Using Canvas to Deliver Course Content

Canvas provides the Law School community with a modern Learning Management System that is used by our peers while providing our learners with a consistent learning experience. 

Canvas provides integrated learning tools that improve the learning experience. 

• Creating and accessing Zoom meetings for your course can be easily accomplished on the course site.  
• Creating, uploading, and embedding media is accomplished on the course site and is a function available to both faculty and students.
• SeatGen, a tool to create seating charts for Face-to-Face classes, is accessed from the course navigation.
• Academic Recordings are accessed from the course navigation.  

This guide provides quick video tutorials on essential Canvas elements and an FAQ.

NOTE: The Canvas Email tool will not work until the start of the term.  Any communication for your students before the first day of class should be addressed with the COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT tool in Canvas.

GW Law utilizes a custom template for Canvas courses.  This template was designed to create a consistent learning experience for GW Law students.  

It is important for Faculty to not change the course site home page and not to rename any pages that are linked to the home page.   We ask that Faculty work with the predefined structure to ensure the consistent learning experience for our students. 

For communicating to your students before the first day of class and throughout Add/Drop period, we recommend using the Course Announcement tool.  Course Announcements are logged and are available to any student enrolled in the course to view. If you use the Canvas Inbox instead of the Course Announcement tool, students not enrolled at the moment your communication is sent will not be able to view the communication.  

Canvas App for Professors

Canvas Teacher allows Faculty to facilitate their courses on the go, both inside and outside the classroom. This app provides quick access to grading, communicating, and updating—three of the most frequent course facilitation tasks for teachers through Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes.

Canvas Teacher is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Canvas App for Students

Canvas Student allows students to access their courses and groups using a mobile device. Students can submit assignments, participate in discussions, view grades and course materials. The app also provides access to course calendars, To Do items, notifications, and Conversations messages.

Canvas Student is available for both Android and iOS devices.