Canvas Faculty Quickstart Guide

All undergraduate courses default to the Common Course Landing Page Template. This template helps the university to create a consistent experience for students taking online courses. 

For more information about the landing page or the Faculty Online Guidance Team, please contact [email protected]. 

There are a few different ways to create a custom banner. Use whichever method works best for your comfort level and design skills! 

Custom Banner Builder 

To create a quick custom banner, you can use the Custom Banner Builder. 

• Change the text in the Course ID and Course Title boxes. 
• Insert your custom image by dragging & dropping an image or click "Drop a custom image file" to open a File Explorer and select your image. (Please be mindful of Fair Use standards!) 
• Adjust the image by using the sliders provided. 
• Click "Save Image" to download your new custom banner. 

*A huge thanks to Eric Bennett in IT for creating this tool! 

Canva Custom Banner 

• For best results, start with the Spalding banner template.
• Select "Use This Template" and log in with your Canva credentials. Spalding does not currently have an insitutional subscription, but all users should be able to create a free Canva account. With a free account, the options for certain content are limited, but you can also upload any photos or graphics you  may want to use in your banner, as long as they comply with fair use laws. 
• Edit the Course ID and Course Name 
• Change the image if desired. 
• Click "Share" and "Download" to save your new custom banner. 

Marq Custom Banner 

• Each department should have a login for Marq.
• From the Marq homepage, click "Templates" and search for the Canvas Banner Template. 
• Make desired changes to Course ID and Course Name. 
• Click "Submit for Approval"
• Wait for marketing to approve your design. Then, you will be able to save and download your custom banner. 

Customizing Text + Links 

To edit the course landing page click "Edit" in the upper right-hand corner of your course. From there, you can update the text and links. To create a hyperlink, select the text you wish to link and click the chainlink icon. From there, you can choose an internal course link (Modules, Assignments, Files, etc.) or an external link (a website, database, etc.). Watch the video below for more details. 

Inserting a Custom Banner 

To insert your custom course banner, click "Edit" from your course landing page. Delete the placeholder image. Click the Image icon and insert your banner file. The banner should be the correct size already, but you can also adjust the size if needed. 

Creating a Welcome Video 

• To record your welcome video, go to Canvas Studio by clicking Studio on the Canvas navigation pane on the left of your screen. 
• Click "Record" in the upper righthand corner. Then select "Webcam Capture" to record yourself talking. 
• You may be prompted to download the recording software and/or have to allow Canvas to access your camera and microphone the first time you record. 
• Click "Start Recording" to record your video.
• Click "Finish" to finish your recording. You can click "Start Over" to restart if you do not like the video you recorded. 
• Give your video a title. Then, click "Save Media". 
• Now your video is saved in Canvas Studio and can be uploaded to your course. 

Adding a Video to Your Course Landing Page

• From the course home page, click "Edit".
• Delete the placeholder video by highlighting it and hitting backspace or delete. 
• Click the Canvas Studio icon and find the video you would like to use. Then, click "Select" on the thumbnail of the video. 
• If you did not previously record a video, click the three vertical dots in the upper-righthand corner and select "Webcam Capture" to record a video. 

Changing Course Navigation 

• On the side navigation, scroll down to the bottom and click "Settings". 
• At the top of the Settings page, there should be a "Navigation" tab. 
• From there, you can drag and drop what you want students to see or not see. 
• When you're finished, make sure to hit "Save".