Student Guide to Using Canvas Assignments for Exams

Avatar
Kailey Chen

Things you’ll need to have before the exam

  • A quiet location with uninterrupted Internet connectivity. Connect to a network in advance via wifi or an ethernet port.
  • A desktop or fully charged laptop with charging cord.
  • A Two-Step Authentication method (e.g. phone, tablet).
  • A supported web browser (we recommend Chrome).

For Canvas help, please email: canvashelp@stanford.edu

Instructors will create an online assignment, to allow students to submit exam files. Navigate to Canvas and click the appropriate course on the Dashboard. 

  1. Click Assignments from the lefthand course navigation menu (or from Modules, if the Assignments tab is hidden).
  2. Select the assignment.
  3. Click Submit Assignment.

    Assignment with Submit Assignment button

File Upload or Text Entry assignments  

File Upload

  1. Please note the due date, availability time and type of submission for the exam and whether only certain file types are accepted.

    Assignment details with arrow pointing to the file uploade submission due, a box around due date, and box around file upload option
  2. Click Choose File and select from your computer.
  3. Once uploaded, do not forget to Submit Assignment.

Text Entry 

  1. Please note the due date, availability time and type of submission for the exam.
  2. Be sure to occasionally click outside of the text box as you type for Canvas to save your work.
  3. For optimal height, click and drag the handle down from the bottom right corner of the text box.
    Text Entry box with arrow pointing to drag handle to expand box
  4. For optimal font size, change the font size in the text box’s menu bar.
    RCE with dropdown on the font size

Submission Received   

You know you submitted successfully if you see a checkmark and "Submitted!" text above your submission timestamp. You can click on Submission Details to review your submission.

successful submission confirmation  

Internet outage 

Your answers are saved every time you click outside the text box. However, if your internet connection goes out, you will see this message

internet connection error message

You can continue to work while this message shows, but your work won’t be backed up to the server. Until your computer reconnects, do not select back, forward, or refresh on your browser and do not click the Submit Assignment button. 

  • If your network does not reconnect with Canvas by the end of the exam, save your work in a document and email the instructor with the exam attached.  Do not modify your doc after the end of the test (your time stamp will prove you completed work on time). If your internet remains down entirely and you have a smart phone, take a photo and email it to your instructor using data.

Powered by Zendesk