How To Find Course Evaluations On Canvas: A Complete Guide For Students And Faculty

To find course evaluations on Canvas, navigate to your institutional Canvas dashboard and check the Left Navigation menu for links labeled "Course Evaluations," "EvaluationKIT," "Blue," or "SmartEvals." If the link is not visible globally, click on your specific course card and locate the evaluation tool in the Course Navigation menu. Because these tools rely on third-party integrations, availability depends on your school's specific academic calendar and evaluation window.

Prerequisites and Access Requirements for Canvas appraisals

Before attempting to locate course evaluations within Canvas, it is important to understand that Canvas does not feature a native, built-in end-of-term course evaluation system. Instead, institutions integrate third-party software using Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards. Common platforms include Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys (formerly EvaluationKIT), Explorance Blue, SmartEvals, and Qualtrics.

Accessing these external tools through Canvas requires specific system configurations, user permissions, and precise timing. The evaluation links are dynamic, meaning they only appear to end-users during active survey windows defined by the university registrar or academic affairs office.

Essential Access Requirements Checklist

• Supported Web Browser: Use the latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Microsoft Edge. Ensure your browser allows third-party cookies and cross-site tracking for your university's Canvas domain, as these settings are required for LTI tools to load.
• Active Single Sign-On (SSO) Session: You must be fully authenticated through your institution’s Identity Provider (IdP) using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to allow secure user-token pass-through to the evaluation platform.
• Mobile Device Considerations: If using a smartphone or tablet, use a standard mobile browser rather than the Canvas Student or Canvas Teacher app, as some custom LTI evaluation links do not render correctly inside native app web-views.
• Active Enrollment Status: You must be officially listed on the course roster as a "Student" or "Instructor" for the current academic term. Users with "Observer" or "Designer" roles typically do not have evaluation access.
• Evaluation Window Timeline: Evaluations generally open two weeks before final exams and close at midnight on the last day of scheduled classes. Once this window closes, the database locks, and access to the surveys is revoked.

Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing Course Evaluations on Canvas

Because universities customize their Canvas instances, the pathway to finding your course evaluations can vary. Below are the primary methods to locate and complete your surveys, ordered from the most common configuration to alternative access pathways.

Step 1: Check the Canvas Global Navigation Menu

Many universities configure their evaluation software as a global tool. This means the link is accessible from any screen within Canvas, without needing to enter a specific course shell.

1. Navigate to your institution's Canvas login page and authenticate using your username and password.
2. Once the Dashboard loads, look at the global navigation bar on the far-left side of the screen (the dark gray or colored vertical bar containing "Account," "Dashboard," "Courses," and "Calendar").
3. Scroll down the global navigation menu and look for an icon labeled Course Evaluations, Evaluations, or the specific name of your institution's tool (e.g., Watermark, Blue Surveys).
4. Click the link. A secure LTI container will launch within your browser window, displaying a personalized dashboard of all active surveys currently assigned to your enrolled courses.

Pro-Tip: If you do not see a dedicated icon, click on the Account icon at the very top of the global navigation bar. Some institutions tuck the "Course Evaluations" link inside the slide-out user profile menu to save screen space on the main navigation bar.

Step 2: Access Evaluations via the Course Navigation Menu

If your institution does not use a global link, you must access the evaluations from within each individual course shell.

1. From the Canvas Dashboard, click on the card of the course you wish to evaluate. Alternatively, click Courses in the global navigation menu and select the course from the list.
2. Once inside the course shell, locate the Course Navigation menu on the left side of the screen (next to the main content area).
3. Scan the list of links (which typically includes "Home," "Syllabus," "Grades," and "Modules") for terms like Course Evaluations, Student Ratings, EvaluationKIT, or Course Feedback.
4. Click the link. This will open the external tool within the Canvas frame, or prompt you to open it in a new browser tab.

Warning: If you cannot find the link in the Course Navigation menu, it is highly likely that the instructor has hidden the link, or the evaluation window for that specific course has not yet started or has already concluded. Instructors must ensure the LTI tool is enabled under the "Navigation" tab in their Course Settings.

Step 3: Check for Canvas Dashboard Banners and Global Announcements

When course evaluation periods begin, system administrators often publish global announcements that appear at the very top of your Canvas Dashboard.

1. Click on the Dashboard icon in the global navigation menu.
2. Look at the top of the page for any colored alert boxes (usually blue, orange, or yellow) containing institutional announcements.
3. Read the announcement text, which often contains a direct, single-sign-on hyperlink to the evaluation portal.
4. Click the link to bypass course-by-course navigation and enter your central survey dashboard.

Step 4: Access via Canvas Inbox Notifications and Direct Email

Third-party evaluation systems are designed to send automated reminders. If you cannot find the link in the Canvas user interface, look for automated notifications.

1. Click the Inbox icon in the global navigation menu to open your Canvas Conversation tool.
2. Search for messages with subject lines containing "Course Evaluation," "Student Feedback," or "Survey Reminder."
3. Open the message and click the secure login token link. This link contains unique cryptographic metadata that automatically logs you into the evaluation system.
4. Check your primary university email inbox (the one linked to your Canvas profile). External systems like EvaluationKIT and Explorance Blue send daily or weekly reminders containing direct links that bypass the Canvas interface entirely.

Canvas LTI Evaluation Software Integration Matrix

The look, location, and functionality of your course evaluations depend entirely on the LTI software integrated into your school's Canvas instance. The table below outlines the industry-standard tools, their default locations within Canvas, and how they behave during active evaluation cycles.

Troubleshooting Canvas Course Evaluation Access Issues

If you cannot find or open your course evaluations on Canvas, use these common failure scenarios to diagnose and resolve the issue.

Scenario 1: The "Course Evaluations" Link is Missing from the Navigation Menu

• Root Cause: The most common reason is that the evaluation window has either not opened yet or has closed. Alternatively, the instructor may have manually disabled the tool link in the course settings, or the course is exempt from evaluations (such as independent study, thesis credits, or non-academic lab sections).
• Actionable Fix: First, verify the official evaluation dates on your university’s academic calendar. If the window is open, contact your instructor and ask them to navigate to Settings > Navigation in their course shell, drag the evaluation LTI tool from the "hidden" section to the "active" section, and click Save.

Scenario 2: Error Message: "Access Denied" or "User Authorization Failed"

• Root Cause: This occurs when your browser's security settings prevent Canvas from sharing your user credentials (LTI launch parameters) with the third-party evaluation server. It is frequently caused by blocking third-party cookies or using aggressive incognito/private browsing settings.
• Actionable Fix: Go to your browser's privacy settings and add your university's Canvas URL (e.g., https://canvas.youruniversity.edu) and the evaluation provider's URL to the "Always allow cookies" whitelist. Alternatively, switch to a standard browser window with ad-blockers disabled, clear your browser cache, and re-authenticate via your university portal.

Scenario 3: The Evaluation Link Opens to a Blank Screen or White Page

• Root Cause: This is typically caused by a pop-up blocker preventing the LTI external tool from launching in a new tab or window. It can also happen when an outdated web browser fails to render modern JavaScript components used by the evaluation platform.
• Actionable Fix: Look at the right side of your browser’s address bar for an icon showing a red "X" or a blocked window symbol. Click it and select "Always allow pop-ups and redirects from this site." If the screen remains blank, try logging into Canvas using a different browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.

Scenario 4: An Instructor Cannot View Real-Time Evaluation Completion Rates

• Root Cause: Instructors do not see the same evaluation interface as students. If an instructor clicks the "Course Evaluations" link, they should see a reporting dashboard instead of a survey. If this is empty, either the minimum response threshold has not been met (to preserve student anonymity), or the university has locked reporting until final grades are submitted.
• Actionable Fix: Check the reporting dashboard settings to verify if the current term is selected. If the interface shows zero responses but students claim to have completed them, contact your campus Canvas administrator to ensure your instructor account is properly mapped to the corresponding course section in the evaluation platform database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Canvas course evaluations anonymous?

Yes. Virtually all university-integrated course evaluation tools on Canvas are designed to protect student anonymity. While the system tracks whether you have completed an evaluation (to stop sending you reminder emails and award completion points if configured by the instructor), it separates your user identity from the survey responses. Instructors receive feedback as aggregated data and anonymized text comments only after final grades have been officially submitted.

Can instructors see who completed Canvas evaluations?

Instructors can see the total number of students who have completed the evaluation (expressed as a response rate percentage), but they cannot see which specific students have submitted their forms or who wrote specific comments. Some institutions allow instructors to see a checklist of names of students who have completed the survey solely for the purpose of offering extra credit, but these names are never linked to the actual survey data.

Where do instructors find their course evaluation results on Canvas?

Instructors can access historical and current evaluation reports by clicking the Course Evaluations or Watermark link in their Course Navigation or Global Navigation menu. However, results are held and not released until after the university's final grading deadline has passed and all grades are posted. This prevents evaluation feedback from biasing the grading process.

Why can't I see the "Course Evaluations" tab in my Canvas mobile app?

The native Canvas Student and Canvas Teacher apps do not natively support all LTI integrations, which can cause custom tabs like "Course Evaluations" to be hidden or fail to load. To complete your evaluations on a mobile device, open your device's web browser (such as Safari or Chrome), navigate to your school's Canvas login portal, and complete the process through the web interface.

Optimize Your Academic Feedback Cycle

Ensuring both students and instructors can easily navigate Canvas course evaluations is critical to driving institutional growth and curriculum enhancement. If you require advanced assistance or need custom administrative configurations for your university's LMS, contact your campus instructional technology helpdesk or academic affairs office to resolve system-wide integration settings.