Migrate Instruction Into Canvas

Please use the links below to navigate the page. For each step there are instructions for best practice at CGCC, videos, and links to the Canvas LMS Guides and Community pages to assist in this transition. Some of the videos will be created by the CTLA and others are directly from the Canvas LMS video library. Here is the link to the full Canvas LMS instructor and student videos guides. Use the arrow on the bottom right of the page to scroll back to the top. Please contact [email protected] with any issues.

1. Login to Canvas and find your course
2. Set the course navigation
3. Create modules to structure course
4. Upload course content and files
5. Create assignments for grading activities (including quizzes and exams)
6. Publish content AND the course
7. Verify settings for notifications
8. Communicate with Students

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1. Login to Canvas and Access Your Course Site

1. Go to learn.maricopa.edu to access Canvas.
2. Login with your MEID and password. Need to figure out your MEID and password? Use the MEID Finder Tool
3. You should see your course on the Dashboard. If you do not see it right away, go to Courses, All Courses. See the Canvas guide to Change the Courses Displayed on Dashboard

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2. Set the course navigation

Think simple! If you were to look at your course as a student the way it is now, you would see a bunch of links on the left menu that take you to empty pages. There are 14 default menus for Canvas and we suggest using only 3 plus the home page: Announcements, Grades, and Modules. If you start using other Canvas external tools that could change, but for now, let’s simplify! ​
What is the Course Navigation Menu? 
It is the series of links on the left side of your course that help you and your students access areas of your course.

1. ​In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.
2. Click the Navigation tab.
3. Drag and drop the menu item from the top of the navigation menu to the bottom or click the three dot menu of the menu item and choose disable and the item will automatically move to the bottom of the navigation menu. ​ 

MENU/INDEX ITEMS TO HIDE

1. Assignments
2. Discussions
3. People
4. Pages
5. Files
6. Syllabus
7. Quizzes
8. Conferences 
9. Collaborations
10. ​Chat

MENU/INDEX ITEMS TO KEEP

1. Announcements
2. Modules
3. Grades

CANVAS GUIDES

How do I manage Course Navigation Links? ​​
​How do I use the Course Navigation Menu as an instructor?

The other links in the top list are never seen by students so do not need to be rearranged (Settings, UDOIT, SCORM, Student Evaluations, etc) When you disable these pages, or move them to the bottom of the list, you will still be able to access them via modules which is what you should set up next! ​

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3. Create your course structure with Modules

Determine how you will organize your course, is it by weeks, units, or some other organizational structure? In a technology driven learning environment, modules allow for students to follow a linear path limiting confusion. We are going to advise to have your home page set as modules as a beginner so that the student can always return home to find the next module to move to. 
Modules can contain: 

• Files
• Discussions
• Assignments
• Quizzes
• External Links, and other learning materials

Modules have a drag and drop feature. You can use the same material in multiple modules or even the same thing in the same module. Modules are the visual display of your teaching content. 

1. Click on Modules from the Canvas navigation, now +Modules (the big blue button top right). 
2. Give the module a name based on the organizational structure of your course. Notice there is a “Lock Until” checkbox. You can choose to set that if you would like to hide modules until a certain time.  
3. The module is created unpublished and empty. Now it is time to use the plus button to add content. 
   
   1. ​Click the plus button to the right of the module. Adding an assignment is default, but if you click the drop-down arrow you will see all the types of content that you can add to a module. 
      
   2. If you would like to edit the module name, prerequisite, or lock date, use the three dot menu parallel to the module name on the right. 
   3. You can tell something is unpublished in Canvas by the grey do not enter sign, a published item is a filled in green circle.​

CANVAS GUIDES

What are modules?
How do I add a module?
How do I lock a module? ​
How do I add prerequisites to a module?
How do I publish or unpublish a module as an instructor? ​

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4. Upload Course Content and Files

Now that the structure of your course is set up, you need to add your content to Canvas and then pull it into the modules. Content could be your lecture slides, handouts, assignments, worksheets, supplemental multimedia, etc. It is not recommended to upload videos directly to Canvas. Instead it is recommended to use YouTube or Screencast O'Matic to host and share your videos with students. Please click on those links respectively for instruction on both. Screencast O'Matic is also a great choice for creating video lectures.
Upload Content to Files
You can upload files you use for your course into Files and they will be accessible in all areas of Canvas so long as they are published and the folder is published (circle parallel to the right of file name).  Since your navigation has Files hidden from students, it is safe to upload any file into your course as you will be pulling and linking to files from other areas in Canvas. 
Access Files within the course menu at the left.

1. Click on the ‘Upload’ button on the right to upload files to your Canvas course.
2. You can also click on the ‘+Folder’ button, if you wish to organize the files you are uploading into folders.  
3. Select the folder you wish to upload files into before you click the ‘Upload’ button.
4. Notice that parallel to the name of folders and files in the Files area is the publish/unpublish button. 

Upload Files Using Rich Content Editor and/or Modules
Alternatively, you can upload files as you go within Modules and anywhere you have access to the Rich Content Editor (Pages, Assignments, Discussions, Announcements, Quizzes, etc.). When you upload via these methods, you can still access the uploaded files from the Files nav menu.
This brings us to creating assignments for grading activities.

CANVAS GUIDES

All Files Guides

• How do I use Files as an instructor?
• ​How do I upload a file to a course?​ 

​How do I turn a hard copy into a PDF to put online?

• Scan-to-me using CGC printers.
• Cam Scanner App

Rich Content Editor Guides

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5. Create Assignments for Grading Activities

Anything that you do in-person we can get some version of it into your Canvas Course. Please see below for assignments with online submissions (or not), quizzes (great for self-graded activities), and discussions (for getting everyone involved!).

Add Assignments (Grading columns)
Create an Assignment for everything you grade a student on during the semester, this may include quizzes, written assignments, participation, attendance, a final, a midterm, etc. Creating an assignment adds a column in the gradebook for that assignment. Assignments cannot be directly added to the gradebook. ​

00:07: How do I use the assignments index page? 00:10: In course, navigation, click the assignments link? 00:14: The assignments index page is designed with global settings at the top of the page. 00:20: Followed by the assignment groups. 00:22: Individual assignments are nested within each assignment group. 00:27: Global settings include searching for assignments. 00:30: Adding a new assignment group. 00:33: And adding a new assignment. 00:36: To wait, the final grade with assignment groups or both update due dates and 00:40: availability. Dates click the options icon. 00:44: When multiple grading periods are enabled, in a course, you can use the global 00:48: settings to sort and filter the assignments Page by grading period. 00:52: Assignments and assignment groups are validated against assignments in closed 00:56: grading periods. 00:59: The assignments page displays all assignments. 01:01: In the course. Each assignment type displays an icon, representing the assignment 01:05: type assignment. 01:08: Discussion. 01:10: Classic quiz. 01:12: Our new quiz discussions and quizzes also display in their respective index 01:16: pages in canvas. 01:19: If you are using the new quizzes LTI in your course, new quizzes are indicated 01:23: by the new quizzes icon. 01:26: Quizzes, created with the classic canvas quiz, tool or indicated, by the classic 01:30: quiz icon. Both quiz types can be used in the same course. 01:35: For help with new quizzes functionality, please see the new quizzes chapter 01:39: in the instructor guide. 01:42: Each assignment displays the assignment name. 01:45: Due date, if any 01:48: The number of points, the assignment is worth. 01:51: And assignment draft State status, whether it's published, 01:55: Unpublished. You can also set varied due dates for an assignment, and 01:59: create due dates, according to course section. 02:02: Varied due dates appear as multiple dates. 02:06: If an assignment is associated with a module, the module name will appear on 02:10: the individual line, item of the assignment. 02:14: Assignments can also include availability, dates availability. 02:18: Dates can make an assignment available for only a specific period of time. 02:23: To view an assignment, click the assignment name. 02:27: You can also use the options drop-down, menu, to edit the assignment open 02:31: Speed grader, duplicate, the assignment manage assigned, 02:35: students, and dates for the assignment, delete the assignment move, 02:39: the assignment send the assignment to another instructor or copy the 02:43: assignment to another course. 02:46: You can also manually reorder an assignment by hovering over the drag handle, 02:50: next to the assignment, and dragging the assignment to the desired location. 02:55: If your institution has enabled a student information system, sis 02:59: integration, you can tell if an assignment is set up to be sent to your institutions 03:04: sis. Graded, assignments can be enabled directly by clicking 03:08: the Sync icon, next to an assignment. 03:11: Some sis Integrations, such as PowerSchool, allow you to import assignment 03:15: groups. Imported groups include an import icon to 03:19: identify them from manually created assignment groups in canvas. 03:24: If you need to disable sync for all assignments, in the course without managing them individually, 03:28: you can disable sync for all assignments at one time. 03:33: Click the options menu, then select the disable sync to Sis link, 03:38: All assignments, will be updated and disabled from the sis sink. 03:43: If you use Mastery pads in your course, you can tell which items are set up in 03:47: modules as Mastery paths or conditional content items. 03:52: If your course includes blueprint, icons, your course is associated with a 03:56: blueprint. Course Blueprint courses are courses, managed as a 04:00: template and may contain locked objects, managed by a canvas admin course 04:04: designer or other instructor. The course details tab. 04:08: In course, settings will tell you, if your course is a blueprint course, Most 04:12: commonly your course, will not be a blueprint course and you can only manage unlocked 04:16: content in your course. If your course is a blue, print course you 04:20: can lock and sink course content to Associated courses. 04:25: To view the assignments index page as a student. 04:27: Click the view as student button. 04:31: This guide covered how to use the assignments index page.

How Do I Use the Assignments Index Page? from Instructure Canvas Community.

FROM ASSIGNMENT COURSE NAV MENU

• Access Assignments within the course menu at the left.
• Under the assignments, click on the ‘+ Assignment’ button on the top right.
• Type in the Assignment name, select a Due Date if applicable, and provide a total points possible 

• Choose a Submission Type from the dropdown box. This is how you want to receive the student work - online, on paper, etc.

• Click Save & Publish if you’d like your students to see the assignment. 

Note:  Extra credit assignments should have 0 points possible to give extra points.

FROM MODULE

• Click the plus button to the right of the module name. 
• Default is assignment, notice in the dropdown many other graded activities to choose from. 
• Click on "New Assignment" 
• Give it a name. 
• Click "Add Item" 
• It is added to the module unpublished with no content. Click on the name of the assignment then EDIT at the top right to add details to the assignment. Publish it to add grades and have students see.
  
• REMINDER: Module must be published for students to see any content contained inside it. 

Quizzes in Canvas

CREATE A QUIZ IN CANVAS
Access the quiz navigation menu to begin to add a new quiz. Fill out the instructions, give it a name, then use the tab on the right to add questions. You can also do this using modules and edit the quiz. 

IMPORT PAPER/WORD DOC QUIZZES TO CANVAS
Canvas and Respondus Exam Authoring tool work very well together to allow instructors to take their paper/word document exams, quizzes, and other learning activities and import them to a version that allows students to complete it online. When using multiple choice, matching, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions, it becomes a self-graded activity. So up front, like creating any multiple choice exam, it is labor intensive but the long term rewards are plentiful. 

​Software needed: Respondus 4.0 - please see the install Respondus 4.0 at Home (secure document for MCCCD employees only)

OUTLINE OF PROCESS AND REMINDERS
1. Install software. 
2. Format your test document for proper import using these instructions: Formatting Questions for Respondus  (if you are using a multiple choice test, formatting it is simply putting an asterisk next to the correct answer for each question and getting rid of any headers or titles on the document - save a simple version for import). 
3. ​Close your test document completely, open Respondus 4.0 and follow the instructions: Importing Questions into Canvas. 
​4. Go into your Quiz, now in Canvas under the navigation Quizzes and in Assignments, click on the title and then edit it to set dates, make a time limit, etc. See the 

CANVAS GUIDES
Assignments Guides
What assignment types can I create in a course?

Notes on using Respondus for converting your paper assessments into Canvas quizzes: 
You are transforming your paper exam into a document readable by a computer software program so that you will have a usable version in Canvas. Even when you are marking answers correct or using the term = definition with matching, keep in mind this is simply for Canvas to read. Also, I hear many people worried about their exams being online - there are ways to set up your quiz so that it is not likely for students to be able to copy your content. 

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6. Publish Items and the Course

CANVAS GUIDES

How do I publish a course?

Please see the Canvas Guides listed and check out the Canvas Community: community.canvaslms.com

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7. Verify Settings for notifications

EDITING PROFILE & ACCOUNT SETTINGS
Within Canvas you have the option of customizing your Settings by adding a Display Name, adding a profile Image, and/or changing your Timezone.  

• Within Canvas, click on the Account link at the top left and then click on the Settings button.

• Click on the icon to the left of your name to add a Profile Image (this can be a picture of yourself or any picture that you would like to represent you - i.e. a butterfly, a happy face, etc.).
• Click on the Edit Settings button on the right to modify your ‘Display Name’ (what students see your name as) or to change your Timezone.
• Click on Update Settings to save your changes.
• By default your [email protected] email should be populated under Ways to Contact. CGC also assigns employees an email that is [email protected]. It’s important to add both email addresses in Ways to Contact so that you don’t have any issues with emails not going through in the future. 
• Choose your preferred method under the Ways to Contact section by clicking the star next to the email you’d like to get messages to (this should be your [email protected] email so that when you reply it is from the school email). In the next section, you’ll ensure that your notifications are going to your preferred email. 

Note: Maricopa Community Colleges require that faculty use a district email address for all communications with students.

What are User Settings? from Instructure Canvas Community.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR NOTIFICATIONS
Your Notifications in Canvas is what tells the system WHAT information you wish to be sent outside of Canvas, HOW OFTEN, and WHERE it is sent.  Check your Notifications the first time you access Canvas so that you can customize the messages you may be receiving from Canvas.

• Within Canvas, click on the Account link at the top left.
• Access the Notifications to the right. Review and customize each.  

Note: The recommended instructor settings would be to receive the ‘Conversations’ messages ASAP to your preferred contact method.  Students can always send you messages via the ‘Inbox/Conversations’ tool in Canvas so it is important for you to view these or have them forwarded to your preferred contact method.

00:07: How do I manage my canvas notification settings? 00:11: In Global Navigation, click the Account link, then click the Notifications link. 00:17: On the notification settings page you can manage how you receive notifications 00:21: for your canvas account and or manage how you receive notifications for individual courses. 00:27: A banner describes the settings you are managing another Banner indicates the 00:31: times when daily and weekly notifications will be delivered. 00:35: To dismiss a banner message. Click the close icon. 00:39: By default the settings for drop-down menu displays the account option. 00:43: Account level notification settings apply to all of your canvas courses. 00:47: However, any course specific notification settings override 00:51: account notification settings. 00:55: You can view your current account level settings. 00:58: Account level notification types are listed by category. 01:01: There are notifications for course activities discussions conversations 01:05: groups scheduling and conferences. 01:10: You can also view your contact methods such as email addresses and push notifications 01:14: for mobile devices. 01:17: Each notification has a default delivery frequency setting to view the 01:21: current notification delivery frequency for a notification type and contact 01:25: method hover over the notification icon. 01:29: To view details for a notification hover the cursor over the notification 01:33: name. View details such as the activities that trigger the notification. 01:38: Each notification is set to a default setting to change a notification for 01:42: a contact method locate the notification and click the icon for 01:46: the contact method. 01:49: To receive a notification right away select the notify immediately option. 01:54: These notifications may be delayed by up to 1 hour in case an instructor makes 01:58: additional changes which prevents you from being spammed by multiple notifications 02:02: in a short amount of time. 02:05: To receive a daily notification select the daily summary option the 02:09: date and time of your daily notifications are posted in a banner at the top of the notification 02:13: settings page. 02:16: To receive a weekly notification select the weekly summary option the 02:20: date and time of your weekly notifications are posted in a banner at the top of the notification 02:24: settings page. 02:27: If you do not want to receive a notification select the notifications off 02:31: option. 02:33: Unsupported notification types display the unsupported icon. 02:36: You cannot manage unsupported notifications. 02:41: If you have enabled push notifications in the canvas student mobile app on an Android 02:45: device or on an iOS device. You can manage your settings in the push notification 02:49: column. Push notifications can only be sent to your mobile 02:53: device right away or not at all. Daily and weekly notification 02:58: options are not supported. Some categories include limited 03:02: availability for push notifications for full details about supported 03:06: notifications for push notifications refer to the canvas notifications 03:10: resource document. 03:13: If your institution uses a third-party messaging application called slack and 03:17: has enabled slack as a contact method you can add slack as a contact 03:21: method and receive direct message notifications from canvas and Slack. 03:26: Slack notifications may vary depending on your slack notification settings. 03:32: This guide covered how to manage my canvas notification settings.

How Do I Manage My Notification Settings? from Instructure Canvas Community.

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8. Communicating with Students

There are a few ways in Canvas to communicate with students. One is via announcements inside your course that are accessible via the Canvas navigation menu or the Canvas Inbox, Conversations.  Please see the Canvas Guides listed and check out the Canvas Community: community.canvaslms.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS IN CANVAS COURSE

INBOX MESSAGING TOOL 

Announcements are seen by all students in a section of your course. They are accessed via the course navigation menu inside your course, or you can add them to your Canvas Course Home Page. Watch the video about announcements and see the Canvas guide: How do I show recent announcements in the Course Home Page? 
Canvas Instructor Guides: ​Announcement Guide

00:07: How do I use the announcements index page? 00:12: In course, navigation, click the announcements link 00:16: The announcements index page is designed with global settings at the top of the page, 00:20: followed by the individual announcements. 00:24: To filter the announcement list to view all or only unread announcements, click 00:28: the drop-down menu. 00:31: To search for an announcement by words. In its title enter words phrases 00:35: or partial words in the search field. 00:39: To add a new announcement, click the add announcement button. 00:46: To mark all announcements as being read. Click the mark wall is read button. 00:51: To view external feeds for announcements click the external feeds link. 00:55: You can add an external feed or subscribe to the announcements RSS feed. 01:01: Announcements are listed in Reverse chronological order with the newest appearing first 01:05: and the older announcements appearing towards the bottom. 01:10: Each announcement includes the title of the announcement, the profile picture of 01:14: the user who posted the announcement 01:17: An unread indicator near unread announcements. 01:21: The announcement post date is listed for announcements. 01:25: Additionally, the number of unread, total replies in the announcement and 01:29: an options icon to manage individual announcement settings. 01:32: Displays 01:34: To apply a bulk action such as locking or deleting click the checkbox 01:38: next to the announcements. To close all selected announcements 01:42: to comments. Click the lock button. To delete all selected announcements. 01:47: Click the delete button. 01:50: To view an announcement, click the name of the announcement. 01:54: To open individual, announcement settings. 01:56: Click the options, icon to delete an announcement. 01:59: Click the delete link. If your course allows comments, you can 02:03: also allow or disallow comments. 02:07: To view the announcements index page. As a student. 02:09: Click the view as student button. 02:13: This guide covered how to use the announcements index page.

How Do I Use the Announcements Index Page? from Instructure Canvas Community.

The Inbox is Canvas's email tool. You can choose to communicate to all students in a course, a group of students, or individual students via a message that they can then respond to. When you have notifications set up, you will receive an email with the message in your school email account that you can respond to directly from your Google account (accounts.maricopa.edu). 
Canvas Instructor Guides: Inbox 

00:07: What is the inbox? 00:09: Use the inbox to. Send a message to someone in your course 00:13: or group. Send a message to yourself, which displays in your scent 00:17: folder reply to messages from others. 00:20: In your course, filter conversations by course or type view 00:24: and reply to assignment submission comments. 00:28: This guide covered the inbox feature and went to use it.

What is the Canvas Inbox? from Instructure Canvas Community.

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