Canvas has released a new mobile app for iOS and Android. The Canvas Teacher App is replacing the Speedgrader mobile app and will allow for grading, communicating with students, and upgrading course content. Click here for more information. The Speedgrader app will be available to use, but will no longer be supported by Canvas.
One of the goals of the IRC is to simplify the technical aspects of education and we like to celebrate when we can find ways to save time for instructors. So we were positively joyful when we heard about the new integration between Google Drive and Canvas.
You’ve always been able to share content from your Google Drive in Canvas, but now you will be able to do so seamlessly. We’ve created a video to explain all the new Google Drive features. It’s a little long (10 minutes), so we’ve broken it into smaller videos linked below.
Here are 5 things that you’ll now be able to do:
One of the things I have always loved about Canvas is that their help guides are actually helpful. I’m really excited to share that we are now about to make Help even more wonderful by expanding our listing of links to include AU resources.
We’ve added links to the Nicholson Library and the Chat with a Librarian feature for easy access to these important resources for you and your students. There’s also a link to the KLC’s Canvas page with information on tutoring and workshops for students. Finally, we’ve added a link to this very blog for faculty to also have access to our tips and tricks.
Tim wrote a post last month about the ability to use Google Drive as a media server and we’ve heard from a lot of you about using it. Google has just made a slight change to the layout in Google Drive, so we’ve created a new video to help you with this process. And while we were at it…we included the instructions for embedding in Canvas.
Accommodating a student’s needs with quizzes does not have to be a burden in Canvas. Whether your student needs more time, additional attempts, or needs to take the quiz in the KLC, Canvas has you covered:
Adding Additional Times & Attempts:
Once your quiz is published, you can go to the quiz information page and find the Moderate Quizzes option in the right sidebar. Just find the students name and click the pencil to edit that students time limit and attempts. Learn more with this Canvas guide called “Once I publish a timed quiz, how can I give my students extra time?”.
Setting Up a Different Quiz Start Time for an Individual Student
Some students need to take their quiz in the Kissinger Learning Center to help alleviate test anxiety and provide a distraction free test area. You can give these students a different start and end time for their quizzes by using the +Add button under the quiz dates. Learn more with this Canvas guide called “How do I assign a quiz to an individual student or course section?”.
Timer Anxiety
Some students feel anxiety when they see the timer for a timed quiz counting down. To help alleviate this stress, Canvas has a “hide” link in the timer area of the quiz that will…surprise…hide the timer from view. Students are able to click “show” at any time to reveal the remaining time. This does not prevent the warning message that time is running out.
As we Countdown to Classes, here are some answers to common Canvas questions:
1. Where are my new courses? Canvas is set up so that your enrollments will automatically be added to your course, but this means that you must request new courses each semester. It’s easy! Browse to accessau.anderson.edu (Acad
2. Can I reuse my content from last year? Canvas allows you to import content from a previous course in the Settings for the new course. Here’s a quick tip sheet on all the steps.
3. Why don’t I see my new courses? Now that we’ve been using Canvas for a while, your new courses will not automatically appear on the dashboard. You can add a course to the dashboard by going to Course > All Courses and then clicking the stars to the left of the course names. Those with gold stars will appear on the dashboard and those white stars won’t.
BONUS: How do I cross-list my Canvas courses? If you have courses listed across departments or if you have two sections of the same course, you can cross-list your course by following these directions. They are a little confusing, so let us know if you run into any trouble.
Let us know if you have any questions!
In case you missed the Videoconferencing: Google Hangouts and Canvas Conferences Workshop (or even if you were there), here’s an outline of what we covered and some links to additional information:
Tim shared a number of tips on how to approach videoconferencing, including:
Tim walked us through the process of using Google Hangouts and Canvas Conferences:
As always, if you have questions or would like to sit down and learn more, feel free to reach out to us via email (its@anderson.edu) or stop by the IRC office in Decker 45.
In case you missed the Advanced Canvas Workshop (or even if you were there), here’s an outline of what we covered and some links to additional information:
As always, if you have questions or would like to sit down and learn more about Canvas, feel free to reach out to us via email (its@anderson.edu) or stop by the IRC office in Decker 45.