Canvas Terminology
Here is a list of Canvas terms that you will find helpful when skipping around in the course. Not comprehensive but very concise, also test questions will be on some of the terms:
Where can I find a list of Canvas terminology?
Document created by Canvas Doc Team
Links to an external site. 
on Apr 19, 2017Last modified by Canvas Doc Team
Links to an external site. on Feb 15, 2020
Version 48New Canvas users may encounter new terminology throughout Canvas. This lesson is a glossary that identifies the most common terms used in Canvas
Account
An Account represents an administrative organization unit within Canvas. Every instance of Canvas has the potential to contain a hierarchy of accounts but begins with just one account (referred to as the root account). An account can also contain a subaccount. Canvas admins can manage all accounts and subaccounts for their institutions.Account also refers to a user account, which houses a user's profile, notifications, files, settings, and ePortfolios.
Act as User
Act as User refers to viewing Canvas as another user. Unless granted specific permission, only admins can act as other Canvas users.
Announcements
Announcements is a link in Course Navigation.
An assignment is any activity assessment that is created by the instructor. Assignments can include Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes. Some assignments are submitted for no grade. Other assignments may be submitted offline but tracked in the Canvas Gradebook or be submitted online.
Assignments is a link in Course Navigation. The Assignments page lists all assignment types in a course.
The Calendar is a communication tool that shows users all events and assignments in their courses and groups. The Calendar is a link in Global Navigation and shows up under your right side navigation and course stream.
Canvas Community
The Canvas Community is an external resource provided by Canvas for all Canvas customers. The Canvas Community includes the Canvas Guides, which provides all Canvas documentation and videos, Canvas Feature Ideas, community groups, and more.
Courses
Courses are units of instruction in one subject that typically last one term. Courses can be created by Canvas admins or instructors.
The Course Home Page is the first page that students see in a course. The Course Home Page can be customized to display content based on an instructor's preference. For our home page, I have embedded the syllabus which includes the calendar with coursework due dates.
The Home Page is a link in Course Navigation.
Course Navigation
Course Navigation is a menu on the left side of a Canvas course. Course Navigation consists of navigation links directed to all the feature areas within a course. Instructors can customize Course Navigation for each course.
Modules:
Modules is a tool that can unify all course content into structural components. Module content can be grouped by week, topic, or day. Modules can be set up to require students to complete materials in a sequential fashion.
Modules is a link in Course Navigation.
New User Tutorial
The New User Tutorial shows new instructors using Canvas for the first time how to become familiar with Canvas using sidebars built into each Canvas feature area.
Some accounts may be configured to use the Course Setup Checklist instead of the New User Tutorial.
Notifications
Notifications allow users to determine where and when they will be notified about activity in Canvas. Each Canvas user can adjust the Notification Preferences in their Profile to contact them via email or SMS on a schedule that fits their individual needs. Some users will want to be notified of course events on a more regular basis than others. Notifications are set for an entire user's account, not on an individual course basis.
People displays all users enrolled in a course. Instructors can click a student's name to view a summary of their activity in a course.
People is a link in Course Navigation.
Production is the Canvas environment that contains all live data and where users interact with their Canvas courses. New and updated Canvas features are released into the production environment every three weeks.
The Rich Content Editor (RCE) is a word processor that supports instructors to create and format content within specific Canvas areas.
Role
A role describes the permissions granted to a given user in a given context (course, account, and subaccount). Canvas includes both course-level and account-level roles; the base role types are Student, Teacher Assistant (TA), Teacher, Designer, Observer, and Admin. (In Canvas terminology, teachers are also referred to as instructors.) Customized versions of any of these roles can also be created by an admin.
RSS Feed
Really Simple Syndicate (RSS) is a computer document format that allows electronic content distribution.Audio RSS feeds are also referred to as podcasts. RSS Feeds can be imported into a Canvas course via Announcements.
A Rubric is an assessment tool for communicating expectations of quality. Rubrics are typically comprised of rows and columns. Rows are used to define the various criteria being used to assess an assignment. Columns are used to define levels of performance for each criterion.
Settings allow admins and instructors to customize the Account or Course Navigation, add users, import content, and link to external tools.
Settings is a link in Account and Course Navigation.
The Syllabus is a piece of content that outlines activities in a course.
The Syllabus is a link in Course Navigation.
Web Services are a collection of third-party services that users can use for notifications. Web Services currently support integrations with Google Drive, Skype, Twitter, Delicious, and Diigo.