Microsoft Education: Create a Class Notebook In Canvas

Note: This guide assumes Microsoft Education has already been set up in your course. If not, follow the setup guide to enable OneNote Class Notebooks in Canvas.

OneNote Class Notebook allows you to create a digital notebook for your Canvas course that’s accessible directly from the Microsoft Education menu. It gives each student a private space, provides shared content areas, and automatically manages access based on enrollment. Once set up, instructors and students can begin using it without any manual sharing or permissions setup.

Enable the Class Notebook Feature

By default, OneNote Class Notebook is turned off. To enable it, open the Microsoft Education app from your course navigation. Then:

Click the round profile icon in the top right and choose Course Settings.=
Toggle Class Notebook on
Select Done to save the changes

Create a OneNote Class Notebook

Step 1: Open Class Notebook

Go to the Microsoft Education menu and select Class Notebook.

Step 2: Create the Notebook

Each course has one Class Notebook. Click Set up a OneNote Class Notebook to begin.

Step 3: Review Notebook Sections

You'll see a breakdown of the notebook's structure. Each section is automatically created and has built-in permissions:

Collaboration Space: Editable by both teachers and students.
Content Library: Viewable by students, editable by teachers.
Teacher-Only Section: Only visible and editable by teachers.
Student Notebooks: Private notebooks visible only to the student and teacher.

Step 4: Customize Student Sections

Choose what sections will appear in each student's notebook. Default sections include Handouts, Homework, Class Notes, and Quizzes. You can rename or add your own to better match your course structure, or how you would expect/want students to organize their time in this section.

Step 5: Create and Launch

Click Create to finalize setup. After a short wait, your Class Notebook will be ready and accessible via the Open Notebook button in the Microsoft Education menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get more Class Notebook support?

Visit the OneNote Class Notebook Help Center for official documentation and troubleshooting.

Need help? Submit a ticket: https://aka.ms/EDUSupport

Where can I find training for OneNote and Class Notebook?

I'm having permission issues with my notebook. What should I do?

Ensure the user experiencing the issue is enrolled in the Canvas course. Then, ensure they are accessing the Microsoft Education app with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If this fails, try using the Class Notebook permissions repair tool to resolve access problems or contacting the Help Desk.

Where do I manage Class Notebook settings?

From the Microsoft Education menu, click the profile icon > Course Settings. Use the gear icon next to Class OneNote to sync your roster or get a shareable link (only available to enrolled students).

Can I manage Class Notebook from outside Canvas?

Yes. In Teams, open the Class Notebook tab and click Manage Notebook to:

Edit section names
Lock the Collaboration Space
Share a link to the notebook
Create a Teacher-only section group

To manage parent/guardian links or Collaboration Space permissions, open the notebook in OneNote and select Manage Notebooks.