Types of Canvas Sites
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Learn more about the variety of Canvas course sites.
Canvas for Every Use Case
Canvas supports many use cases for the University and provides different configurations and tools based on the kind of learning, work, or project that is seeking to use Canvas as its home. From academic course sites to non-degree programs to faculty resource sites—Canvas is a versatile platform.
All credit-bearing courses that leverage Banner for registration and enrollment have a Canvas course site created automatically. Academic Canvas course sites are the primary way that Canvas @ Yale is used to support teaching and learning.
Request: No request necessary
Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment
Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas course sites
Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall
Expanded Course Description: FAS courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sites upon creation
Cross-listed course sites are Canvas academic course sites that represent courses which have been officially cross-listed in Banner. A cross-listed course site will represent two or more different courses in banner as one Canvas course.
Request: Official cross-listings must be requested through department / school registrar
Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment
Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas cross-listed sites
Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall
Expanded Course Description: FAS courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sits upon creation; professional school courses cross-listed with a Yale College or GSAS course will always have the Expanded Course Description added initially
Canvas Umbrella sites are typically used by multi-section courses to enable a course director to provide information for all sections in one Canvas course site. Instructors for the sections have the option of posting documents and announcements for their own Canvas course sections still, but can maintain a single Canvas course site if they prefer.
Umbrella sites are not the same as official cross-listed courses. If a course needs to be officially cross-listed, please contact your registrar to have your course information updated to identify your specific courses as being cross-listed.
Request: Canvas umbrella sites must be requested for courses each semester by the course instructor, department / school register, or academic support staff
Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment
Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas umbrella sites
Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall
Expanded Course Description: FAS Courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sites upon creation
Official Cross-Listing Vs. Canvas Umbrella Site
| Effect | Official Course Cross-List | Umbrella Site: Section-Merged | Umbrella Site: Section-Retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combines sections for different courses together Example: SPAN 267 01; LAST 267 01; LITR 258 01; etc… |
YES | NO | NO |
| Combines multiple sections for a single course Example: SPAN 110 01; SPAN 110 02; SPAN 03; etc… |
NO | YES | UES |
|
Canvas Impact |
|||
| Creates one combined Canvas site only | YES | YES | NO |
| Creates one combined Canvas site PLUS retaining individual section sites | NO | NO | YES |
| In combined site, the instructor can see which course/section the student registered for | NO | YES | YES |
|
Other Yale System Impacts |
|||
| Combines Courses/Sections in Course Evaluation System | YES | NO | NO |
| Combines Courses/Sections in Faculty Grading System | YES | NO | NO |
| Links Courses/Sections in Yale Course Search | YES | NO | NO |
|
How to Request |
|||
| Contact Information | Contact Departmental / School Registrar | Submit Umbrella Site Request | |
Canvas Umbrella Site Types
- Section-retained Umbrella site: A new course site is created which has all the enrollments from the individual sections. The individual section course sites remain intact.
- Section-merged Umbrella site: Individual course sections are collapsed into one course site. Differentiation of sections for sharing files is not possible.
Canvas Sandbox
Request a Canvas early course or personal sandbox to begin testing, building and designing in Canvas.
Canvas Umbrella Site
Request a Canvas umbrella site to create a combined course site to better manage your course rosters and materials in Canvas.
A site you can request for a Spring, Summer, or Fall course to begin preparing your course materials and design if the official course site has not been created for that term yet. Sandbox sites can be copied into the official Canvas course site once it is created.
Request: Submit the Sandbox Course Request
Enrollment: Manual; students cannot be enrolled within a Sandbox course site
Instructional Tools: All native Canvas tools; Media Library, Zoom
Terms: Indefinite
Limit: One per course per semester
A personal sandbox course site instructors or academic support staff can use to experiment with Canvas tools and features.
Request: Submit the Sandbox Course Request
Enrollment: Manual; students cannot be enrolled within a Sandbox course site
Instructional Tools: All native Canvas tools; Media Library, Zoom
Terms: Indefinite
Limit: One per user
A course site dedicated to a non-degree program or certificate aligned with a department or school at Yale that is leveraging Canvas to facilitate teaching and learning.
Request: Submit the Project Site Request; must be renewed every year; honored on a case by case basis
Enrollment: Manual; the requester and/or project site facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site
Instructional Tools: See table below
Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall, FY (Fiscal Year | July-June)
A course site used to coordinate and organize other use cases such as: resource sites, trainings, and other initiatives.
Request: Submit the Project Site Request; must be renewed every year; honored on a case by case basis
Enrollment: Manual; the requester and/or project site facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site
Instructional Tools: See table below
Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall, FY (Fiscal Year | July-June)
Request a Non-Academic Course Site
Submit your request for a Non-Academic Course site if your needs align with our terms of use and the tool limitations outlined.
Need an Alternative to Canvas @ Yale
Finding that a Non-Academic course site on Canvas is not meeting your needs? Consider these alternative tools and services instead.
Non-Academic Course Site Terms & Conditions
If your needs align with the terms and conditions listed below, please fill out the Project Site Request form to begin the process of acquiring a non-academic Canvas course.
Requests
- Requests must come from a Yale Faculty or Staff member
- Will be honored on a case by case basis
- Are not for student-led groups or organizations
- May require a consultation with a member of the Poorvu Educational Technology team
Enrollments
- Enrolling non-Yale users are subject to licensing fees
- Enrollments must not exceed 250 users
- The requester and/or site facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site
Site Access & Management
- Canvas sites cannot be made publicly available
- Sites expire at the end of the term or fiscal year they were created.
- After expiration, a new Project Site Request form must be filled out to create a new Canvas site
- Canvas sites must not contain high risk data anywhere within the site
Available Tools & Functions
Canvas @ Yale licenses and integrates a number of Instructional Tools to make available for credit-bearing, Academic Canvas courses. Not all licensed instructional tools are available for Non-Academic Canvas course sites. Please reference the table below for a full list of tools available for use in Non-Academic Canvas course sites.
| Available in Non-Academic Canvas Sites | Not Available in Non-Academic Canvas Sites * |
|---|---|
|
Core Canvas Tools:
|
Feedback & Accessibility Barriers Tool |
| Email List | Mid-Semester Feedback |
| Post’Em | Photo Roster |
| Panorama | External App: Ed Discussion |
| Gradescope | External Tool: FeedbackFruits |
| Media Library (Panopto) | External App: LabArchives |
| Perusall | External App: Respondus LockDown Browser |
| Poll Everywhere | External App: Turnitin |
| Qualtrics LTI | External App: VoiceThread |
| Zoom |
* Non-academic Canvas course sites can potentially have access to other external applications, contingent upon changes to our vendor agreements and potentially additional costs to the non-academic course site requester.
Renewing an Approved Non-Academic Canvas Site
If your non-academic Canvas site has expired and you need a new site, please complete the Project Site Request form and select the option to renew.
Prior to receiving your newly renewed site, you may be asked to complete a consultation with the Educational Technology team that manages Canvas @ Yale so that they can update you on new tools and features, as well as ensure that your Canvas site is meeting your needs.
Renewals are subject to re-evaluation of if the use of Canvas is still the appropriate tool / place for a project.