Beyond the Basics: Essential Canvas Features

When would you use this?

You're new to Canvas and you've taken your first steps. Now it's time to deep-dive into three essential Canvas features that require a little bit more explanation: Grades, Attendance, and Quizzes. 

Grades

The Gradebook is the most commonly used feature in Canvas. At FSU Canvas grades are not "official," and are not automatically synced to the Banner (you will have to enter your final grades at the end of the semester via Banner Self-Service in myFramingham). However, most students will expect their instructors to be regularly entering and updating grades in Canvas so that they can be aware of their standing in the course throughout to semester.

If you intend to use a weighted grading system (eg: Homework = 20%, Exams = 50%, etc.), the Canvas Gradebook can perform those calculations for you. To use this feature you must complete the following setup steps (for each course):

1. Create Assignment Groups: Navigate to Assignments in the Canvas Course Navigation Menu. Click the "+Group" at the top right of the Assignments Index Page. Give the Assignment Group a name (such as "Homework") and click "Save." Repeat for remaining Groups. Note: Assignment Groups can be a useful organizational tool even if you aren't using weighted Graded.
2. Set up Weighted Grading: On the Assignments Index Page, click the More Menu button (3 dots at the top right, next to "+Assignment"). Select "Assignment Groups Weight" from the drop-down. In the pop-up window, check the box for "Weight final grade based on assignment groups". You will then be prompted to enter a percentage for each Group.

Whether you intend to use Weighted Grading or not, check out these short video tutorials to get acquainted with the Canvas Gradebook:

• Gradebook Mini Session - Part 1: Basics (20 min)
• Gradebook Mini Session - Part 2: Intermediate (20 min)

Attendance (Qwickly Attendance)

There are technically 2 attendance tools available in our Canvas instance: Qwickly Attendance (recommended) and a native Canvas tool simply called Attendance (officially: RollCall attendance). Both tools allow you to track attendance and pass information to the Canvas Gradebook, but we recommend Qwickly because of its intuitive interface and features.

Anyone can benefit from using Qwickly to track attendance, but if you intend to count attendance as part of the students' course grade, it's essential. Qwickly syncs with the Canvas gradebook so that students can view their attendance record and see its impact on their grade before the end of the semester.

Qwickly is easy to use, provided that it is set up correctly. Use these resources to get started:

• Video Demonstration of the Qwickly setup in Canvas (3 min) 
• Knowledge Article: Setting Up Qwickly Attendance in Canvas

Quizzes:

Use of Canvas Quizzes is less universal. Of all the course elements in Canvas, Quizzes are the most time-consuming to build, but can pay off with significant time-saving down the line. 

If you're new to quizzes, you should know that there are 2 kinds of quizzes in Canvas: Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes. "New Quizzes" are actually not "new," it is feature that was debuted in Canvas almost 10 years ago, and it has been reported that Classic Quizzes would be sunset ever since. As of 2026, Classic Quizzes remain available in Canvas, but new users should expect that they will become unavailable soon, and should use New Quizzes only (See the New Quizzes FAQ and  Classic Quizzes vs. New Quizzes Feature Comparison for more info)

So why use Canvas Quizzes?

• Consider using a Canvas Quiz for any activity that could be automatically graded: anything with multiple choice questions, true/false, fill-in-the blanks ,etc. It does not have to be something that counts as a "quiz" or "test." You could use a Canvas Quiz for a homework or other low-stakes (or even ungraded!) assignment. Note: there are also open-response question types in Canvas Quizzes, but those will not be automatically graded.
• Use the automatic grading to provide instant feedback to students - encourage them to use activities for self-assessment. Instructors can determine whether students see just their score, the correct answers, and/or custom feedback.
• Save questions into question banks (Item Banks) to use again and again. If your textbook publisher produces test questions, you may be able to import them.
• Only Canvas Quizzes can Lockdown Browser - a special browser designed to prevent the use of unauthorized resources during exams.

The best way to start your Canvas Quizzes journey is probably to just try making one: consider making a practice quiz for your students to take (practice for them and for you!). As you go, consult the Canvas New Quizzes Instructor Guides.