This article is for faculty who want to customize the course navigation links that appear for students.
Article Overview
1. Viewing Your Course Navigation Links
When you are in a course, you will see a list of links in red typeface. This is your Course Navigation Menu. You and your students will use these links to navigate your course.
*Note: The default color for links in the UI can be changed to standard blue High Resolution in user Profile settings.
If you are in a course but do not see course navigation links, click on the three-line hamburger menu on the right. This will display the course links.
Some links have a closed eye icon next to them. This is a link that you can access because you are faculty but your students cannot.
Hover your mouse over a link to see why the page is not visible to students. Sometimes a link is not visible to students because there is no content yet. In the example below, students won't see the link because there are aren't any announcements yet. After faculty adds an announcement, the link will become visible. Adding or publishing content can change a link from invisible to visible for your students, unless it is disabled.
Sometimes a link is not visible to students because it is disabled. In the example below, the Quizzes link is Disabled.
Faculty can use the Student View button at the top right side of a page within the course to see what students will and will not be able to see. Learn more about Student View at the Canvas Instructor Guide.
2. Customizing Your Course Navigation Links
You may want to change the default settings for your course navigation links. For example, imagine that faculty wants students to be able to go to the Quizzes area, but the link is not enabled for students.
2.1. Go to Settings
Scroll down to the Settings link.
2.2. Customize Navigation
The Settings area contains all the settings options for your course. In this article, we will focus on course navigation settings. Click on the Navigation tab.
The links in (1) the top group are visible to students. (2) Quizzes is in the bottom group, so students will not see the Quizzes link .
You can make a link visible to students. (1) Click on the vertical three-dot menu next to the link that you would like to enable. (2) Then click + Enable.
Now the enabled link will appear in the top group. Drag the links within this top list to create the order you would like for your students to see. For example, right now the Quizzes link is at the bottom of the list. It will be visible, appearing second to last (above the Settings link) in the Course Navigation Menu. You can drag it up to move it to a higher position.
Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to keep your navigation changes.
Now Quizzes appears without a closed-eye icon higher in the Course Navigation Links menu.
3. Enabling Tools
3.1. Finding and Enabling a Tool
A number of tools are available to faculty and students. Faculty can make these tools available to students as links in the Course Navigation Menu. Many tools can be enabled the same way that we enabled our Quizzes link. Start by scrolling down to the Settings link.
Choose the Navigation tab.
Notice that the visible (upper) and invisible (lower) groups include both course activity areas and tools. For example, (1) Respondus LockDown Browser is visible and (2) Edpuzzle is invisible.
3.2. Enable a Tool
Currently, Edpuzzle is not enabled and will not appear on the list of Course Navigation Menu links. Make Edpuzzle available by (1) clicking on the vertical 3-dot menu and (2) selecting +Enable.
Edpuzzle will appear at the bottom of the first group of navigation links. You can drag a tool higher to make it appear higher in the list of visible course links if you choose.
Scroll down and click Save to finalize your changes.
You do not need to enable a tool to use it in an assignment. Learn more about adding External Tools in assignments in this article from the Canvas Community.
4. Adding Course Links Using the Redirect Tool
You may be accustomed to adding folder names and other links to your Blackboard course navigation menu easily. Canvas is designed to encourage students to access course materials in a more controlled way: Students primarily use the Modules, Home, and Syllabus links. Most course content is grouped on the Modules page.
If a faculty member plans to ask students to frequently use a link that is not already an option, faculty can add the link to the course's navigation links using the redirect tool. This tool is accessed from the Settings link. (1) Scroll to the last item on the Course Navigation Menu to select (2) Settings.
(1) Choose the Apps tab. (2) Then type "redirect" in the text entry box on the right. As you type, the Redirect Tool's icon will appear. (3) Select the Redirect icon.
Click on the + Add App button.
In the popup window, (1) type the name of the link you would like to add to your Course Navigation Links menu. Then (2) paste the URL (or Web address) in the URL Redirect field, and (3) check Show in Course Navigation. Then (4) Add App.
If the website is not located within your Canvas course, leave the Force open in the tab (For External Links Only) box checked.
(1) Refresh your browser and (2) check your Course Navigation Menu for your new link.
If you would like the link to appear higher in the Course Navigation Menu, go to Settings and then Navigation. Then follow the steps in Section 2.2.
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