Welcome to Fall 2019!

Posted on Posted in Tips and Tricks, Updates

It’s Monday, August 12th 2019, and we’re 5 days from the start of the next academic year. Courses have appeared on your Canvas dashboard labeled “Fall 2019” and you’ve probably already started receiving emails from students. It may feel like crunch-time, but don’t fret – there’s still time to get your course shells set up and published so that your students can hit the ground running as soon as the semester starts.

Faculty and staff have already been hard at work. FAU’s Canvas activity stream for the Fall 2019 semester so far is looking busy:

  • 5,401 assignments have been created
  • 2,452 discussion topics have been posted
  • 100 video-conference sessions have been conducted
  • 37,292 files have been uploaded
  • 143,283 pages have been viewed
owlsley statue
Owlsley looks impressed!

These numbers only account for the last ten days! Our third full year with Canvas is looking productive and exciting as we see faculty and staff contributing so much time and effort toward their courses and organizations.

Our priority here is to help you get your courses in tip-top shape for the start of the term. Below are some quick tips and resources below to either get you started using Canvas or check your already built courses for some must-have details.

This summer also saw a few updates to the tools and integrations in Canvas. If you missed that update, check out our post on the New Gradebook update, the Badgr tool, and the new Cisco Webex Education Connector tool.

As always, make sure to visit Instructional Technologies’ Additional Tools page and subscribe to the Instructional Technologies blog to receive the latest updates and view discounted pricing options for subscription-based integrations.

Getting Started with Canvas & Canvas Interface Overview

Canvas Course Must-Have Checklist

  1. Make it easy for your students to contact you
    1. Somewhere near the beginning of the Home Page of your course, display the preferred contact method that you would like your students to use to get hold of you.
      1. Create or edit a page that you would like to use as a front page.
      2. Declare a front page.
      3. Set your course’s Home Page.
    2. Check that your inbox notifications are up to date.
  2. Upload your course syllabus
    1. Video Tutorial
    2. Canvas document detailing all features of the “Syllabus” page in your Canvas course
  3. Add Assignments
    1. Assignments can vary from empty placeholders to full exams. Canvas groups all quizzes, assignments, and graded discussions into the “Assignments” page of your course. And, if you assign due dates, they will populate your students’ calendars as well as notify them when they are due. Here’s how!
  4. Publish your course and its materials
    1. Your students will only see pages, assignments, quizzes, and modules that are published. Each of these items features a “Publish” button or icon that you can use to toggle your course content’s “Published” state.
    2. Your entire course needs to be published as well. Once you are ready to open your course to your students, click the “Publish” button at the top-right of your course’s home page.

Instructional Technologies is always available to answer any questions you may have about Canvas and its integrations. You can submit a help desk ticket or schedule a time to visit us for a workshop or a one-on-one session.