Canvas - Why can't my students see my course content?

Summary

Content visibility is controlled determined by the publish status of items in Canvas.

Body

If you have added materials to your Canvas course, but students say they can't see what you've uploaded, there are three things which could be happening:

1. The course isn't published.

It's possible that your course isn't published, meaning that no students will be able to see it. Ensure that your course is published by checking out this Canvas Guide.

2. The items aren't published.

Next to your items, make sure you see a green checkmark. This means the item is published and available to students. If you see a grey no-sign, the item is currently unpublished and students cannot see it. Click on the grey icon to publish the item. More information on publishing items can be found in the Canvas Guides.

3. The area into which you've placed content isn't available to students.

By default, only certain areas of your Canvas course will appear to students. Looking at the course menu in your Canvas course, if you see a crossed eye icon, students do not have access to that area. Some areas of your Canvas course will become available once you add content (such as Announcements and Modules); others are hidden even if you add content. To show a hidden area to students, you can update your course menu's navigation.

We encourage faculty members to use the Modules area to organize course content instead of the Files area. Learn more about adding items to your Canvas course, and the advantages of Modules, with our content guide.

Details

Details

Article ID: 12313
Created
Mon 2/20/23 2:48 PM
Modified
Wed 3/8/23 9:26 AM

Related Services / Offerings

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Canvas is the Learning Management System at CWRU, providing campus members the tools and resources needed for in-person and online teaching and learning. Canvas includes tools instructors and students have come to depend on, such as assignments, announcements and tests.