Canvas: Support for students, workshops for instructors
The following message was emailed to instructors and staff on 08/18/2023
Dear Instructor,
After nearly two years of work, Canvas is now Illinois State University’s officially supported learning management system. As you put the finishing touches on your courses this weekend, we wanted to pass along a few important notes:
Students and Canvas
Ease of use and easily findable help resources are just two of the reasons why Illinois State adopted Canvas as the replacement for ReggieNet. We expect a minimal learning curve for most students. In fact, nearly half of the students in the spring Canvas pilot had used Canvas before, and 75% of them reported that they found it easy or somewhat easy to use.
Outreach
Students will receive a mass email next week pointing them to support for Canvas. In addition, volunteers from Technology Solutions are engaging with students at in-person events scheduled over the next few weeks. More types of announcements, through social media and Canvas itself, will also be directed towards students.
Help resources for students
Please refer your students to the student Canvas home in the Help Center . Students should start with the ISU overview video.
Canvas is also covered in the Intro to Technology orientation course , many knowledge articles created by Illinois State, and knowledge articles and videos available from Canvas.
Two optional training modules are available in the Illinois State University Canvas Commons for you to add to your courses – one trains students on navigating Canvas and the other on Canvas Studio .
Most importantly, the Technology Support Center is available by phone, chat, email, webform, and in person for questions about Canvas and all things ISU technology.
Workshops and open office hours for instructors
The Center for Integrated Professional Development will offer workshops (registration required) and walk-in office hours to assist instructors with Canvas-related questions during the first two weeks of classes. For workshops, select a date/time to register through the My.IllinoisState portal.
Quick Start for Canvas
New to teaching in Canvas? Still working on building out your Canvas site and need a quick crash course as the semester begins? This workshop packs a lot in just 90 minutes: Learn how to get started with the most important settings and tools, create basic course content using Pages and Modules, communicate with students using Announcements and Inbox, create Assignments, and navigate the Gradebook. The Quick Start for Canvas workshop is a fast-paced combination of several of our most popular workshops all in one. Registration required.
Tuesday, August 22 • 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, August 23 • 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, August 30 • 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday, August 31• 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Location:
Williams 325
Tuesday, August 22 • 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, August 23 • 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, August 30 • 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Thursday, August 31 • 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location:
Online
Canvas Open Office Hours
Members of our Canvas support team will be on hand to answer specific questions about setting up your course. Join us in-person at one of the times below. Bring your laptop if you have it. No registration necessary.
Thursday, August 17 • 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Tuesday, August 22 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, August 23 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, August 30 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Thursday, August 31 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Location:
Williams 325
If you need an accommodation to fully participate in an event, please email ProDev@ilstu.edu.
Get Help
Extensive teaching support is available on the Center for Integrated Professional Development’s Canvas Instructional Support pages.
The Center’s support team is available to assist instructors and staff Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at ProDev@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-2542.
Instructors should send their students to the Technology Support Center for assistance using Canvas. The TSC can assist all users on campus with basic technology concerns, like logging into Canvas or installing mobile apps.