Sections

In a Canvas class, a section is simply a segment of the class roster. For example, Biology 350 might have two sections: section 001 for undergrads and section 002 for grad students. Sections in Canvas are created automatically and students are added to sections when courses are crosslisted in PAWS. Note that instructors cannot manually add students to sections in Canvas.

Instructors can limit an assignment to a specific section of students, set different assignment due dates for different sections, and can take attendance by section. Additionally, instructors can assign Canvas modules to specific class sections. Modules that are assigned to a specific section can only be seen by students in that section, and assignments in the module are available only to the students in the assigned section.

Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table to see how Sections compare with Groups, Differentiation Tags, and the Assign To feature. 

More information on Sections.

Groups

Canvas Groups create dedicated “mini-course” workspaces within your class, giving each group its own files, pages, discussions, and announcements for collaboration. Instructors can set up multiple groups and can add students manually, via self-sign-up, or through automatic assignment. When it’s time to grade, instructors can choose between a single shared grade for the entire group or individual grades for each group member. 

Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table to see how Groups compare with Sections, Differentiation Tags, and the Assign To feature. 

More information on Groups

More Information on Group Assignments

More Information on Assigning a Graded Discussion to a Group

Differentiation Tags

Differentiation Tags allow instructors to create custom sets of students within a course. Instructors can create and apply differentiation tags to one or more students in a Canvas class. The tags allow instructors to assign pages, assignments, quizzes, modules, and discussions to students associated with a tag. Instructors can also use differentiation tags to assign different due dates to a set of tagged students. 

Differentiation Tags are hidden from students, meaning that, unlike Canvas Groups, students have no visibility/indication that they have a Differentiation Tag or Tags applied to them. 

Instructors can use Differentiation Tags to:

• Control access to Assignments, Quizzes, Pages, Discussions, or Modules for specific sets of students.

• Assign different due dates or extend time to accommodate schedules or learning needs for specific sets of students..

• Set custom availability windows (start and end dates) for specific sets of students..

• Create targeted learning paths by releasing content only to certain sets of students.

• Facilitate mastery-based progression by showing content to students who meet certain criteria.

Key points:

• Tags can be seen by instructors and TAs but are invisible to students.
• Instructors can apply multiple tags to a single student.
• When you copy your class to a new semester, Differentiation Tags do not copy with your course material. You will need to re-create Differentiation Tags each semester.

Grading and Differentiation Tags

If an instructor assigns a graded assignment to a tag group rather than the whole class, only the students in the tag group will see the assignment and will be responsible for the assignment. In SpeedGrader, the assignment is filtered so that the instructor only sees students associated with the tag.

Think of Differentiation Tags as named student shortcuts for the Assign To menu. You create a differentiation tag once (e.g., Extra Time - Quizzes) and apply the tag to the relevant students on the People page. From that point on, whenever you open Assign To on an assignment, quiz, page, module, or discussion, your tag shows up alongside individual names and sections. Selecting the tag in Assign To applies your settings (due dates, availability, content) to everyone associated with the tag in one click; there is no need to re-type or re-select each student every time. 

Note: When you copy your class to a new semester, Differentiation Tags do not copy with your course material. You will need to re-create Differentiation Tags each semester.

Differentiation Tags Example

Differentiation Tags are an effective way to personalize course material for students. The following is an example of how an instructor might use Differentiation Tags. Let's say that four of your students have formal accommodations through ARC for extra 30 minutes on quizzes. 

1. On the People page, click Tag As > New Tag to create a new tag you call "Extra Time - Quizzes."
2. Then on the People page, simply check the box to the left of each student who needs extra time on quizzes.
3. You click Tag As and then select the "Extra Time - Quizzes" tag to apply the tag to the students you selected. (Remember that students cannot see this tag.)
4. When you make a quiz, open the Assign To menu.
5. Instead of picking individual names or sections, you can simply choose your Extra Time - Quizzes tag and set the quiz time limit to 90 minutes (instead of the 60-minute time limit the rest of the class has).
6. Now, the four tagged students will have 90 minutes to take the quiz, while everyone else has 60 minutes to take the quiz. 

Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table to see how Differentiation Tags compare with Groups, Sections, and the Assign To feature. 

Enabling Differentiation Tags

Differentiation Tags are off by default in Canvas, but instructors can enable them in one or more of their classes by doing the following:

1. Navigate to your class. 
2. Go to Settings in your course navigation.
3. Click the Feature Options tab.
4. Scroll to Differentiation Tags and click its toggle so it reads On.
5. Repeat these steps in each course where you want to use Differentiation Tags.

Creating Differentiation Tags

1. On the People page, click Tag As > New Tag to create a new tag.
2. After creating a Differentiation tag, stay on the People page, simply check the box to the left of each student who needs extra time on quizzes.
3. You click Tag As and then select the "Extra Time - Quizzes" tag to apply the tag to the students you selected. (Remember that students cannot see this tag.)
4. When you make a quiz, open the Assign To menu.
5. Instead of picking individual names or sections, you can simply choose your Extra Time - Quizzes tag and set the quiz time limit to 90 minutes (instead of the 60-minute time limit the rest of the class has).
6. Now, the four tagged students will have 90 minutes to take the quiz, while everyone else has 60 minutes to take the quiz. 

Once an instructor has created a differentiation tag in a Canvas class, the tag will appear in the Assign To dropdown list for pages, assignments, quizzes, modules, discussions and calendar events. 

Adding Students to Differentiation Tag Sets

Differentiation Tag Resources

Refer to the Canvas user documentation for more information on Differentiation Tags.

Assign To 

Assignments, quizzes, pages, modules, and discussions are available to everyone in Canvas by default. To make content available to specific students or to set different due dates for some students, use the Assign To feature.

In Assign To, you can select individual or multiple students, class sections, and Differentiation Tags you’ve created. 

Key points:

• Differentiation Tags function as a preset cohort of students that you can use in Assign To fields 
• Groups do not appear as an option in the Assign To dropdown.

Key points:

• No prep required: You can assign content to individuals or sections on the fly, without any setup.

• Works everywhere: The menu appears on assignments, quizzes, pages, modules, and discussions.

• Flexible dates: For each audience you choose, set unique due dates, availability windows, and even point values if needed.

• Complementary to Tags: Use Assign To to deliver the item; use Differentiation Tags to save a cohort for future assignments without re-selecting every name.

By understanding that Assign To is the execution point for all your visibility and timing decisions—and that Differentiation Tags simply feed into it—you can streamline your workflow and avoid duplicating items whenever you need to tailor content.

Refer to the Functionality Comparison Table to see how the Assign To feature compares with Groups, Sections, and Differentiation Tags. 

Assign To Resources

Refer to the Canvas user documentation for more information on the Assign To function:

Using Assign To with Pages

Using Assign To with Assignments

Using Assign To with Discussions

Using Assign To with Classic Quizzes

Using Assign To with Modules

Functionality Comparison

The following table provides an overview and comparison of the features and functions available for Canvas groups, sections, differentiation tags, and the Assign To feature.