Can I do it?

Yes! The Appointment Scheduler can be used to arrange advising appointments, office hours, or any other type of meeting. You can also make a set of appointments available to multiple classes in Canvas, giving any of your current students the opportunity to sign up for a time slot.

This tip aligns with sections 1 & 5 of the BTC Course Design Tool. Specifically, this feature can help you provide “regular and substantive interaction (RSI)”, “varied opportunities for students to engage with instructor(s)”, and “an invitation for students to connect one-on-one with the instructor”.

How do I do it?

Click the Calendar link in the Canvas Global menu.
In the Calendars list, confirm that the applicable course calendars are enabled (click the check box to enable/disable calendars).
Click on a date in the Calendar to add an event.
Select the Appointment Group tab.
Enter a Name and Location for the Appointment Group.
Click the Select Calendars button to open a drop-down list of your enabled calendars.
Check the course(s) where you want to make the Appointment Group available and click Done.
Enter the appointment date in the Date field and the time range for the appointment slots in the Time Range field.
Enter the number of minutes for each appointment slot in the Divide into equal slots of field and then click Go to create the time slots.
In the Options section, limit the number of students who can sign up for a slot and/or limit the number of slots one student can sign up for.
Enter pertinent information about the appointments in the Details field.
Click Publish.

Note: Once you give your students access to the Appointment Scheduler, you will need to provide them with some instruction on how to use the tool. The following Canvas Guide provides step by step instructions for students on how to schedule an appointment:

How do I sign up for an appointment in the Calendar? (includes a tutorial video & screenshots)

Check out the following Canvas Guides for additional details on using the Appointment Scheduler:

How do I add an appointment group in a course calendar?
How do I view or edit an appointment group in a course calendar?