Author: David Gray

Summer Setup for Canvas

With the start of Summer looming, faculty are getting Canvas courses ready for student use. So let’s run though some important tips for prep and launch of Canvas courses for Summer 2018!

Before drilling down to specifics in Canvas, I want to draw attention to Summer dates. As always, there are a whole host of “start dates” for Summer, but the traditional “start of Summer” has been when the 6 and 8 week sessions begin. That is June 11. (I stress this because some publications indicate the 6 and 8 week sessions begin on June 25… they do not. June 11 is correct.) Naturally some classes start earlier, some immediately after the end of Spring term, but most will start on June 11. If you believe your course starts later in June… please check your official class listing to be sure.

Now let’s get into the details of using Canvas for your new classes.

Canvas Course Announcements

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, How to Canvas

For this installment of “How to Canvas” let’s take a look at an oft used tool within a course: Announcements. On the surface a simple tool (post announcement, students read announcement, right?) there is some depth to announcements that you should probably be aware of.

Canvas Links as Buttons

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, How to Canvas

For this installment of “How to Canvas” let’s take a look at a simple technique to convert the appearance of a link into a button. This can be done by adding a snippet of code into the HTML of the link.

Canvas and Closing System Announcements

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, For students, How to Canvas

For this installment of “How to Canvas” let’s look at an extremely simple, but valuable, function in Canvas: How to remove the system announcements from the Dashboard screen when you want them to go away.

Canvas and the Kaltura Streaming Media Collection

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, How to Canvas, Streaming Media

For this installment of “How to Canvas” let’s go though the process of adding a piece of media from the Palomar Kaltura streaming media system onto a page within your Canvas course.

First off, to be clear, this “Kaltura Streaming Media Collection” refers to the shared repository of videos which have been requested by faculty for use (under the auspices of the TEACH Act), and in many cases these videos were created thanks to individual faculty donating their media to Palomar for this use.

A Brief Introduction to Proctorio

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty

Proctorio is an automated remote proctoring service integrated into Palomar’s Canvas learning management system. This enables faculty to require quizzes within Canvas be taken in a limited and/or monitored environment.

Sounds great! How do I start proctoring my Canvas quizzes?

Canvas Student Activity Indicators

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, How to Canvas

Maybe the census date is imminent, maybe you just want to stay on top of student activity in your Canvas course site. For whatever reason, you’d really like to know when and what individual students are doing within your course. So what are your options?

The short answer? You have quite a few options.

Canvas “New Quizzes” Option

by David Gray in Canvas, For faculty, How to Canvas

Perhaps you’ve heard about a way in Canvas to hit a switch and randomize the order of your quiz questions. Or maybe you’ve been talking with me about Canvas and heard about something called “Quizzes.next.” Or, most likely, you’ve spotted the new “add Quiz/Text” button at the top of the Assignments list, tagged with a little bar saying “beta.”

The short answer is, yes, there is a newly available alternative to the Canvas quiz engine, which will in the not too distant future replace the current quiz engine. The Instructure techs are calling this the “Quizzes LTI.”

Student Tips for Using Canvas

by David Gray in Canvas, For students

Are you a new or continuing student at Palomar who hasn’t used the Canvas system with your courses yet? Here’s a few suggestions for how best to prepare your account to use Canvas, and what to expect when your instructors allow you into the Canvas courses.

Finding Open Classes

by David Gray in For students

The enrollment period for Spring 2018 is going on right now, and some students may still be trying to figure out which classes to take. Be it a question of “what will move me towards my degree” or even just “what will fit my schedule” it can be tricky putting together a class schedule. The situation is made still worse by the fact that the printed schedule does not reflect class cancellation or when new classes open up.

Enter the “My Class Finder” tool.

Academic Technology Resources Centers

Enhancing teaching and learning for students and faculty of Palomar College

Author: David Gray

Summer Setup for Canvas

Canvas Course Announcements

Canvas Links as Buttons

Canvas and Closing System Announcements

Canvas and the Kaltura Streaming Media Collection

A Brief Introduction to Proctorio

Canvas Student Activity Indicators

Canvas “New Quizzes” Option

Student Tips for Using Canvas

Finding Open Classes