Long requested and anticipated by many of you has been the option to add varied due dates to your course sections whether cross-listed or not. It's now merely days away. Expect the change with this weekend's update. So if your course sections meet on different days of the week or in different formats (online vs. face-to-face), you will soon be able to assign different availability dates and due dates for your assignments, discussions or Quizzes. Once assigned, you'll see the term "multiple due dates" referencing that selection across your course content areas. Second on the list of hot topics has been the request to restrict students from coming back to a discusson post to edit it or delete it. Now you can prevent that by setting a permission in the Discussion Settings or in the Course Settings under “more options”. If a reply is edited by a student, instructors will be able to see the date and time the reply was edited. This feature helps instructors know when the edit … [Read more...]

Hello everyone. A few updates on recent changes in our LMS that you'll be happy with, and explanations on recent issues… So to get the "bad" out of the way, in the last month both students and instructors experienced problems with files not uploading, submissions not rendering in the gradebook, and e-mail not being received. The first two problems were due to issues Instructure had with load balancing and with Scribd, a third-party app integrated in Canvas that provides the ability to preview submissions in the gradebook and file area. The result to the end user was that files were not automatically opening in preview any longer, but instead needed to be downloaded to view. File uploads didn't appear instantly either as a backlog of files was building behind the scene delaying the process. Instructure has worked with Scribd diligently over the last month to solve the configuration problems and recently added a new program called Crocodoc to help offset the load. The third issue of … [Read more...]

Ready for another semester? Here's a Start-of-Semester Canvas Checklist to help you out! Ensure that your course is available in the LMS. Contact me if you need to combine courses.  Copy/load your content. Remove or hide items relevant only to prior semesters. Set/Adjust due dates and calendar dates. Check for broken links, images, and videos (in student view). Lock files you don’t want students to access directly. Fix or clarify areas that caused problems last semester. Update your syllabus. Verify passwords in quizzes. Check/Enable your grading scheme and calculations. Hide navigation buttons that will not be used. Publish your course. http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4152/l/57126-how-do-i-publish-my-course Check your past semester course too! Lock sensitive or copyright-protected content in prior semester’s course. … [Read more...]

Learning Analytics is now available in your Canvas course. Look for the View Course Analytics button located in the upper-right corner of your courses' home page.           What will they tell you about your course and your students?  In a glance you can see the active participation in your course, how many assignments were turned in on time or late, the grade spread and even a breakdown of each student's involvement, productivity and current score. Example: http://screencast.com/t/oe0e7x1xSAV For detailed information on what it all means, check out the guides. Course Analytics: http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4152/l/66790-how-do-i-view-analytics-for-a-course Student in a Course: http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4152/l/66791-how-do-i-view-analytics-for-a-student Follow the Canvas Teaching and Learning Network on Twitter @UMWCTLN … [Read more...]

If you haven't already spotted the changes in this weekend's update, you'll be happy to know that the much-requested Student View is finally here!To enable the Student View from within your course, click on Settings and you'll see it at the top of the function buttons to the right. http://screencast.com/t/l9rUqO2DuB. Once you click on it, you will become a "Test Student" within your course and can access course content as a student would. To switch back to Instructor view, simply click on "Leave Student View" at the top. Go ahead, play with it, we know you've waited a long time! Oh how we missed the threaded discussion format in Blackboard, well it's here at last:  http://screencast.com/t/q2JNhNaHl . In fact, check out what the most recent iteration of the discussion forum looks like if you haven't used it lately…now you can 1) See your smiling face (avatars are in the new gradebook view too!), 2. Attached files line up right under the discussion in plain view, 3. Gives a … [Read more...]