Canvas is Virginia Tech's learning management system (LMS). Students use Canvas to access learning materials, like assignments, quizzes, feedback, and grades.

• Official courses are automatically created in students' Canvas accounts.
• Canvas provides 24-7 support by phone (833-639-7621) and chat (click Help on any Canvas screen).

The Canvas Student Guide has full instructions on using Canvas. These instructions are specific to Virginia Tech. To see other Canvas topics, please see Using Canvas at Virginia Tech (for Students).

Contents

• Editing Your Canvas Profile
• Setting Notification Preferences
  
  • Canvas Default Email Address
  • Notification Triggers
• Using Canvas Files
  
  • Uploading Files
  • Downloading Files
• Sending Emails
• Troubleshooting
  
  • Canvas is in the wrong color
  • Script Blocker Problems
• Getting Help

Instructions

Editing Your Canvas Profile

You can change your profile picture, set your notification preferences, and store personal files. To access them:  

1. Log into Canvas.
2. Click Account on the leftmost Global Navigation Menu.
3. On the popup menu, click an account area to manage.

To edit your profile, see How do I edit my profile in my user account as a student?

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Setting Notification Preferences

Canvas Default Email Address

Canvas, by default, will send you an email at your Virginia Tech preferred email address, which is either your PID@vt.edu or an email alias. If you change your preferred email address for Virginia Tech, Canvas will update within one day.

To change your default Canvas email address, see How do I change my default email address in my user account as a student?

Notification Triggers

Students are responsible for receiving instructor notifications. Changing notification preferences can interfere with that responsibility. 

• Notification settings apply to all courses. Preferences cannot be set course-by-course.
• To set what triggers a notification and how often you are notified, see How do I manage my Canvas notification preferences as a student?
• To add notifications via text message, see How do I add text (SMS) contact method in Canvas?
• To add an additional email address, see How do I add an additional email address as a contact method in Canvas?

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Using Canvas Files

There are two areas in Canvas to store data:

• Personal Files
  
  • How do I view my user files as a student?
  • 262.1 MB max storage
• Course site's Files
  
  • How do I view course files as a student?
  • 5.2 GB max storage

Store text-based resources and images in Canvas Files. Store multi-media resources in My Media. See Video Content Management - Using My Media and Media Gallery (for Students).

Uploading Files

Do not upload large media files to Canvas Files. Instead, use the My Media tool. See: Video Content Management - Using My Media and Media Gallery (for Students).

To upload files to Canvas, see: 

• How do I use files as a student?
• How do I bulk upload files to my user or group files?

Downloading Files

To download a single file, see How do I download a single file as a student?

To download files in bulk from Canvas, all the files must be in a sub-folder. You cannot download the top-level folder.

1. In the Global Navigation Menu, click Account, then Files.

   

2. Open the folder containing the sub-folder you want to download.
3. Click the three dots next to the sub-folder you are downloading.
4. Click Download.

   

5. Canvas will prepare the download. Progress is shown at the top of the screen.
6. When preparations are complete, the files are downloaded as a zip file.

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Sending Email

Use Canvas Conversations to send messages. Conversations is called Inbox in the Global Navigation Menu. It is not accessible on Course Navigation Menus.  

To start a conversation:

1. Click Inbox in the Global Navigation Menu.
2. Click the pencil icon near the top-right corner to compose a new message.
3. Choose a Course from the drop-down.
4. Choose who you want to send the message to.
   
   1. The address book will vary by the assigned roles in the course
   2. Click the address book icon to the right to choose All or a type of role. 
5. Type a Subject and compose your message.
6. Click Send. 

By default, you will receive an email whenever you get a new Conversation message. To change notification preferences, see How do I manage my Canvas notification preferences as a student?

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Getting Help

For instructions on resolving common issues with Canvas, see:

• Troubleshooting Canvas (For Students)
• Recommended Browser Privacy and Security Settings for Canvas

Instructure, the creators of Canvas, provide 24-7 Canvas support, including live chat and a support hotline.

To get Canvas help, click Support on any Canvas screen and choose from help options:

• Search the Canvas Guides: Search Canvas documentation. 
• Chat with Canvas Support: Open a chat window in Canvas (or call the phone number). 
• Contact Virginia Tech 4Help: Submit an incident on 4Help or call 540-231-4357.
• Browse Virginia Tech Resources: See other Canvas Knowledge Base articles.
• Report a Problem: Submit a Canvas support case by filling out a short form.
• Ask the Community: Go to Canvas user community resources. 
• Submit a Feature Idea: Search a list of current feature idea conversations. Add to an existing conversation or start your own!

In Canvas, use the new Help Docs button located near the Support button that will provide quick access to a knowledge base located inside Canvas.

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