How do I set up a course on Canvas Free-For-Teacher?
You will learn about Canvas's free site that any teacher can use for any student that has a valid email address.
About Free-For-Teacher
Canvas offers a free site for teachers to try out Canvas. An overview of free-for-teacher is available.
User Accounts
Teachers can create user accounts when enrolling students. Two-factor authentication is not required.
Support
Canvas provides support for a limited list of activities (delete course, reset password, and a few others). For most support items, users will need to rely on the canvas guides.
Apps
Free-for-teacher does not allow site-level external tools like New Quizzes, Turnitin, or SCORM. Apps that can be added at the course level are allowed (check with the app vendor for details).
Storage
Courses are limited to 500MB. Users are limited to 50MB.
The full list of differences is available at Canvas_Account_Comparisons.pdf.
How to Get Started
1. Create your account
If you have never used Free-For-Teacher, create your account at Canvas Account Creation Page.
2. Log in
If you have a Free-For-Teacher account, click "Log In" and select "Canvas" at the Canvas Login Page.
Enter your login credentials and click the "Login" button.
3. Create a Course
Click the "Start a New Course" button.
4. Adjust the Course Time Zone
The time zone of the course by default is U.S. Mountain Time.
You can change the time zone of the course with the steps in the Canvas Course Time Zone Guide.
Bring in Course Materials
Canvas Course Export
Canvas course materials can be exported to a file that can be imported to another Canvas site (including Free-For-Teacher).
Details on exporting a Canvas course are available in the Canvas Export Course Guide .
The file must be less than 500 Megabytes in size in order to upload it to the Free-For-Teacher course.
Steps for importing the IMSCC file into a Canvas course are available in the Canvas Course File Import Guide.
Manual Set Up
The course can be "built from scratch". Commonly used items are listed below.
The course will be empty. You can create a module to hold course activities with the steps in Canvas Create Module Guide.
If you want the module to be visible to students, you will need to publish it with the steps in the Canvas Publish Module Guide.
Pages are a great way to present information to students. Get details in How to create a page.
Discussions add a social, interactive element to courses. Details are available in How to create a discussion.
Assignment details are available in How to create an assignment and How to edit assignment details.
Currently only Classic quizzes are available in Free-For-Teacher. Get details at How to create a quiz.
Import from Canvas Commons
Canvas Commons has a wealth of user-contributed content. Details are available in Canvas Commons Import Guide.
Invite Students
Make sure your course is published and the start date has passed before inviting students.
1. Click People.
In the course menu, click the "People" button.
2. Click + People
At the top right, click the "+ People" button.
3. Add People
- Add email addresses in the box.
- Select the course Role.
- Click "Next".
4. Missing User Info
If the email address is not associated with an existing Canvas Free-For-Teacher account, check the box next to "Click to add a name".
Provide name(s) for missing user(s).
If the details look good, click the "Add Users" button.
Student Access to Course
Students will receive a notification email from [email protected] "You've been invited to participate in a class at Free For Teacher...".
Students need to click the "Get Started" button in the email. When their web browser brings up the course, they need to click accept (near the top of the page). "You have been invited to join...". This will take them to the "Welcome aboard" screen where they need to enter a password for their user account, set their preferred time zone, check the "I agree to the Acceptable Use Policy" box, and click the Register button.
Article Summary
You have learned how to get a Canvas Free-For-Teacher course started.