4.0 Canvas Communication Tools

Canvas includes a number of tools for instructors to use to communicate and interact with students through a course site. Students control how they receive communication from Canvas via their Notification Preferences.  In this module you'll learn how to use each of the following tools:

 

📣 Announcements

Announcements can be used communicate with students about the logistics of your course. As soon as you have submitted an Announcement, Canvas takes care of notifying students according to their preferred Notification Preferences.  (You may want to visit with your students concerning their Notification Preferences to help set expectations.)

 

💬 Chat

The Chat tool in Canvas allows students and instructors to interact in real time. It is available to all students in the course.  You can use the chat tool to allow students to contact you when online, create virtual office hours, conduct group discussions, or hold study sessions. It is a course tool that you can choose to enable or disable for each course in the Course Navigation Menu.

 

📥 Conversations (Inbox)

Conversations are email-like messages sent within Canvas' internal messaging system. Students are alerted to new messages on their dashboard screen upon logging in. They also can receive conversations via email or text based on their notification settings. (Again, you might want to talk to your students about their Notification Settings, or where they should expect communication from you.)

 

Discussions

Canvas provides an integrated system for focused and threaded discussions so that both instructors and students alike can start and contribute to as many discussion topics as desired. Think of them as "forums" or "discussion threads." Discussions are date stamped when created, or replied to, and can be enhanced with video, images, files attachments, and can be created as an assignment for grading purposes (which is then seamlessly integrated with the Canvas gradebook), or simply as a forum for topical and current events.

 

✔️ Notifications

Notifications are at the heart of how your students will hear from you.  Canvas includes a set of default notification preferences. You can change the default settings by setting your own notification preferences. Keep in mind - these preferences only apply to you; they are not used to control how course updates are sent to your students. Students set their own notification preferences. Understanding how they can be adjusted will help you begin that talk you'll need to have with your students on their expectations of communication from you and your course.

 

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