Canvas

The CSUN Canvas Template is a framework of best practices to help you set up your Canvas course. This resource for CSUN Faculty was developed by Academic Technology, Faculty Development and Faculty Fellows, and was created with the CSU’s Quality Learning and Teaching Standards, equity-minded teaching, and universal design and accessibility principles in mind.

How to find the CSUN Canvas Template in the Canvas Commons

If you have not downloaded and imported content from the Canvas Commons, visit the "How do I import and view a commons resource" page in the Canvas Community, or watch the "Commons Overview" video.

First, log into Canvas and select the Commons icon in the main navigation menu.

Once in the Commons, you can browse the contents of the CSUN Canvas Template by clicking on the blue CSUN Canvas Template (BETA) link.

In the Preview setting you can browse the Best Practices Module with tips on how to use the template for your course. You can also view a sample Welcome module 0, samples for homepages, and frameworks for assignments, discussions, and quizzes.

New Canvas Users or New Faculty

If you are a new to Canvas, Import/Download the entire Canvas shell to one of your Canvas courses by clicking on the blue Import/Download button.

Select the course Canvas shell from the pop-up list of your courses where you would like to use the template. Keep in mind this Import/Download will override any changes you have already made in your course Canvas Shell.

Now you can use the CSUN Canvas Template as a framework for your course and add your own customized content. Duplicate as many of the sample modules needed for the semester.

You may also want to attend one of Academic Technology's Canvas workshops which you can find on our Workshop Calendar here.

Advanced Canvas Users or Continuing Faculty

If you are an advanced Canvas user or continuing faculty, you probably have well established courses you have been teaching for a few semesters. In this case, we recommend using selected pages of the CSUN Canvas Template. There are two options recommended.

Option 1 - Use a Canvas Sandbox

If you don’t have a Canvas Sandbox, you can request one from the Faculty Technology Center by sending an email to ftc@csun.edu. Once the sandbox course has been created:

1. Import the Existing Content
2. Select - Copy a Canvas Course
3. Select – All content 
4. Import the previous course content
5. Import Existing Content from your Canvas Sandbox
6. Instead of importing All Content from your Canvas Template Sandbox course select Specific Content. For more information, visit the How do I select specific content as part of a course import? page in the Canvas Community.

Option 2 - Alternatives to using a Canvas Sandbox

1. Import/Download the CSUN Course Template from Commons
2. Import Existing Content from your previous course
3. Instead of importing All Content from your previous course, select Select Specific Content. For more information, visit the How do I select specific content as part of a course import? page in the Canvas Community.

By selecting only, the specific content this will allow you import your existing your course content.

For more information or if you have any questions, contact the Faculty Technology Center at ftc@csun.edu.

Visit Canvas Ally at the Universal Design Center

View The Postcard Here

Did you ever wish that Canvas had a user's manual? It does! Canvas Guides are the official technical documentation for using the learning management system. You will find explanations and step-by-step instructions for each Canvas feature.

Separate guides are available for instructors and students

Instructor  Student

Additional Canvas Guides

• Canvas Basics Guide (Getting Started and General Information)
• Using the Canvas Mobile App (for Students)
• Using the Canvas Teacher App (for Instructors)
• Course Observer Guide
• Video Guide (Tutorials for Canvas)
• Canvas Certificates (new feature for Canvas)
• Tips and Tricks to Streamline Canvas grading (self-paced online training)

For more information or support with Canvas, visit or contact the Faculty Technology Center.

Visit Canvas Insights

Faculty looking for immediate help setting up online quizzes in Canvas have these options:

• Call or email the Faculty Technology Center (FTC) at (818) 677-3443 or ftc@csun.edu. 
• Attend a Canvas Essentials or Studio Workshop.
• Access the Canvas Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Canvas Quiz Resources

For a quick tour of the Canvas Quiz tool, watch this video for an overview of the tool. Below is a curated list Canvas Guides to help you get started with creating an online exam in Canvas.

• To build your quiz from the beginning, visit the Canvas Guide on How do I create a quiz with individual questions.
• To create question banks in Canvas, visit the Canvas Guide on How do I create a question bank in a course?
• To randomize your quiz questions, visit the Canvas Guide on How to create a quiz using a question group to randomize questions?
• To learn about Quiz settings, visit the Canvas Guide on What options can I set in a quiz?
• To learn how to use common Canvas Quiz question types, visit the Canvas Guides on Multiple Choice, True/False, Fill-in-the-Blank, and Essay quiz questions.
• To learn how to set a Canvas Quiz to show one question at a time, visit the Canvas guide on How can I create a quiz where students only see one question at a time?
• To learn how to provide accommodations on a Canvas Quiz for students, visit the Canvas Guides on Extra Attempts on a Published Quiz and Providing Extra Time.

For more Canvas guides about quizzing, visit the Canvas Instructor Guides.

Recommendations for Students Taking an Online Exam in Canvas

Below is a list of recommendations to provide to your students for taking an online exam in Canvas.

• Find a quiet area to take the Canvas Quiz with minimal distractions.
• Make sure electronic devices (laptop recommended) are charged or you are seated near a wall outlet.
• Take the Canvas Quiz in a place with a strong Wi-Fi connection.
• Do NOT use the Canvas Student App for online exams. Instead, use an Internet browser (Google Chrome is recommended).

Visit the Student Canvas Guide on How to take a quiz in Canvas for instructions on how to take online quizzes in Canvas.

Online Testing Strategies to Promote Academic Honesty

When you give students quizzes online on Canvas, there is no way to ensure that they will not copy, print or take photos of the exam. However, there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk of academic dishonesty. Visit the Online Testing Strategies to Promote Academic Honesty webpage.

Canvas is CSUN's learning management system. This page provides tips and answers to faculty's frequently asked questions about Canvas, where to get training and support, etc. Access Canvas at http://canvas.csun.edu using your CSUN user ID and password.

Canvas Tips from Professor Virginia Huynh

Join Dr. Huynh as she shares tips for Canvas users. View the full playlist of videos below or choose a particular video from the playlist on YouTube. If you have a Canvas tip to share or have a suggestion for a video, please email ftc@csun.edu.

FAQs

Where can I get in-person Canvas training and support?

• Visit the Faculty Technology Center for walk-in support in University Library Room 33 for assistance with Canvas and other supported instructional technologies, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding campus holidays.
• Make an appointment for additional help, or request specialized training for your department or large group by contacting the Faculty Technology Center.
• Schedule a meeting with a technologist through the Academic Technology Bookings page. 

Where can I find support materials online, on my own?

Take CSUN’s online, self-paced Canvas A-Z course. The goal of this course is introduce you to need-to-know tools and features of Canvas so you are equipped to teach using the Canvas learning management system. 

Also, Canvas provides extensive user support resources including video tutorials, how-to guides and documentation, and instructor training courses. Canvas hosts a number of Community Forums for reviewing answers to previously asked questions, posting new questions, and voting up enhancement requests.

Here are some recommended resources:

• Canvas Instructor Overview Video - Video (6m 23s)
• Getting Started (Instructor Guide) - Web documentation
• Canvas A-Z course - Online, self-paced course in Canvas
• CSUN's Teaching with Canvas: Grading and Analytics for Student Success Workshop - Online, self-paced course in Canvas
• eLearning Essentials - Comprehensive resources for teaching with technology in Canvas

Where can I find out about recent Canvas updates?

Canvas regularly updates the learning platform to improve the overall user experience. Read more about recent Canvas upgrades.

How can I request new features that aren't currently available in Canvas?

If you have ideas or requests for new features, visit the Canvas Ideas and Themes page where you can submit and vote on ideas.

We have recently upgraded Canvas with New Integrations for Microsoft Office 365 and Google Drive. These integrations will allow faculty to add files stored in their Office 365 OneDrive or Google Drive into Canvas. Items from both can be placed directly into Modules, Content Pages or anywhere the Rich Content Editor is available. Additionally, faculty can now create collaborative Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files and share with the rest of the class using Canvas’ Collaborate function.

Students will also be able to directly submit documents stored in either MS OneDrive or Google Drive without having to download or save documents as different files. To accept these types of submissions faculty just need to configure assignments to accept “Online” submission type with the “File Upload” option enabled. *once submitted students will not be able to edit the submission, so no need to worry about students editing submissions past their due date.

For more information please review: Google Drive Integration or Microsoft Office 365 Integration

On January 2nd 2020, the existing Canvas Gradebook was replaced with the New Gradebook. This New Gradebook improves foundational items for Canvas grading and includes enhanced functionality for organization, flexibility, and communication. 

To learn more about the new features, you can:

• Attend a "Tips and Tricks to Streamline Canvas Grading" workshop (covers the new major features)
• Access a self-paced online version of the "Tips and Tricks to Streamline Canvas Grading" workshop (covers the new major features)
• Visit the New Gradebook Guide
• Review the Functionality Comparison: Current vs. New Canvas Gradebook
• Watch a short video showcasing the New Gradebook

The Canvas course menu will receive a visual upgrade to improve navigation:

• Active link is displayed in blank and includes a vertical line
• Hidden items or items without content display the hidden visibility icon (this icon resembles a crossed out eye)

To learn more about the new Canvas menu visuals, visit the Canvas Release Notes.

Canvas Certificates is a tool that enables you to provide certificates for your students in order to recognize the completion of their work. This may be used, for example, to provide proof of meeting certain course prerequisites such as completing lab work.

Canvas Certificates is added as part of a module, allowing you to set up prerequisites and automate when the certificate is made available to a student. The prerequisites work exactly the same as regular Canvas module prerequisites.

Find more information on how to use Canvas Certificates on the Canvas Certificates help page.

Turnitin recently released a new Canvas integration, the Plagiarism Framework tool, which streamlines the process of creating Turnitin assignments within Canvas. With the Plagiarism Framework tool, Turnitin features are configured within Canvas Assignment settings. The new integration also works with Canvas Peer Review. Instructors can use the Canvas Speedgrader to grade these Turnitin assignments.

To learn how to create a Turnitin assignment within Canvas using the Plagiarism Framework tool, visit the Turnitin Guide on Creating a Canvas Plagiarism Framework assignment.

To compare the features offered by the Plagiarism Framework tool with Turnitin’s previous External Tool, view the Turnitin Canvas integration matrix to learn more about what each tool offers.

Entire modules can be duplicated within a course. The duplication option is located in the Settings menu for every supported module item. When a module is copied, the word "Copy" is added to the end of the module name and its items (e.g., Pages, Assignments, etc.). A copied module is placed directly below the original module. While the module is being copied, a loading indicator shows the copy is in progress.

Duplicating a module sets the new module to an unpublished status by default.

Notes: Modules with items that include Quizzes and External Tool integrations (e.g., Turnitin, Studymate) cannot be duplicated at this time. If you are using MasteryPaths in your course, duplicating a MasteryPath module will only copy the content but not retain the MasteryPath. 

The Course Home Page includes a Student View button. This change allows instructors to access student view without having to open Course Settings.

Rubrics can be created without point values to create a non-scoring rubric. This feature promotes learning engagement by helping students focus on assignment feedback instead of point values.

When non-scoring rubrics is enabled, instructors can select the "Remove points from this rubric checkbox" in the rubric details. Selecting this checkbox removes points from rubrics and instructors can no longer see the "Use this rubric for assignment grading" and "Hide score total for assessment results" checkboxes.

When grading an assignment with a non-scoring rubric in SpeedGrader, instructors select ratings from the rubric for students to view, but points are not associated with each of the ratings.

Canvas has all the features of a modern learning management system including the ability to accept and grade assignments, conduct discussions in forums, administer quizzes and exams, store and organize course resources, communicate with students, etc. Canvas has multiple grading tools including rubrics, audio/video feedback and a dedicated grading app. Students can access course materials, view course calendars, to do lists and set their own preferences to receive notifications on their mobile devices.

Yes, there are a variety mobile apps that can be used with Canvas, but the two primary ones are the Canvas Student app and the Canvas Teacher app for instructors. These apps are available on Android devices and on iPhones and iPads running iOS 10 or newer. After downloading the app, enter CSUN's Canvas URL to access the mobile app. The URL is canvas.csun.edu. See the Canvas mobile guides for more information.

Canvas supports many external tools including Turnitin and Respondus so faculty will be able to continue to use these applications in their courses. In addition, there are other external apps available within Canvas such as the ability to directly embed YouTube, Wikipedia, Educreations, Khan Academy, etc.

Canvas is accessible with any Web-standard browser, including the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Respondus Lockdown Browser. See this Canvas guide on supported browsers for more information about operating system, browser and device requirements.

The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, is a tool used to evaluate Canvas' conformance with Section 508 accessibility standards. View the Canvas Voluntary Product Accessibility Template and guide on Accessibility within Canvas for information on screen readers, browsers, keyboard shortcuts, and accessibility within specific Canvas features.

Canvas provides extensive user support resources including video tutorials, how-to guides and documentation, and instructor training courses. Canvas hosts a number of Community Forums for reviewing answers to previously asked questions, posting new questions, and voting up enhancement requests.

Here are some recommended resources:

• Canvas Instructor Overview Video - Video (6m 23s)
• Getting Started (Instructor Guides) - Web documentation for instructors
• Canvas Student Guide - Web documentation for students
• CSUN's Teaching with Canvas Workshop (Course) - Online, self-paced course in Canvas

You can also sign up for CSUN's face-to-face introductory workshop for faculty, Canvas Basics, on the IT Workshop Calendar.