Canvas Dashboard Tips & Tricks
The Dashboard is the first thing you will see when you log into Canvas. The Dashboard allows you to read global announcements and helps you see what is happening in all your student's current courses. The Dashboard view can be customized to the preference of each user. You can return to the Dashboard at any time by clicking the Dashboard link in Global Navigation.
Desktop/Computer
View Dashboard / Dashboard Viewing Options
There are multiple viewing options for the Dashboard for Observers that can be selected from by clicking the 3 dots at the upper-right corner of your screen. These include: Card View and Recent Activity View.
- Card View Links to an external site.: displays course cards for quick access to all your favorite courses (the same courses display in the Courses link from the Global Navigation Menu)
- Recent Activity View Links to an external site.: displays all recent activity for all courses
Dashboard
| Course Order | To reorder courses in the Dashboard, click and drag the Course Card. Click and hold the Course Card that you want to reorder, drag the Course Card to the new location, and drop the Course Card in the new location on your Dashboard. |
| Course Color |
You can also change the color of each course, which is synced with the color shown for the course in the Calendar. To change the color, click the three dots in the upper-right-corner of the course tile, then select a new color. The check mark indicates the selected color. Click the Apply button. If you change the color for a course in the Calendar, the Dashboard will also update with the new calendar color. |
| Course Nickname | If one of your courses includes a long or confusing name, you can create a nickname for your course and then click "apply." |
Viewing Global Announcements
The Dashboard may also include global announcements, which are announcements created by your institution. To remove the announcement from your dashboard, click the Remove icon.
Course Card Icons
The Dashboard course view includes a course card for each of your favorite courses. Each card can include up to four icons, which represent the four main Canvas features for student course activity: Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Files. If the tabs are visible, Discussions and Announcements indicate the number of new activity items in the course.