Getting Started with Canvas

As the University of Kentucky's Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas allows instructors to engage students remotely with a variety of learning and assessment activities. Canvas can be used to:

Store instructional content
Facilitate student interaction
Post course communication
Deliver and collect assignments and exams
Provide feedback
And much more!

Think of Canvas as your courses' "digital classroom". Every scheduled course has an associated Canvas shell where students can access course content, interact with their peers, and submit assignments. To access your Canvas course shells, log in to Canvas at www.uky.edu/canvas.

On this page, we will provide a general Canvas overview and some essential Canvas components to get you started.

Canvas Interface Overview

In this overview video, you'll learn the basics of navigating Canvas and managing your dashboard and sidebar.

How do I use the dashboard?

User Settings & Profile

In this video, you will learn how to configure your user settings and add a profile picture. Adding a profile picture is a great way to connect with your students and put a "face to the name"; students will be able to see the image displayed in the Inbox, Announcements, Discussions, and People.

How do I edit my profile in my user account as an instructor? (Links to an external site.)
How do I add a profile picture in my user account as an instructor? (Links to an external site.)
How do I change the settings in my user account as an instructor? (Links to an external site.)

Getting Help

Help is always available when you need it. This video describes how to use the Help link in the global navigation menu. In addition to the self-help options described, you can also chat with a Canvas expert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Click the Help icon to get started.

How do I get help with Canvas?