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#31: Take advantage of Canvas Training and Open Labs.
Get registered NOW for Canvas training!! Go to http://tinyurl.com/canvascalendar for other CGCC Canvas training opportunities.
CANVAS TIP#32: Tracking Attendance in Canvas.
There is rumored to be an Attendance feature for Canvas, but it is currently in beta, and as such has been deemed “not yet ready for prime time” at Maricopa. When it is in full production mode, we’ll see it (I don’t know when that will be).
HOWEVER, as with most things, there is a way to accomplish this task – just create an Attendance assignment in Canvas (as you now know, this will automatically create an associated “Attendance” column in your course Grade Book), with a rubric that incorporates your grading scheme for the course:
HOWEVER, as with most things, there is a way to accomplish this task – just create an Attendance assignment in Canvas (as you now know, this will automatically create an associated “Attendance” column in your course Grade Book), with a rubric that incorporates your grading scheme for the course:
CANVAS TIP#33: Changes happen in Canvas. Don't freak out.
We’re not in Blackboard any more, Toto – whereas Bb released huge version changes every once in a while, Canvas is a young company, and tends to be a bit more nimble in its updates, making smaller changes much more frequently.
Here’s an example from the March 30th Production Release Notes (you can always check for updates on your own at the “Release Notes” area of the Canvas Help Center page) – there have been some minor changes to the “Quiz Settings.”
So if, for example, you were to look back at “CANVAS TIP#13: View individual student attempts on a quiz,” and your screen doesn’t look exactly like my instructions, don’t panic!! All of the same settings are available; they’ve just been moved (Instructure wanted to “make page layouts more unified for all Canvas features.”):
Here’s an example from the March 30th Production Release Notes (you can always check for updates on your own at the “Release Notes” area of the Canvas Help Center page) – there have been some minor changes to the “Quiz Settings.”
So if, for example, you were to look back at “CANVAS TIP#13: View individual student attempts on a quiz,” and your screen doesn’t look exactly like my instructions, don’t panic!! All of the same settings are available; they’ve just been moved (Instructure wanted to “make page layouts more unified for all Canvas features.”):
Layout 1 is the old layout (on the left in this image), and “Show student Quiz Results” was located on to the right of the "gear" icon. Layout 2 (on the right in this image) is the new layout – you can now find “Show student Quiz Results” under the “gear” icon.
So if you can't find something in Canvas, stay calm, click around, and if you can't find what you are after, check the Canvas Release Notes.
So if you can't find something in Canvas, stay calm, click around, and if you can't find what you are after, check the Canvas Release Notes.
CANVAS TIP#34: Extra Credit in Canvas
Remember, you can find the answers to many of your questions at http://guides.instructure.com
That’s where I found the handout, “How do I give my students extra credit?”
That’s where I found the handout, “How do I give my students extra credit?”
A very common question as the semester winds down is, “How do I deal with extra credit in the Grade Book?” This Instructure Canvas Guide, “How do I give my students extra credit?” actually gives three different options for doing just that:
- Option 1: Add Extra Points to an Existing Assignment. This limits the extra credit to this specific assignment.
- Option 2: Create Extra Credit within a Rubric. This can be used for extra credit on ANY assignment that uses this rubric (remember, once a rubric is created, you can choose to use it again for other assignments).
- Option 3: Create New Assignment with No Submission. This would be used for overall extra credit – i.e., a total number of extra credit points earned for the course as a whole. You would just manually update the extra credit points as needed throughout the semester.
CANVAS TIP#35: Listen to your students.
After all, your students are the ones who will have to navigate and use your Canvas course when it's ready, so why not ask them what works and what doesn't?
Here are the results of a small student survey, where students are asked what they think of Canvas, and what advice they have for Instructors who are using Canvas.
Here are the results of a small student survey, where students are asked what they think of Canvas, and what advice they have for Instructors who are using Canvas.
CANVAS TIP#36: Browser Differences in Canvas - Go with the Flow
This tip courtesy of Nonie Bernard, Coordinator of Instructional Services at CGCC!
When Canvas interacts with software applications outside of Canvas (such as your computer’s operating system or the Internet), you may encounter slight interface differences, which are dependent on the web browser you’re using.
Here’s an example of the browser-dependent differences encountered with the Upload a new image command in the sidebar when you’re using the rich content editor:
When Canvas interacts with software applications outside of Canvas (such as your computer’s operating system or the Internet), you may encounter slight interface differences, which are dependent on the web browser you’re using.
Here’s an example of the browser-dependent differences encountered with the Upload a new image command in the sidebar when you’re using the rich content editor:
Learn to expect such browser-dependent interface differences, and focus on what you’re trying to accomplish rather than the words on, or shape of, the button. Just go with the flow, within the Canvas context and the browser you're using.