The purpose of this page is to provide information on basic functionality in the mobile Canvas App for both iOS and Android allowing you to complete or submit assignments via your smart device.
Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) used by Penn State that allows for online teaching and learning. In many cases, Penn State faculty will have an online instance of a course that you are currently enrolled in that enables you to access course materials, syllabi, readings, or submit assignments, and take quizzes as indicated by your instructor from any desktop, laptop, or mobile device.
This document is fluid and is currently being updated, if by chance your question is not answered here, navigate to the Canvas App FAQ for both iOS and Android.
Downloading the Canvas Mobile App
If you plan to use your smartphone or tablet with your Canvas course, please review the following instructions. While you can access Canvas through your mobile device’s web browser, not all features will be supported. If you plan on accessing Canvas on a mobile device, we recommend using the app.
You will need to first download the free Canvas by Instructure app through the App Store or Google Play Store. For more info on the app, please visit the following links:
To get started, do the following on your device:
- Download the Canvas by Instructure app. The icon will look similar to this:
- Open the app.
- Once you have opened the app, you will be presented with a page to search for your school. TapFind Your School or District.
- Enter “PSU” or “Penn State” and hit the arrow to continue. This will take you to WebAccess, where you will log in with your Penn State credentials.
- You should be greeted by another login window for the mobile app that should allow you to just hit theLog inbutton.
- Afterlogging in, you will be presentedwithyour list of courses.
Features available in the Canvas Mobile App
Most of the features available when using Canvas on a desktop or laptop computer are able to be completed through the mobile app. These include writing, linking, and submitting assignments, viewing video lectures, reading and downloading course materials and readings, and recording video responses. Canvas does provide a full list of the features available for both iOS and Android here:
Using the Canvas Mobile App
In this document we will describe how to perform a few simple actions in Canvas that will allow you, if necessary, to continue your coursework via the Canvas App on your mobile device.
- How can I access course materials/documents through the Canvas app?
- How can I view instructor recorded lectures?
- My instructor is going to be hosting class via zoom, how can I join?
- How can I write and submit written assignments through the Canvas app?
- I do not have access to a computer and I need to submit an assignment electronically. What are my options for submitting physical documents electronically through the Canvas app?
- Am I able to take quizzes and exams through the app?
Through the Canvas app you are able to open up all course materials uploaded by your instructor. This includes pdf, word documents, photos, videos, and even external links to outside content.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theModuleslink and select the course module where the resource is located (this can vary based on how your instructor constructs the Canvas course). Some modules may be separated by week or unit.
- Simplytap the course material and the app will open it. This includes .docx, .pdf, .doc, .jpg, and many other files available to be uploaded to Canvas.
For a visual, take a look at the video below:
Many instructors use Kaltura to record their lectures and post them to the Canvas course so students who are unable to make it to class or want to reference the material later are able to. Here is how you can view them:
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theMedia Gallerylink. This link holds all of the videos published by your instructor.
- Navigate to your needed recorded lecture andtap the thumbnail to begin playback.
For a visual, take a look at the video below:
Canvas has direct integration with Zoom Video Conferencing so instructors are able to host virtual rooms and hold live lectures. You can connect to these rooms directly from the course page in your Canvas app.
- Download the Zoom App from the iOS or Google Play Store.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theZoom link. Anytime your instructor creates a Zoom meeting room it will be listed in this location with both the date and time of the meeting.
- Find the room you need to join and click the Join button.
- If you’re prompted to login, use your PSU credentials.
For a visual, take a look at the video below:
Yes, if the assignment is setup to allow standard text entry as a submission method, through the Canvas app you can type written responses for assignments and discussion groups. However, if your instructor did not allow text entry, you’ll need to submit a document electronically.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theModuleslink and select the course module where the assignment is located (this can vary based on how your instructor constructs the Canvas course). Some modules may be separated by week or unit.
- Tap the assignment to enter it.
- Begin typing your response on your mobile device and tap the submit button when completed to send it to your instructor.
For a visual, take a look at the video below:
I do not have access to a computer and I need to submit an assignment electronically. What are my options for submitting physical documents electronically through the Canvas app?
There may be situations where you’ll need to submit a document electronically but do not have access to a desktop or laptop computer to do so. In this situation, the best option is to take a picture or scan of your document using your mobile device and use a third-party app to convert the photo to a .pdf for submission into Canvas.
Here are a couple free iOS and Android applications that can help:
Microsoft Office Lens
Through PSU’s Office 365 license you are able to use Microsoft Office Lens to take pictures of documents and save them directly to your PSU OneDrive account. Once the documents are in your OneDrive cloud account, you can submit them through the Canvas app. This app is free and available for both iOS and Android.
How to use the app:
- Download both the Microsoft Office Lens and OneDrive app from the iOS or Google Play Store.
- Open OneDrive and use your PSU credentials to connect to your cloud storage.
- On iOS, open Files, tap the triple-dot in the top right, and then Edit.
- Ensure that OneDrive is listed as a location and turned on.
- Open Microsoft Lens. If prompted login with your PSU account and allow the app to access your camera and photo library.
- Take a photo of your physical document. If it is a multiple page submission, use the “Add New” button to set the next picture as page two, three, etc.
- Tap Done.
- Under “Save To” tap PDF and then select OneDrive as the save destination.
- Wait for the document to finish uploading and close the window.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theAssignments link and locate and tap the assignment to enter it.
- Tap Submit and then File Upload.
- Tap Files in the bottom right, Browse in the top left, tap OneDrive and navigate to your Office Lens folder on OneDrive and select your newly added PDF file.
- Wait for “Successfully Submitted” to appear to verify the submission.
For a visual, look below. The first video shows how to use the Lens app, the second how to upload it to Canvas:
Adobe Scan
Using your PSU provided Adobe ID and Creative Cloud license you are able to use the Adobe Scan app to scan documents into OneDrive. Once in OneDrive you will be able to upload them to Canvas through the Canvas App. This app is free and available for both iOS and Android.
First, ensure that you have an Adobe ID by going to softwarerequest.psu.edu, clicking Penn State and logging in with your credentials. If you see a request button under Adobe, click and follow the prompts to activate it.Your Adobe ID will be your PSU username, username@psu.edu.
How to use the app:
- Download both the Adobe Scan and OneDrive app from the iOS or Google Play Store.
- Open OneDrive and use your PSU credentials to connect to your cloud storage.
- On iOS, open Files, tap the triple-dot in the top right, and then Edit.
- Ensure that OneDrive is listed as a location and turned on.
- Open the Adobe Scan app and login with your PSU Adobe ID.
- Begin taking pictures of your document. Adobe should auto-crop to the edges of the paper, but you can manually change if necessary.
- Once completed, tap the photos in the bottom-right. Edit as needed, rotate pages if they are not straight.
- Tap “Save PDF” in the top right.
- Once saved, Tap the “Share” button next to the document, then “Share a copy”, and then select OneDrive in the list of available apps.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Open theAssignments link and locate and tap the assignment to enter it.
- Tap Submit and then File Upload.
- Tap Files in the bottom right, Browse in the top left, tap OneDrive and navigate to your Adobe Scan PDF and select it to upload.
- Wait for “Successfully Submitted” to appear to verify the submission.
For a visual, look below. The first video shows how to use the Adobe Scan app, the second how to upload it to Canvas:
Yes, through the Canvas App you are able to take Canvas quizzes and exams. Just as if you were on a desktop or laptop computer, you’ll be able to answer multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, essay, and many more.
- Open the Canvas App and select your course from the dashboard.
- Select Quizzes from the navigation menu.
- Navigate to the quiz you need to complete and tap to enter it. Note the name, number of questions, and due date.
- Tap Take Quiz to begin the quiz.
