Two Canvas updates coming Saturday

Hello,

 

There are a couple of new features that Canvas will unveil Saturday that I thought I’d share. The first is a word count located within the Speedgrader. When you create an assignment with the Submission Type Online selected and Text Entry enabled, you can now get a count of how many words the students wrote. As far as I know, this won’t work with Word documents or any other types of file uploads.

 

 

 

In the Assignment Details page for students, the Show Rubric and View Feedback links indicate when new comments have been added as an annotation or in a rubric. This allows students to see when you have added new comments to a submission. If you want a notification that students added comments to your feedback, make sure you turn on Submission Comment in Account – Notifications.

 

 

 

Scott

 

 

New updates in Canvas Assignments tool

LPC faculty,

 

This is a heads-up that on Oct. 27, Canvas will make the following improvements to the Assignments tool (copied directly from the Canvas web site):

 

• Path from student grades page

Previously, when a student clicked on an assignment name from the student grades page, they were still directed to the old assignment feedback view. Students are now directed to the updated, enhanced view. 

• Webcam button icon change

Our webcam button had the image of an adorable panda photographer. While this was a fun image, it was inconsistent with other button images and may have drawn student attention to the option more than intended. This image has been updated to a camera icon, which is much more consistent with the other button images. 

• Restrict file upload types update

When file types are restricted for file upload assignments, if image file extensions (e.g. PNG, JPEG) are not accepted, the webcam button will not display as an option. 

• Files button terminology update

When file upload is selected as the submission type, students are presented with various locations from which to upload. The files button has been renamed to Canvas Files to clearly indicate where the student will upload files from when selected. 

• External Tool (LTI) support

External tool (LTI) submissions are better supported in Assignment Enhancements. Additionally, the placement of the External Tool buttons have been adjusted. Instead of displaying within the File Uploads option, installed tools for a course display as buttons next to all other submission types. If an assignment includes multiple tools, the External Tool options may be accessed via the More button, which we have reintroduced with this deploy to eliminate the confusion and clutter associated with many tools being available for student use.

In addition, the assignment page displays the type of file that is returned by the External Tool. For instance, if the tool returns a file, the file will be added to the draft assignment’s list of uploaded files. However, if the tool returns a link, the assignment displays a preview of the linked content. All returned files from an External Tool are retained as an assignment draft until the assignment is submitted or the attempt is canceled.

 

Regular and substantive interaction reminder

Online and hybrid instructors,

In an effort to ensure that the state- and federally mandated regular and substantive regulations are being met in online and hybrid courses, the LPC Distance Education Committee has asked me to send a Mid-Semester Interaction Checklist to you as a reference. These mandates include instructor-initiated interaction with students and, where applicable, student-to-student interaction.

Links to more information are included at the bottom of the checklist.

If you have any questions, let me know.
Scott

 

Canvas conference Oct. 7

Hello,

 

If you’re interested in learning more about Canvas, Instructure, which is the parent company of Canvas, will hold its annual conference called InstructureCon on October 7. It is online and free. To learn more about the conference and/or to register, see the InstructureCon page.

 

Scott

Canvas maintenance Thursday a.m.

Canvas will be performing maintenance on our system during a window of 1:05 a.m. until 3:05 a.m. Thursday. It said the system will only be down for one minute during that time. That might not sound like a long time, but if a student is in the middle of a quiz or exam, problems will most likely ensue. Anyway, an announcement will be posted in Canvas tomorrow.

 

Scott

New Canvas feature: webcam submission

Hello,

 

If you haven’t already noticed, Canvas has enabled the webcam submission feature in Canvas. This works in Assignments and is triggered when you choose the Online Entry Option called File Uploads. Students see a Webcam button, in addition to Files. They simply click Webcam to take a picture of an object (say, a Math solution on a piece of paper) and submit it. This alleviates the step of students taking a picture with their phones before uploading. Click this Canvas Community page to view a video of the process.

 

Scott

 

 

Interaction in hybrid courses

For those of you teaching hybrid courses this fall:

Please remember that, as per Title 5 regulations, all hybrid courses must include regular, effective contact with, and among, students in the online portion of your class. Obviously, you can meet this requirement by using collaborative tools within Canvas. If you need ideas of how to do this, or if you need any other information about hybrids, please read the Hybrid Courses @ LPC web page.

Scott

 

Final Fall Canvas reminders

With Fall classes starting Wednesday…

 

Attached is a checklist (with corresponding links) to help your classes get off to a good start. And here is some information/reminders to help, too:

 

1. View Canvas faculty notes and tips.
   
   
1. On June 1, Canvas added the ability to allow students to annotate documents you post in an assignment. When you choose Student Annotation for Submission Type, you can upload a document and have students type directly into it before submitting it. They see similar tools that are available to you when giving feedback on uploaded submissions in the Speedgrader. Canvas is still working on a feature called Webcam Submission. With this feature, you will be able to choose File Uploads for Submission Type, then Canvas will add a Webcam Submission button that allows students to take a picture of an object (say, a Math solution) with a webcam and submit it. I'll let everyone know when this is available.
2. In June, Canvas introduced a feature in the SpeedGrader called Comment Library. The feature gives you the option to save frequently used comments and reuse them across multiple students and assignments. Obviously, it saves you from typing the same comments over and over again if your students are making the same mistake (or if you want to give the same praise).

                                          i.    View a video on how this works.

                                         ii.    View more information on Comment Library​.

3. When you add a Canvas Studio video to the Rich Content Editor, the tab that lists Details, Comments, Insights, and Captions is disabled by default. For you and students to see it, you will need to enable it. Read more.
4. For the fall semester, Canvas is offering faculty free one-on-one help for a 25-minute session in a program it calls Panda Pros. Operating 7 days a week, Panda Pros sessions will provide instructional design coaching, course construction guidance, quick course reviews, and answer "how to" questions with Canvas and Studio. Get more information, and/or schedule a session at the Panda Pros page.
5. You are now able to view all new Canvas features and tools by going to the global navigation menu and clicking Help.
6. Feature Options in Settings is now called Feature Previews.
7. Support web pages have been added for new tools Pope Tech and Pronto.

2. Publish your courses by the beginning of the day your class starts so students can access them. To publish your course, go to the course home page, and click Publish.
   
   
3. If you are teaching a DE class, contact your students prior to the start of the semester, and encourage them to self-enroll into the Quest for Online Success Course in Canvas. This is a readiness course that prepares students to succeed online. Learn more about Quest. I notified DE students by email, and many have already self-enrolled. A reminder from you would be good, especially since students who added late did not receive the email notification. Here are instructions you can copy and paste for your students:
   
   

1. Go to https://clpccd.instructure.com/enroll/KDENL6. If necessary, copy and paste the URL (without the period at the end) into your browser.
2. Log into Canvas with your W number. Your password is the first 2 letters of your first name, followed by the first 2 letters of your last name (all lowercase), followed by the last four digits of your W number. If you have already logged into Canvas and changed your password, use that password.
3. Click the button "Enroll in Course".
4. Click the button "Go to the Course".
5. Complete the modules.

If you not utilizing the Model Course Template and want to add Quest to the course navigation menu in your class, you will need to install the Redirect app (Settings – Apps – type "redirect" (without the quotes) in the text box. This app allows you to add the above web address as a link and rename the app.

4. If you are teaching a DE class and want to see how your course measures up to the quality standards set by the Online Education Initiative, you can compare it to the OEI Course Design Rubric. The LPC Academic Senate has endorsed the rubric as the standards to strive for in DE classes. View the Senate's resolution. Examples that meet the rubric's criteria can be found in the Online Course Design Resources course.
   
   
5. Make sure all of your content is accessible to students with disabilities. Everything you need to know about web accessibility, including "how-to" tutorials, is available in Module 5 of the OCDP course. If you don't have access to the OCDP, you can get that same info in the Web Accessibility Course in Canvas.
   
   
6. All online and hybrid courses must show evidence of an instructor's regular effective contact with students, as per Title 5 and accreditation requirements. Title 5 adds that regular effective contact must take place among students, too. For hybrids, both types of contact are required in the online portion of the class. Read Hybrids @ LPC. When contacting students by email, online and hybrid instructors should use the Canvas Inbox for all of your email correspondences with students. The Canvas Inbox will automatically save the emails. Read more about regular effective contact. Also, view the CVC-OEI's Student-Student Interaction Guide (contains concrete examples).
   
   
7. If you want to learn how to pronounce students' names, you can create a Page and turn it into a wiki by allowing students to edit so they can phonetically spell their names.
   
   
8. If you need to give students extra time or extra attempts on a quiz in Canvas, use the Moderate Quiz feature. Too many instructors are editing their quiz and adding a student's name under Assign To in the quiz settings while removing Everyone. The result is that only that one student's score goes into the Gradebook, while the rest do not. Learn how to moderate a quiz. Also, when giving a student extra time on an Assignment, you can add the student's name under Assign To in the Assignment settings, but do not remove Everyone.
   
   
9. If you want students to have access to your class before the first day of the semester, go into Settings, and for Participation, choose Course. Change the Start date, and click Update Course Details at the bottom.
   
   
10. The LPC DE Committee has developed recommendations, along with answers to frequently asked questions, that are intended to aid instructors—particularly new instructors—in determining how many students to add and when to add those students near the beginning of the semester. View the recommendations and FAQs.
    
    
11. The LPC Online Learning web site includes a link called Faculty Resources, which was created for you. It provides information and resources for instructors online learning at LPC. The section also includes the DE Handbook.
    
    
12. For financial aid and auditing purposes, you should record the last day of attendance for students who drop DE courses. This can be done easily in Canvas. In your course, go to the People page, click on the three dots on the right side for a student, and select User Details. This brings you to the student's Profile page. Simply enter the date in the box under Last Day Attended. If a student dropped prior to Census, you can't enter the student's LDA into Canvas because that student simply disappears from the course. The best you can do is note the date elsewhere after monitoring your class roster in CLASS-Web.
    
    The last day of attendance is not the last day a student logged into your course; it's the last day a student actively participated in class. Read Federal Title IV and Last Day of Attendance.
    
    Here is LPC's DE drop policy:
    
    The instructor may drop students who miss the first meeting of a course. The first meeting of online or hybrid Distance Education courses is the first day of the class as specified in the class schedule listing. For these courses, instructors may drop students who do not log into their Canvas course and/or complete indicated activities by the third day of classes. DE instructors may drop students if they have not submitted work and/or accessed the class for two consecutive weeks. For Summer courses, DE instructors may drop students if they have not submitted work and/or accessed the class for one week.
    
    
13. If you need (or want) a banner for the home page of your course, the attached file is a template to use. Just open it in PowerPoint, modify it, save it as a .PNG file, then upload it into Canvas.
    
    
14. If you use the 3C Media app in Canvas to get videos captioned, it might be easier to use Canvas Studio for that purpose...unless you have a student with a documented Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) who meets the priorities set forth in this State Chancellor's Office memo. If you have an AAP need that meets the requirements of the above memo, don't fill out the request form, but instead, email support@ccctechconnect.org. You will receive a response prompting you to supply the information needed to process your request. For this method, your video will first be auto-captioned, then any mistakes will be corrected by a human being.  If you complete the form within the app, your video will only be auto-captioned, and you will be responsible for correcting any mistakes. Learn how to edit your captions in 3C Media.
    
    
15. If you plan to use the online proctoring tool Proctorio, you need to understand how it works. View a faculty web page on Proctorio. You should put information about Proctorio into your welcome letter and syllabus. Here are links to an example welcome letter and an example syllabus. Both contain student language about Proctorio. Feel free to use it.
    
    
16. If you weight your grades and offer extra credit, do not set up an Assignment group called Extra Credit and give it a percentage of zero. Doing so will not calculate extra credit earned by students into their grade totals. Learn about extra credit options in Canvas.
    
    
17. If you let students use Canvas Studio for a discussion assignment and want to easily grade students in the Speedgrader, tell students to disable comments on their videos. This way, students are forced to reply by clicking Reply and typing a response. Then, in the Speedgrader, you will see all of a student's posts when you grade that student. If comments on videos are enabled, you will have to hunt for comments while grading. But perhaps that is OK for you.
    
    
18. You might want to export your gradebook on a consistent basis, such as every week. Every week might seem like overkill, but you never know what can happen, and nobody wants to jeopardize student grades. One note: When students switch sections in the middle of a semester, their grades and assignments do not automatically move to the new section. Exporting the gradebook from the students' old section helps mitigate this issue.
    
    
19. If you want to merge sections in Canvas and have not already done so, read the Merging Sections in Canvas page, and follow the instructions carefully. Read the other important info on that page, too.
    
    
20. Canvas offers a Training Services Portal that is available from the Help icon in the global navigation menu. Resources include live webinar trainings, recorded videos, and actual courses. Zoom also holds live training.
    
    
21. In every course, you will notice EvaluationKIT Course in the top box in Settings – Navigation. This allows the official faculty union student survey to be deployed to courses, so please do NOT disable it by clicking the three dots to its right or by dragging it to the lower box. Just ignore it. The link is not visible to your students unless you are being evaluated, and even then, it will only be visible for the duration of the evaluation. I wish the installation didn't put the link there, but nonetheless, thank you for your cooperation.
    
    
22. Every once in a while, we get a user or two who exceed the user or course quotas set for them and their courses in Canvas. In response, the DE Committee developed the Canvas Course Storage Guidelines.
    
    
23. Wanda Butterly, who works part-time, and I will provide faculty technical support. We're available online and on campus. Wanda will be on campus, in the TLC (Room 2410) from 9-3 Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I will be there from 8-5 Mondays and Thursdays. You can also use the self-service page in the Canvas Help menu to access 24x7 chat, email support, and the knowledge base. As mentioned in #1 above, you have the option to meet with a Panda Pro.

Good luck with your courses!

Scott

 

New Canvas accessibility tool

This morning we have installed a new web accessibility tool within Canvas that can help make your content accessible to students with disabilities. It is called Pope Tech, and its Accessibility Guide can be accessed at the bottom of every page that includes the Rich Content Editor.

 

 

Pope Tech allows you to run a report on a page, tells you if anything needs to be fix, then guides you in the remediation process. Keep in mind that Pope Tech does not check external content, such as Word documents, PDF's, PowerPoints, websites outside of Canvas, and videos. It is a free tool after all, generously funded by the CCC Accessibility Center.

 

For those of you who are available Aug. 12, we will offer a training via Zoom from 10-11 a.m. I’ll send a reminder email, along with the Zoom link Aug. 11. We will offer additional Pope Tech trainings as part of the TLC’s fall workshop series, days and times TBA. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the tool, visit the Pope Tech page on the Online Learning web site.

 

A heads-up on another new Canvas tool: On Monday, we plan to install Pronto, an all-in-one communications platform that allows students and instructors to interact with one another directly within a Canvas course or within its mobile app. Once it’s installed and working, I’ll let everyone know about Pronto training. View more info on Pronto.

 

Scott

FW: [EXTERNAL] Updates from the CVC: Welcome to the 2012-22 academic year!

I'm forwarding these professional development opportunities from the California Virtual Campus.

 

Scott

 

From: California Virtual Campus (CVC) <support@cvc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, August 5, 2021 7:30 AM
To: Scott Vigallon <SVigallon@laspositascollege.edu>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Updates from the CVC: Welcome to the 2012-22 academic year!

 

For a complete listing of all of the CVC's upcoming events and courses, visit events.cvc.edu. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S CORNER: WELCOME TO THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR! As summer wraps up and we all gear up for the fall 2021 term, thank you for all that you do individually and collectively as part of the work CVC-OEI does to support high quality online learning opportunities for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and for contributing to the shared and sometimes unseen impact we have on students and our colleges.  This year promises to once again to bring its own set of challenges and opportunities for the work that we do.  As we persevere and participate together in the rapid evolution of online learning, the need an opportunity for collaborative efforts like ours is higher than ever.  Thank you for the expertise and work ethic that as colleagues, you bring to the table every day to support our students.  In this month's newsletter, we are highlighting some exceptional professional development opportunities and resources in support of online teaching and learning, as well as sharing some additional updates.  In spring 2021 we conducted surveys and analyzed additional data to inform our professional development programming for the new 2021-22 year.  From our distinguished @ONE courses to our Fall into Humanizing event, webinars, or the new Panda Pros resource, I believe you will find helpful resources designed in response to the needs expressed in data we collected from college faculty and staff.  Thank you for continuing to partner with CVC, and here's to a bright and successful fall 2021!  Jory Hadsell, Executive Director      This fall, join the California Virtual Campus for a professional development series that will prepare you to design and teach more equitable online classes - Fall into Humanized Online Teaching: A Pathway to Equity. Increasing the inclusivity of online courses is an important part of improving student outcomes and closing equity gaps. Prior to COVID, more than 28 percent of total student headcount in the California Community College system was generated by online courses. Now online courses are part of every faculty member's teaching and every student's academic pathway. This series will help faculty create online courses they are proud of, foster trust, and challenge students to achieve their full potential.   Through a series of live events, the CVC's Michelle Pacansky-Brock will guide participants through the creation of eight research-based humanized online teaching elements to help prepare them to design and teach inclusive online classes that welcome all students, value diversity as an asset, and leverage human presence to cultivate identity safety in the online environment.   This series is designed with maximum flexibility, providing faculty with options to support their individualized goals. A la Carte Attendance - Free! Participants can register for and attend as many live sessions as they like for free. All session archives will be shared publicly on the CVC/@ONE website. Earn a Digital Badge - $150  Participants can register for and attend all sessions and create the eight humanizing elements for their online course. This option will involve self-enrolling in a supplemental course, completing assignments independently, and applying feedback from members of the CVC team.  Further information and registration details will soon be posted to onlinenetworkofeducators.org.     REGISTER NOW: SEVERAL AUGUST COURSES STILL HAVE AVAILABLE SEATS The CVC has several courses, offered through the Online Network of Educators, that begin this month. The following courses currently have open seats: Equity & Culturally Responsive Online Teaching (21SU-ECRTL-3), begins August 9 Creating Accessible Course Content (21SU-CACC-4), begins August 23 Humanizing Online Teaching & Learning (21SU-HUM-2), begins August 23 Assessment in Digital Learning (21SU-ADL-3), begins August 30 Introduction to Teaching with Canvas (21SU-CAN-3), begins August 30 To register, visit the Online Network of Educator's catalog. Course registration fees vary and many are eligible for continuing education credits.     GET FREE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SUPPORT WITH INSTRUCTURE'S PANDA PROS To all the teachers out there who have reinvented the wheel, reimagined lesson plans, and redesigned instruction as they knew it, thank you. You've been the backbone of education for the last year and a half, and as we all look toward a new school year, we want you to know that you'll never have to go it alone. Instructure is pleased to introduce its newest team of pros that know the Instructure Learning Platform inside and out—the Panda Pros. Who are the Panda Pros? The Panda Pros are edtech and instructional design experts who can help you with all things Instructure—whether it's big-picture planning, hands-on support, or technical tips and tricks. How do I meet with a Panda Pro? You can now schedule a 25-minute meeting with a Panda Pro at a time that works best for you and your team. Have questions? They've got answers. Sign up now. What kinds of questions can I ask a Panda Pro? Panda Pros are well-versed in all Instructure products, with an emphasis on Canvas, MasteryConnect, Portfolium, and their respective features and tools. Since individual sessions are only 25 minutes, it's helpful to have a specific topic you want to discuss along with a few questions prepared beforehand. Here are a few examples: How do I create consistency in modules? How do I use the HTML Editor? How do I add text headers, alt-text, and other accessibility features? How do I add captions to Studio videos? How should I be thinking about outcomes? How should I be using rubrics? How do I use tools like bell-ringers, exit tickets, and group work check-ins to drive better formative assessments? Ready to meet a Panda Pro? Get on the schedule today.     TWO POWERFUL TOOLS TO HUMANIZE YOUR ONLINE COURSE WITH VIDEO Wednesday, September 8 / 10 AM - 11 AM Screencast-o-matic is a simple-to-use video recording/editing tool. Studio is a Canvas integration that turns passive viewing into active engagement. Pair the two together and you've got the power to create dynamic interactive learning experiences that capture—and hold—your students' attention (with assessment built right in!). In this webinar, you'll get a taste of what these two tools can offer and how to get started using this match made in heaven to power-up your course content.   Register here for Two Powerful Tools     MEASURING STUDENTS' USE OF ONLINE TUTORING WITH CORRELATION TO FACULTY ADVOCACY AND STUDENT SUCCESS Tuesday, September 14 / 11 AM - 12 PM The CVC and Linked Systems International will give an overview of several tutoring-related programs, including NetTutor, STAR-CA, and Pisces Participants will learn more about faculty and advisor tools for referrals and assignments, both integrated within Canvas, and take a tour of the Administrator Dashboard to review usage reporting functionality, including the new report that warns coordinators when students use too much. Last but not least, CCC colleagues will share ways they correlate faculty advocacy of academic support to student success.   Register here for Measuring Online Tutoring     IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ... Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for thinking about teaching and learning that offers flexibility in the ways students access course material, engage with it, and show what they know. UDL principles benefit all learners by building in responsiveness that can be adjusted for every learner's strengths and needs. The CVC's Helen Graves shares her best UDL tips and tricks in The Most Effective Way to Eliminate Barriers to Students' Learning. Moving completely to distance education in the fall of 2020 challenged faculty and students in many ways. After listening to student feedback, it became clear MiraCosta College needed to do a better job of communicating expectations upfront and clarify recommended practices for faculty. In his article Equity, Cameras, & Online Learning: A MiraCosta College Commitment, Luke Lara shares what the college learned about the technology challenges and/or psychological trauma that many students experience when required to turn on their cameras in their Zoom classes. View this email in your browser   Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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