Create an Assignment

Last updated on May 29, 2026

Canvas Assignments allow you to provide assignment instructions and materials to your students. Also, students can upload digital submissions directly to the Assignment. Instructors can then grade assignment submissions from within Canvas. There are numerous possible assignments you could create. Consider asking students to annotate a reading, complete a virtual lab, record a video response, create a media piece or instructional material, write a paper, design a portfolio artifact, and more!

Directions

1. Go to MSU Denver’s Faculty and Staff Hub.
2. Click Quick Links on the top right of the page.
3. Click Canvas from the menu options that appear.
4. Log in to your Canvas Account.
5. Select the Course you’d like to work in.
6. Click Modules on the course navigation menu to the left.
7. Scroll to the Module where you’d like to add an assignment.
8. Click the + Button to the right of the name of the Module.
9. Select Assignment from the drop-down menu.
10. Click [Create Assignment] from the top of the list.
11. Type a Title for your assignment in the Assignment Name box.
12. Click Add Item on the bottom right of the pop-up.
13. Click the Name of the assignment you created in the module.
14. Click Edit at the top right.
15. Type Instructions and Additional Information in the large text box or the Rich Content Editor.
    • Note: You can also add links, images, videos, and other resources in this section. To learn more, please refer to the Use the Rich Content Editor or the Create an Assignment with Files Attached tutorials.
16. Adjust the Settings below the text box as desired. The settings include:
    • Points: Set the total number of points the assignment is worth.
    • Assignment Group: Select an assignment group to put the assignment in (visit the Organize Assignments Using Assignment Groups tutorial for more information).
    • Display Grade As: Choose how to display the grade to students:
      • Percentage
      • Complete/Incomplete
      • Points
      • Letter Grade
      • GPA Scale
      • Not Graded
    • Submission Type: Choose what types of assignment submissions will be accepted:
      • No Submission
      • Online
      • On Paper
      • External Tool
      • Lucid
    • Submission Attempts: Choose the number of assignment submissions students are allowed to make: unlimited, or limited to a certain number.
    • Plagiarism Review: You can opt to use Turnitin to assess submissions and provide reports on suspected plagiarism.
    • Group Assignment: Decide whether it is a group or individual assignment (Refer to the Create a Group Assignment tutorial for more information).
    • Peer Review: Choose whether students will peer review each other’s work (Refer to the Assign Peer Reviews for Assignments tutorial for more information).
    • Assign: Set due dates and availability dates (Visit the Create a Group Assignment, Create an Assignment with a Due Date, and Create an Assignment with Limited Availability tutorials for more information).
17. Click Save on the bottom right.