)
DCE_AcademicAffairs@fas.harvard.edu


How do I share Canvas course content with students?

Post course content using Canvas Modules or Canvas Pages. 

See our Canvas course content guides


How do I communicate with students in Canvas?

Use Canvas Announcements or Canvas Inbox.  

Use Canvas Announcements if you want to share information to the entire class or specific sections.
Use Canvas Inbox if you want to email students individually, entire class or specific sections.


How do I facilitate course discussion in Canvas?

The Extension School and the Summer School offers various types of discussion tools. 

Canvas Discussions is the default basic discussion tool. 

We have many other discussion tools available to you. See our discussion tool offerings


How do I set up an assignments and grade them in Canvas?

Canvas Assignments features allow you to set up an assignment for students to upload to. Once a student has submitted an assignment, you can comment and enter in a grade. 

See our Canvas Assignments and Grading guides.


Is there a better way to grade in Canvas when there are multiple TAs in the course?

Yes, you can create sections and toggle so that Canvas Gradebook only shows the section of students you need to grade. 

See our Manage Sections guides.


How do I manage exam extensions and accessibility accommodations in Canvas?

Managing exams in Canvas Quizzes is easy. See our Canvas exam administration guides


I cannot access my past Canvas Course site.

Faculty and students alike retain access to course sites after the term is finished and sites are concluded, including access to student submissions and grades. 

Concluded course sites are placed in a read-only mode and drop out of active menus and tools, like the dashboard.

Canvas removes concluded courses from the dashboard and lists them under “Past Enrollments”. 

We post an announcement to faculty on their Canvas Dashboard after the sites have been concluded with our guide on How to Access Prior Term Site Content and Student Work on our website. (Please do not share this link with students.)


How do I bring over Canvas course content from a prior term?

Request a course copy from the Instructional Technology Group. 


Where do I go for more Canvas help?

Register for workshops, or schedule an online appointment to meet one-to-one with an ITG specialist