1) I’m terrified of losing my grades or making a mistake in the Gradebook. What can I do?
Export your Gradebook periodically by going to Gradebook and clicking on the Actions menu item in the top left-hand corner, then Export. That way, if you ever make a mistake or something goes wrong in Canvas, you have a backup! (Note: This is a great way to download your class list as well.)

2) I want to use the Gradebook but I don’t want to take a lot of time to set it up. What is the quickest way to set up the Gradebook?

Create Assignments in the Assignment section by going to the Assignments section of your course, clicking the + icon and filling out the Assignment name and point value. Then click Save and Publish. Rinse and repeat until all your assignments are listed. You don’t even need to put in a due date!

3) What is the difference between Assignments and Quizzes?

Assignments can be used for both online and in-person submissions and can serve as placeholders for graded items like attendance and participation. Quizzes are used to create and administer online quizzes, surveys, and tests. They are often graded automatically based on the point value you assign each question. If you are not creating online questions for students to answer and are instead using Canvas to grade in-class quizzes and exams, create the quiz or exam as an Assignment instead.

4) I created an Assignment for students to submit online but they do not see the Submit button. What did I do wrong?

Is the assignment published? If not, click on the cloud icon next to the assignment to turn it green.
Is the assignment submission type set to online? If your assignment says "No Submission" or "On Paper", you need to change this by clicking on the assignment, selecting Edit, and changing Submission Type to Online.
Is your assignment's availability date restricting submissions after a certain date? If so, follow the instructions for Question #5 to change the availability dates.

5) How do I restrict students from submitting/resubmitting assignments after the due date?

Go to the Assignment and click on Edit. Set the availability date to reflect the date range that you wish to allow students to submit assignments. If you leave these blank, students can submit or resubmit assignments anytime during the duration of the course.

6) I’m in SpeedGrader but now I want to get back to the Gradebook. How do I do this?

Click on the paper icon in the top left-hand corner to return to the Gradebook.

7) How do I scroll through students’ names in SpeedGrader?

Use the arrow next to the first student's name in the top right-hand corner of the SpeedGrader to advance to the next student. You can also use a shortcut by hitting the letter J on your keyboard for next or K for previous. Interested in learning other SpeedGrader shortcuts? Hit the comma button and the shortcuts will appear on your screen.

8) Can I rearrange columns in the Gradebook?

Select the View menu item in the top left-hand corner of the Gradebook and choose Arrange By. You can also filter columns.

9) How do I display grades as letter grades?

When creating or editing an Assignment, change “Display Points as…” to Letter Grade. You can view and edit the Grading Scheme being used to calculate this. Then click Save. NOTE: You still want to input the grade as a point value in the Gradebook. The Gradebook will automatically change your point value to a letter grade based on the grading scheme.

10) I have assignments that do not factor into the overall course grade. How do I add those to Canvas?

There are a variety of options for creating these types of assignments:

If the assignment is NOT graded and students are NOT submitting/doing anything online (e.g. event attendance, in-class active learning exercise, etc.): Set it as an event. It will show up in the students’ calendar, the automatic syllabus, and in their course stream. It will NOT show up in the Gradebook.
If the assignment is NOT graded but students are submitting/doing something online (e.g. practice quiz, draft essay, etc.): Add it as an Assignment and set the “Display Grade as” to Ungraded. For online quizzes or surveys, you can add a quiz and set the “Quiz Type” to Practice Quiz or Ungraded Survey. It will NOT show up in the Gradebook.
If you are grading the assignment but you do NOT want it to factor into the overall course grade (e.g. activities that count towards attendance and participation): Check the box that says "do not count this assignment towards the final grade".