Revised: January 5, 2016
CANVAS CONVERSION CHART
The following chart outlines differences in LMS language and function. Some terminology is the same,
but the tool may not function as expected. See https://community.canvaslms.com for more information.
D2L 10.3
CANVAS
Activate Course
Publish Course
Account Settings
Two Setting
Options:
Availability
Personal & Course Settings
Course Offering
Information


(Global)
Settings
(Course)
Settings
Copy Course
Components
Functionality
available within
Settings
Notifications
Notifications
Profile
Profile
Help
Help
Role Switch
Student View
Dates and Restrictions Functionality within:
 Restricted
Access
Release Conditions  Availability
Dates
 Prerequisites
KEY CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN CANVAS
 Canvas courses exist in three states: unpublished,
published and concluded. Once "concluded" course
becomes read-only (e.g., grades cannot be
changed).
 Does not include settings for Discussions or Email.
 Includes: Course Details, Set-up course navigation,
Student view, Course Statistics, Copy Course,
Import Content into this course, Export Course
Content, Reset Course Content
 Copy or import course content and Export course
content functionality available within (Course)
Settings
 Weekly option for notifications
 Applies to all courses within Canvas
 Notifications via Twitter and other social media
outlets available
 Create links to your social media accounts
 Report a problem or question using the Help button.
 Submit a Feature Idea
 Student view allows instructors a full student
experience as a “Test Student”. Instructors can
upload materials, take quizzes and navigate the
course.
 The Test Student also appears in the Gradebook for
assessment when instructors leave the Student
View.
 Restricted Access available for course files.
 Quizzes and Discussions can include Availability
dates.
 Prerequisites can be set on the module level
(unlocking an entire module based on certain
conditions) but not on the Assignment level.
Revised: January 5, 2016
D2L 10.3
CANVAS
Classlist
People
Event Log
Email
Conversations
(Inbox)
KEY CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN CANVAS
 See interactions between student and instructor.
 See last time student accessed the course and total
time in the course.
 Includes access to: Student Analytics, Grades,
Access Report, Outcomes
 Functions more like a Facebook wall than an email
inbox
 Receive notifications via social web services, text,
etc.
People
 Send email to individuals or entire class from the
Global Inbox. Messages are delivered to each user’s
registered email address. Users can reply-to
messages.
Groups
Groups
 Create Group Sets within People section
 Ability to drag / drop students into groups, allow selfassign or randomize
 Can assign a group leader
 A group workspace is created where students can
create pages, announcements, collaborations,
discussions, calendar events, and chat in real-time.
User Progress
Calendar
View Student
Progress for
Modules
Calendar
 Instructors can view student progress for required
content within modules.
 Drag & drop to make changes
 Assignment due date changes made in your
calendar are automatically updated everywhere else
in the course.
Content
 Copy calendar feed link to view Canvas calendar in
apps like Google Calendar, iCal, Outlook, etc.
Content
Modules
Course Overview
Syllabus
 Cleaner design
 Fewer options (e.g., descriptions available for
content items only)
 Automatically syncs with Calendar to display
assignment dates.
 Can be displayed as the Course Home Page
Assessments
Content
Revised: January 5, 2016
D2L 10.3
CANVAS
Create a File (HTML
page)
Pages
Manage Files
Files
News
Announcements
Includes functionality
of:
 Dropbox
 Grading
Discussions
 Quizzes
Assignments
Quizzes
Quizzes
Surveys
Quiz Type
Question Library
Question Banks
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
 Choose whether pages are editable only by
instructors, both instructors and students, or by
everyone.
 Link to course assignment when in the HTML
Editor by using the content tools in the sidebar.
 Can use a Page as a course homepage.
 Course-related files can be made accessible to
students via a tab / page
 Files on the course navigation display only courserelated files
 Files within the Account section display all files for
all courses and personal files (e.g., profile pictures,
etc.)
 By default, unless you change the setting, students
can reply to announcements.
 Assignments can be submitted online through text
entry, file uploads, media recordings, or URL’s.
 Easily set up peer review assignments.
 Combine assignments to include % of total grade
(e.g., Quizzes, Other, Assignments). Similar to D2L
Gradebook’s “Categories.”
 Gradebook setup happens here.
 Includes all graded items (e.g., graded discussions,
quizzes, submitted items, etc.)
 Ungraded assignments create a deadline in the
calendar and syllabus, but do not create a column
in the gradebook.
 When you create a quiz, you can choose one of
four quiz types: practice quiz, graded quiz, graded
survey and ungraded survey.
 Quiz Statistics include student and item analysis
 Surveys are one of four quiz types.
 Question banks have to be added to each course
you want to use the questions in.
 No single repository for all questions
 If you change a question in your question bank it
does not change in the quizzes that the question is
being used in. You must update it everywhere.
Revised: January 5, 2016
D2L 10.3
CANVAS
KEY CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN CANVAS
Question Sections /
Randomize
Question Groups
 Ability to pick a certain number of questions from a
Question Bank
 Must use Question Groups to randomize the order
of questions
Rubrics
Rubrics
 Can be used for grading or just feedback
 Simply click to add columns
 Similar to Analytic Rubrics in D2L
Grades
 Faculty can enter grades and comments directly
from here, but if the assignment was turned in to
Canvas the best way to grade is using
Speedgrader.
 Gradebook is automatically populated from the
items in the Assignments list.
Assessments
Gradebook
 Students can figure hypothetical “what-if” grades.
 Sort columns in one click by due date or
assignment category
 Student submissions are highlighted in red if the
submission was turned in late.
Speedgrader
 Displays submitted assignment, grading rubric,
and media comment options all on one page.
 Add comments directly to student’s assignments
(Word, PDF, Excel, & PowerPoint) within Canvas.
 Add audio or video comments directly to
assignments from within Canvas. All you need is a
microphone or webcam.
 Option to use Speedgrader iPad and Android apps
to grade (including touch control of rubrics and
audio/video comments).