by Amanda Dills
updated 9/17/24

When was the last time you poked around at all of the options on the Canvas Dashboard/Homepage? If you’re like most instructors, you probably log in and jump straight to the course or ToDo list item that you need, which means the answer to that question is “basically never.” But that means you’re missing out on some really helpful “hidden gems” that the Canvas homepage has to offer.

We’ve already done one T2MTU on one of these gems: customizing your Canvas Notifications from the homepage (click HERE for that tutorial), but here are 4 other features you may have overlooked on your Canvas Dashboard.

(Click on the video below to play, or keep scrolling for written directions.)

Canvas Homepage “Hidden Gems”

Once you’ve logged into Canvas, check out the various menu options on the left hand side of your screen. The bottom 4 options are items you may have previously overlooked.

1) History – Click on this icon to see a list of all the recent pages you have visited in Canvas. Great for picking up where you left off on grading, page creation, and more!

2) Commons – The Commons is a collection of resources and templates created by other Canvas users. Try searching for your subject area (for example, “Anatomy Quiz”) to find a variety of pre-made options, or click on the filter and turn on “Only Francis Tuttle Technology Center Approved Resources” to see templates and resources created by ID3.

3) Tech Support – This tab has some Canvas tutorials you may find helpful, but probably the most helpful thing to know about here is the after hours chat or phone support for instructors. If you need assistance outside of regular business hours, you can use these links to get immediate help from Canvas tech support.

4) Maximize/Minimize the Menu – You can use this toggle to change the size of this left hand menu bar.

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Like this Tutorial? Click HERE to view all the Tuesday 2-Minute Tune Up articles!

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Contact: Tami | Carlos | Amanda | Whitley