CANVAS TIPS
These are the tips that I have been sending out via email -- some are just basic tips, while others are in response to questions that have come up repeatedly. I will update the page periodically to add any new tips!
CANVAS TIP#1: Where to find answers.
Need the answer to a Canvas question, but you can't get in touch with anyone to help? Find your own answers by using Instructure's Guides (this is the company that created Canvas), or by looking on CGCC's Inside (lots of valuable materials from Nonie Bernard, our Course Production Specialist). Bookmark these links for future use!!
CANVAS TIP#2: Don't know where to begin?
Look at examples to help you plan how you want to set up your Canvas courses. Canvas has a list of publicly available courses that you can peruse (http://tinyurl.com/canvascourses), or you can ask a colleague who is already using Canvas to add you as an observer to his/her course.
CANVAS TIP#3: Teaching in Blackboard? Let students know.
Because the default from the student’s account in SIS is to go to Canvas, you may want to have a Canvas page that redirects the student back to Blackboard. Watch this 5-minute video demo!!
NOTE: After this Spring 2013, TIP#3 will be a moot point – everyone will be in Canvas!!
ADDENDUM to Canvas Tip#3:
In the original tip, I included a 5-minute tutorial, but I left out a critical step for brand-new users — you need to change your Canvas Course Home Page Layout to "A Page I'll Design Myself"! These two screenshots will show you how:
NOTE: After this Spring 2013, TIP#3 will be a moot point – everyone will be in Canvas!!
ADDENDUM to Canvas Tip#3:
In the original tip, I included a 5-minute tutorial, but I left out a critical step for brand-new users — you need to change your Canvas Course Home Page Layout to "A Page I'll Design Myself"! These two screenshots will show you how:
CANVAS TIP#4: Set your Notifications!
The default in Canvas is that you want to be notified about pretty much any change that occurs in your course (which you probably don’t…). Follow the instructions in this Guide to see how to set your notifications.
Avoid an avalanche of email by following the instructions in any of the following:
Avoid an avalanche of email by following the instructions in any of the following:
- the Canvas Notification Preferences document (complements of the Maricopa Learning Management Implementation Team), or
- this Canvas Instructure Guide to see how to set your notifications, or
- watch this 4-minute video to see how to set limitations on the type and frequency of alerts that you will receive!
CANVAS TIP#5: Need to communicate with students?
In Canvas, it’s easy to send a quick message to individual students, or to an entire class. Watch this 5-minute demo!
CANVAS TIP#6: Humanize your course - add a profile picture!
Your profile picture shows up when you post an announcement or use any other form of communication in Canvas – do you want it to be an empty grey box, or an image that says something to your students about you? Watch this 2-minute demo, or use this Canvas Instructure Guide!
CANVAS TIP#7: Adding files to your course.
I’ve heard this one several times over the last couple of weeks: “I’ve been trying to upload some files, but it keeps asking me for a ZIP file…?”
Here is what’s happening: You are most likely on the home page of an unpublished course, and at the bottom of the page it says (among other things) “Import Content.” Because you want to start loading your files into your Canvas course, the term “Import Content” sounds like exactly what you need! However, this link is actually what you would use to import content from another course into this course, NOT what you would use to upload documents, images, slides, etc. from your computer into Canvas.
Files can be brought into Canvas either
Here is what’s happening: You are most likely on the home page of an unpublished course, and at the bottom of the page it says (among other things) “Import Content.” Because you want to start loading your files into your Canvas course, the term “Import Content” sounds like exactly what you need! However, this link is actually what you would use to import content from another course into this course, NOT what you would use to upload documents, images, slides, etc. from your computer into Canvas.
Files can be brought into Canvas either
- as you go along, on an item-by-item basis, as you create pages, assignments, etc., OR
- by loading files into the “Files” content area (use the link on the left-hand side navigation area).
CANVAS TIP#8: How do I set up a file to automatically open?
HOW to do this is easy; WHETHER to do this requires some thought. If you are just getting started, you may want to file this one away for after you set up your basics.
Let me hedge my response to this one – you CAN have a file listed in a Module in Canvas, and if a student clicks on that file link, it will automatically open in a viewer window – but is that what you really WANT to do? There are tradeoffs – watch this 5-minute demo for more information.
CHOICE 1: You can “Add item to Module,” select “file,” and the file will be listed in your module as a clickable link that will take your students directly to a viewer. The downside? You cannot add any additional information, such as instructions, or a due date, or lock dates, or the ability for the student to submit something to you, or anything like that.
CHOICE 2: Create an assignment that contains your file, and then when you “Add item to Module,” you can add “assignment.” The upside is that you can assign points, ask for submissions, assign a due date, have lock dates, etc. The downside? It will take the student one additional click to see the file inside a viewer. From the module, they click the assignment; within the assignment, the file that has been included will have a “preview” icon right next to it.
CHOICE 3: You could also create a page that has the file, but then it neither opens automatically NOR allows you to set dates on it… although you can “Hide this page from students,” if need be.
Let me hedge my response to this one – you CAN have a file listed in a Module in Canvas, and if a student clicks on that file link, it will automatically open in a viewer window – but is that what you really WANT to do? There are tradeoffs – watch this 5-minute demo for more information.
CHOICE 1: You can “Add item to Module,” select “file,” and the file will be listed in your module as a clickable link that will take your students directly to a viewer. The downside? You cannot add any additional information, such as instructions, or a due date, or lock dates, or the ability for the student to submit something to you, or anything like that.
CHOICE 2: Create an assignment that contains your file, and then when you “Add item to Module,” you can add “assignment.” The upside is that you can assign points, ask for submissions, assign a due date, have lock dates, etc. The downside? It will take the student one additional click to see the file inside a viewer. From the module, they click the assignment; within the assignment, the file that has been included will have a “preview” icon right next to it.
CHOICE 3: You could also create a page that has the file, but then it neither opens automatically NOR allows you to set dates on it… although you can “Hide this page from students,” if need be.
CANVAS TIP#9: How to hide upcoming assignments.
While you can’t exactly “hide” upcoming assignments in Canvas, there are ways to make those assignments inaccessible (some of these require using modules…) to students:
I have had one request to hide PAST assignments, but I am afraid that other than removing them – which would also take them out of your Grade Center – the only thing I’ve seen is the ability to lock submissions after a certain date.
- Lock the assignments until a given date.
Instructure Guide: “How do I lock an assignment before or after the due date?” - Lock the module containing the assignments until a given date. Instructure Guide: “How do I lock a module?”
- Use prerequisites/requirements, which are features of the Canvas Modules. Instructure Guides: “How do I set up prerequisite Modules?” and “How do I add requirements to a Module?”
I have had one request to hide PAST assignments, but I am afraid that other than removing them – which would also take them out of your Grade Center – the only thing I’ve seen is the ability to lock submissions after a certain date.
CANVAS TIP#10: See when students last logged in to Canvas.
Canvas allows you access to a lot of student analytics, and this one is pretty easy – go to Course Settings >> Course Statistics button >> Students tab.
Remember, you can find the answers to many of your Canvas questions at http://guides.instructure.com - that’s where I found this handout, “Where can I find statistics about when students are accessing the course?”
Remember, you can find the answers to many of your Canvas questions at http://guides.instructure.com - that’s where I found this handout, “Where can I find statistics about when students are accessing the course?”