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#11: Upload an image from your computer.
While searching the web for an image from inside Canvas is actually very simple, often you already have the image that you want to use on your computer.
From the Rich Content Editor, you just select the “images” tab from the content selector area on the right-hand side of the screen, and then either select an image you have already uploaded, or upload a new one. Watch this 3½ minute demo!
Remember, you can find the answers to many of your questions at http://guides.instructure.com - that’s where I found this handout, “How do I insert images into the rich content editor?”
From the Rich Content Editor, you just select the “images” tab from the content selector area on the right-hand side of the screen, and then either select an image you have already uploaded, or upload a new one. Watch this 3½ minute demo!
Remember, you can find the answers to many of your questions at http://guides.instructure.com - that’s where I found this handout, “How do I insert images into the rich content editor?”
CANVAS TIP#12: View only ungraded assignments in SpeedGrader.
In SpeedGrader, you can actually re-order the students according to whether the assignment needs grading!
Go to SpeedGrader >> Settings >> Sort by submission status:
Go to SpeedGrader >> Settings >> Sort by submission status:
CANVAS TIP#13: View individual student attempts on a quiz.
In my class, students actually get three attempts on a practice set, so it is helpful for me on occasion to be able to go back through a particular student’s attempts.
From a particular quiz in Canvas, select “Show Student Quiz Results,” choose a student from the list, and then you will have links to the student’s attempt(s) on the right hand side of your screen.
From a particular quiz in Canvas, select “Show Student Quiz Results,” choose a student from the list, and then you will have links to the student’s attempt(s) on the right hand side of your screen.
CANVAS TIP#14: Print a copy of a Canvas Quiz.
Sometimes it’s easier for me to have a paper copy of a quiz/practice set to bring to class, so that I can mark it up as students ask questions, and it’s easy to do:
- Go to the quiz that you want to print.
- Select “Edit this Quiz”
- Select “Preview the Quiz”
- To print, just use CMD-P (on a Mac), or CTRL-P (on a PC).
CANVAS TIP#15: Use the Student View.
Several people have asked, “How can I tell what this assignment/quiz/discussion/etc. will look like to the student?” In Canvas, it is much easier to see your course from the student perspective than it was with Blackboard. In Student View, you can even submit assignments and take assessments, then switch back and look at the course Grade Book at "Test Student."
To get into Student view, select (Course) Settings >> Student View; to return to the Instructor's perspective, select "Leave Student View:"
To get into Student view, select (Course) Settings >> Student View; to return to the Instructor's perspective, select "Leave Student View:"
CANVAS TIP#16: Organize your Grade Book columns
It took me a while to figure out that, in Canvas, the order of the columns in your Grade Book is determined by the order of the items on the “Assignments” page!
Furthermore, if you organize your assignments into groups, Canvas will create an additional column to keep track of how the student is doing overall on the items in that particular assignment group:
CANVAS TIP#17: Drop low scores in Canvas.
If you have your assignments organized into groups, it’s easy to drop the lowest score in that specific group.
Go to Assignments >> Click the “Edit” (pencil) icon on the assignment group header, and select the type (highest or lowest) and number of scores that you want to drop:
Go to Assignments >> Click the “Edit” (pencil) icon on the assignment group header, and select the type (highest or lowest) and number of scores that you want to drop:
CANVAS TIP#18: Weighting your grades.
Setting up a weighted grading scheme is easy in Canvas, as long as you have organized your assignments into Assignment Groups!
There are TWO DIFFERENT WAYS to set your weighting scheme:
There are TWO DIFFERENT WAYS to set your weighting scheme:
- Use the Settings in your course Grade Book (check out the documentation from Instructure)
- Click the Assignments button in the left-hand navigation on your course home page, then check the box that says “Weight the final grade based on assignment groups”:
CANVAS TIP#19: The "Not Graded" assignment option
When I first set up my Canvas course, I had quite few items (mostly “watch this video” types of things) that I wanted to set up as assignments, so that I could include a due date, but that didn’t really have a point value. So I gave them a value of “zero points,” not realizing that columns would be created in the grade book anyway!! Students went crazy worrying about why they had nothing in their grades for the assignment, even though they had watched the video (and even though the assignment itself said “zero points”).
Here, you can see from my Assignments page that these have no points attached:
Here, you can see from my Assignments page that these have no points attached:
But they show up in the Grade Book:
Anyway, it turns out that the fix is simple – Canvas now has a “Not Graded” assignment option, so I can have a due date, but no Grade Book column is created. When you create your assignment (or when you are editing an existing assignment), there is a pulldown menu just below the Rich Content Editor box – just select “Not Graded” from the pulldown, and save your changes.
CANVAS TIP#20: Where to find the Canvas Tips
By popular request, I have created a page housing all of the Canvas Tips that I’ve been sending: http://crazyforcanvas.weebly.com/canvas-tips.html
A link to this page, along with many other Canvas resources, can be found on CGCC’s Inside by going to
· Tech Central >> Canvas
OR
· Instructional Technology >> CGC Canvas Support Documents
A link to this page, along with many other Canvas resources, can be found on CGCC’s Inside by going to
· Tech Central >> Canvas
OR
· Instructional Technology >> CGC Canvas Support Documents