Canvas access, summer/fall courses, and workshop registration

The following message was emailed to current course instructors on 02/24/2023

Dear Colleague,

We’re approaching several milestones in the transition from ReggieNet to our new learning management system, Canvas. We wanted to share some important dates.

Access, course shells, and much more! (week of March 6)

Much of the behind-the-scenes work on Canvas takes center stage the week of March 6. That’s when all current instructors can expect:

Full access to Canvas through Canvas.IllinoisState.edu
Course shells in Canvas for Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 courses
Migrated courses, if they had been requested before February 13
The opportunity to request a course shell if you expect to teach in the fall but are not yet officially assigned to a course

The goal is to give instructors a chance to discover, explore, and begin to work with Canvas in time for spring break. Look for another email around March 6, once these resources are officially available.

In addition, summer instructors will have the choice to teach in either ReggieNet or Canvas. Those scheduled to teach this summer will receive an email with more information by Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Self-paced learning (begins March 6)

Starting March 6, all instructors will gain access to a self-paced course called “Canvas Fundamentals for Faculty.” This asynchronous, online experience will allow faculty to learn all about Canvas while experiencing it as a student. Look for instructions on how to enroll in the course in a future email.

Online workshops (begin March 20)

Registration is now open for workshops facilitated by the Center for Integrated Professional Development. These 90-minutes sessions will be held using Zoom, beginning March 20. Each will showcase specific tools or approaches to teaching with Canvas and highlight the differences between Canvas and ReggieNet. Workshops include:

ReggieNet Data Backup
Canvas: Getting Started
Canvas: Content Creation
Canvas: Communication Tools
Canvas: Modules
Canvas: Assignments
Canvas: Quizzes
Canvas: Grading and Feedback

Seating is limited, and registration is required through the Center’s website at ProDev.IllinoisState.edu. Workshops are currently scheduled to run in March and April. Additional dates and times will be announced for summer.

Canvas Kick-Off (March 21)

The Canvas Kick-Off will be on Tuesday, March 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. in Brown Ballroom I, at the Bone Student Center. This is an open-house-style event— stop by anytime and stay for as long as you want. Q&A sessions with the Canvas project team will occur at 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. In addition, instructors currently piloting Canvas will be on hand to show off their courses and answer questions. Snacks and swag will also be available. No registration is necessary.

More to come

Work continues on several other aspects of the ReggieNet-to-Canvas transition. As decisions are finalized, expect more updates on several topics, including:

Additional opportunities for instructors to request the migration of old courses from ReggieNet to Canvas, including courses from before the spring of 2021
Options for transferring special project sites or ongoing course sites into Canvas or some other platform
Information about course combinations (i.e., combining two or more sections into one Canvas site)

Need Help?

If you have any questions about the transition to or teaching with Canvas, please email the Center for Integrated Professional Development at ProDev@ilstu.edu. Our support staff is available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.