Grading is done and it's time to enjoy the holiday break. Before you go, a few Canvas Notes…. Remember you NO LONGER need to "end your course", that's why the button is gone. Courses are closed automatically five days after the end of the grading period for students and moved to their Past Enrollments. Students can still access your content as read-only though, so be sure you have locked any files you don't want them to have future access to and check quizzes too to be sure they have defined end dates so students will not be able to open them. As an instructor you can still access your courses anytime. To remove them from your Course List menu, just click the "customize"link in the top corner of the drop-down menu and uncheck any courses you no longer want showing. Planning ahead? If you're teaching multiple sections of a course and would like them cross-linked so you only have to put content in one, send me an e-mail ASAP so it will be ready when you return from break. Don't … [Read more...]
Brand changes for Instructure’s Canvas
We enable individuals to transform learning. Instructure Canvas launched a new brand statement, web site and logo yesterday. It's attractive, clean and organized. I'm just wondering why a company that encourages imagination in learning spaces stuck to their unofficial mascot...a black and white panda. Don't get me wrong, pandas are cute and cuddly but I when I think of the company, I'm thinking more of a colorful company that likes to move it, move it... . … [Read more...]
Canvas Notes: Annotations Now Available for Homework Submissions
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...]
Canvas Notes: Start of Semester Checklist
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...]
Canvas Notes: Branching & Duplicating Module Content
Hello Canvas Users! The primary feature release in Canvas this week focused on improving functionality for Modules. Now you can branch a module to provide checkpoints for better student understanding of content. For example, if you create a Quiz in a Module with a prerequisite score of 5 out of 5, and the student scores less than desired, their next step could possibly be a review of content. If a student met the criteria defined, their next step would be advancing to the next module. Example: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/384712/Branching.pdf Now you can duplicate content in modules. Why would you want to do that? You might want to carry a discussion board through several modules or provide reference information and links from one unit to another. A great way to do that would be to create a learning object such as a Resources wiki page. Check out the guides for more detailed … [Read more...]
Canvas Notes: Learning Analytics – What will they tell you about your course or students?
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...]
Canvas Notes: Student View & Threaded Discussions have arrived!
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 visual cue … [Read more...]
Canvas Notes
Follow the Canvas Teaching & Learning Network at UMW (CTLN@UMW) on Twitter @UMWCTLN. Come out to Faculty Academy 2012 May 16 & 17 and bring your Canvas questions. Instructure will be here to conduct a Faculty Forum for all users. This is a great opportunity for you to provide feedback and ask questions. YOU have the floor! Want to experience the full Canvas effect? Park City, Utah is the place this June for InstructureCon 2012. Early bird registration ends March 30! What's new in Canvas? Two recent changes we like! 1. You can now add media to quiz answers in multiple choice and multiple answer question types. Click on the Edit button of an answer and a Rich Text Editor appears for you to add pictures, video and more! 2. Did you notice that you can now see how many total replies are in a discussion forum as well as how many unread entries are in that discussion? Click on the originating discussion link to view. … [Read more...]
Canvas Notes: “Sent” filter added to Conversations
Great news! Conversations in Canvas has a new option in the drop-down menu - "Sent" . Thanks to the many users who voted on this feature request, Instructure has responded by adding it as one more way to sort Conversations. "Sent" will allow users to see conversations where they have posted at least one message, sorted by the date of their last post with newest at the top. There is also a new Course Filter search box which allows you to search conversations by typing in the name of the course. Coming in the next few weeks, the ability to sort conversations by users or group will also be available…and Instructure is not stopping there with improvements to Conversations….video replies and suggested recipients are next on their implementation list. So continue adding your great ideas to the Community Feature Request Forum page and vote on other ideas to move them up the line! Mark Your Calendar! InstructureCon 2012 is now open for registration. If you'd like to show off what … [Read more...]
Canvas Notes: Feb 6, 2012
Hello everyone. I wanted to update you on recent developments and progress made within Canvas on two specific issues that have frustrated us in the last few weeks. 1) Course List a. Your Course Lists have been cleaned up and should now show ONLY the current term and any groups/committees you are enrolled in as a member. b. Your courses from the three previous terms (two that were imported from Blackboard and the past Fall term in Canvas) are available to you through your Past Enrollments. Click the View All Enrollments link located in the bottom right corner of the Course List for access. c. Scheduled for the 2/18/12 release is the ability for ALL users to Customize their course list. That removes the criteria of having 12 or more courses before customization is available. Customization will allow you to hide any courses you don’t want showing. 2) Conversations a. It’s important to note that Instructure has designed the Conversations feature as a … [Read more...]