Adding Students to Canvas without Email Addresses

If your students don't have email addresses, it can be a challenge to use certain web apps. I use Canvas as my LMS. Up to this point, I've always required my students to have an email address for logging into Canvas. There is an alternative though, and this will be the way I have my students sign up for courses in the future.

After you have signed up for Canvas and created your own course, you are ready to invite students to participate.

Start by clicking "Settings" in the left sidebar.

 

Then click "Edit Course Details" near the bottom of the screen.

Choose "More Options", again at the bottom of the screen. 

 

Select the first choice: "Let students self-enroll by sharing with them a secret URL or code".

Update your settings, and use should see new information appear at the bottom of your Course Details. Canvas provides you with a direct link for students to create their own username/password to login to the course. Alternatively, students can sign up at https://canvas.instructure.com/register and use the code provided to join the class. 

This feature makes Canvas more appealing to teachers of upper elementary and middle school levels, where sometimes there are issues with creating student email accounts.