Course Navigation

Remember that the menu icon (   ) toggles your course menu on or off.

Home

The home page is the first page you see whenever you open a course. In a UNC-branded course (like this one) you will be able to link to any module from the home page, including a Start Here module that includes a lot of good to know student information. In some courses, instructors may have the home page open to the course Syllabus, the Assignments index page, or to the Modules index page. Sometimes instructors will create a customized home page that will include instructions about how to proceed.

Announcements

All course announcements are posted in the Announcements section of the left-hand navigation. In some courses, you may also see the most recent announcements posted to the top of the home page. You can set your personal notifications (located in your Account from the global menu) so that Canvas will send announcement notifications to an external email or to a mobile device.

Syllabus

It is always important to read through the course syllabus carefully and refer back to it frequently. The syllabus contains everything you need to know to succeed in a course, including learning objectives, assignments, projects, grading requirements, due dates, and course policies. In some courses, you may find the Syllabus in a Module, so if you don't see Syllabus in your course menu or if you don't find a syllabus in the syllabus section, look for it in a module.

Modules

Canvas course content can be organized and presented in content blocks called Modules. Instructors who use them may create modules based on weeks, chapters, units, or other themes. Well-constructed modules can function to tell a story - a way of presenting a flow for the course content. In a UNC-branded course (like this one), you can access each module directly from the home page. When you are on any Canvas page, if you see a Next button or a Previous button at the bottom of the page, then you know you are navigating your content from within a module.

Assignments

The Assignments index page provides a list of all the assignments in a course. You can choose to view the list by the type of assignment or by its due date. When instructors use modules, they may include a link to each assignment when it is due in the flow of the course. If your instructor is using Canvas Assignments, you will likely see due dates in your Calendar and in your To Do list on the home page.

Discussions

The Discussions index page provides a list of all discussions in a course. Discussions are either open or closed. If a discussion is closed, you will still be able to read the discussion, but you will no longer be able to contribute. In some courses, you may have a discussion devoted to introductions and/or frequently asked course questions. Use these discussions to connect with your classmates. When instructors use modules, they usually include links to each discussion where it happens in the flow of the course. You will also see discussion due dates on your Calendar and on your To Do list from the home page.

Quizzes (Exams)

The quiz tool in Canvas is used to create both quizzes and exams. If your Canvas course includes quizzes, you will see a Quizzes index page that lists all quizzes. The quiz tool is used to create practice and graded quizzes, exams, and surveys. When quizzes are graded, you will also see links to them on the Assignments index page. If your instructor uses modules, you may also see links to your quizzes where they happen in the flow of the course.

Zoom

If your instructor is using Zoom, you will see a link to Zoom in your course navigation. When you follow that link, you will see any Zoom meetings that you are invited to attend in the course. If your instructor schedules Zoom meetings inside of Canvas, these meetings will also appear on your Canvas calendar.

Panopto

If your instructor is using Panopto, you will see a link to Panopto in your course navigation. When you select the link, you will see a list of all of the videos that appear in the course. Your instructor may also embed those videos directly on course pages.

People

You can contact your instructor and your classmates through their profile links in People. You can also communicate using Canvas' internal email using the Inbox on the blue global navigation menu at the far left side of your screen. If you are a part of groups in your course, you can find your group by selecting People and then the Groups tab.

Grades

Select Grades to see your grade report. In Grades, you will see your assignments, any related assignment status, and your scores. You are also able to see instructor comments and access other feedback that becomes available once an assignment has been graded and released. You can also see both the original assignment you submitted and any assignment that has annotated feedback. If you don't see instructor feedback that you are expecting, you may be looking at the original assignment. Keep looking to find the graded assignment. Grades also provides a “What-If” score calculation function that lets you calculate how your grade would be affected by upcoming performance scenarios.

UNC Library Resources

If you see this link in your course menu, it will take you to the UNC Library search page.