At a Glance

In this guide, you’ll learn how to join a Slack workspace for your Canvas course. 

IMPORTANT: You must access your course’s Slack workspace for the first time through your Canvas course by clicking on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu. Subsequently, you can access it directly through the Slack app of your choice (e.g., Desktop, iOS), rather than from Canvas. 

Join a Slack Workspace as an Instructor, Course Admin, or TA

Just one member of the teaching team needs to create the private Slack workspace for your course. Once it’s created, other teaching team members can join the workspace by doing the following:  

  1. Select your device below to download and install the Slack app:  
  2. Open the app(s) you installed and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in using MIT Touchstone. 
  3. In your Canvas course, click on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu.
    Screenshot of Slack (Beta) link in Course Navigation Menu
  4. The first time you click on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu, you’ll be prompted to join the Slack Workspace by agreeing to the Institute’s polices and expectations [1] and click the Join Workspace button [2].
    Screenshot of Click Join Workspace button
  5. To launch your course’s Slack workspace, click on the Slack Desktop App button or the Slack Web App button.
    • Note: If you click on the Slack Desktop App button, your browser may ask for permission to open the Slack app. Click the Open Slack button.
      Screenshot of Open Slack button in web browser

Once you join, you can access your course’s Slack workspace by clicking on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu or directly through in your Slack app. 

What comes next? Explore the Setting Up Slack for Student Success page to learn how to organize channels, promote student buy-in, and build community.

Join a Slack Workspace as a Student

If you see Slack listed in the Course Navigation Menu of your Canvas site, your teaching team has likely created a Slack workspace that you can join. The teaching team may also prompt you to join it (e.g., Via an announcement in Canvas). 

  1. Select your device below to download and install the Slack app:  
  2. Open the app(s) you installed and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in using MIT Touchstone. 
  3. In your Canvas course, click on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu.
    Screenshot of Slack (Beta) link in Course Navigation Menu
  4. The first time you click on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu, you’ll be prompted to join the Slack Workspace by agreeing to the Institute’s polices and expectations [1] and click the Join Workspace button [2].
    Screenshot of Click Join Workspace button
  5. To launch your course’s Slack workspace, click on the Slack Desktop App button or the Slack Web App button.
    • Note: If you click on the Slack Desktop App button, your browser may ask for permission to open the Slack app. Click the Open Slack button.
      Screenshot of Open Slack button in web browser

Once you join, you can access your course’s Slack workspace by clicking on Slack (Beta) in the Course Navigation Menu or directly through in your Slack app.