CarmenCanvas

Canvas Notifications: How are Students Receiving Your Communications?

Several instructors have contacted the CON IT department with questions of how Canvas sends out emails and announcements.  Canvas does this differently from D2L in that each individual has control over which notifications they receive and how.  Because of this, if some of your students are receiving emails when you post an announcement and others are not, this is in the control of the students– not the instructors.  Below is a quick overview that you can use yourself and send out to your students so that they know where their notifications are going:

First, know that your default email is your name.#

If you would like to add an additional email for notifications, you can do this on the profile page by logging into Canvas, clicking “Account” –> “Profile” and clicking “+ Email Address” on the right side of the screen:

2016-09-21-5

Now, to view and change your notification preferences, go to “Account” on the left hand side and then click “Notifications”. 2016-09-21-1

The Notification Preferences menu will open up.  Along the top of the menu you will see an explanation of what each of the 4 symbols mean.  There will be a column for each email address you have entered. If you have installed the Canvas app on your phone or tablet, there will also be a “Push Notification” preference column.  By clicking on the corresponding symbols, you can choose whether to be notified by email for each item, and how frequently you want to receive such emails.  If students are not receiving emails when you send announcements, their preferences will look like the below image.

2016-09-21-2

Whether or not students receive email notifications, they can always find these notifications when they log into your classroom on Canvas.

It’s a good idea to inform your students that if they want to email their instructor from Canvas, they can do so through the “Inbox” tab on the Canvas menu (see below).  The benefit of this route is that the instructor will receive the email both to their email inbox and to the Canvas inbox, and the message will inform them which course it came from.

2016-09-21-3

More information can be found on the Instructure Canvas guide here.

What other burning Canvas questions do you have?  Leave a comment or contact us by email to let us know!

 

Canvas: Assignment Submission Types

Canvas allows you to create many different kinds of assignments, and allows a variety of options for how to submit.  Here are some tips on the different “submission” types that are available to you:

Remember that you can create a new assignment either by going to Assignments –> “+ Assignment” or by going to Modules and clicking the “+” to the right of the Module you choose.

2016-09-062016-09-06 (7)

Note that if you create your assignment in the Modules space, you will at first just create the title of the assignment and then will need to edit the assignment to add details.  When in the “edit” view of the assignment, you will see options for submission after scrolling down:

2016-09-06 (1)

2016-09-06 (3)2016-09-06 (2)

Here, we see several options for submission type.  Below is a brief breakdown of these options:

  • No Submission– the assignment does not require students to turn anything in (either online or in-class).  This is useful for attendance or participation grades.  Read more here.
  • Online– students will turn their assignment in online– either through a drop box (for file uploads) or in a text/media-entry box.  This option also allows students to turn in a URL to a website, which is useful for courses where students will create blog posts.  More about online submissions can be found below.
  • On Paper– the assignment will be due in class or to the teacher.  You will need to create this type of assignment in your Canvas course in order to insert a column on your grade sheet.
  • External Tool– If you want to use one of the external tools in the drop-down list on Canvas Assignments, please contact your CON IT team.  Read more about this option here.

Online Submissions:

2016-09-06 (5)

There are several options for online submissions. The first thing to note is that in Canvas, there is no need to “create” a drop box for your assignments.  If you choose “file upload” as the submission method, a drop box will be created on the assignment page, and students will see a red button prompting them to submit their work.

You also have the option of limiting file types for submission. For instance, a teacher could require that submissions be .pdf files rather than the standard .doc or .docx files created in Microsoft Word.

Finally, don’t forget to save your work!  The red save button is located at the bottom of the screen.

2016-09-06 (6)

 

More questions about Canvas? Check out these great resources! 

Canvas Instructor Guide

ODEE Canvas Page

Previous CONTECH blog posts on Canvas

 

 

Importing your Canvas Master Course to sections

For those instructors who have a Master Course set up in Canvas and need to import the material to course sections for the upcoming semester, here’s your how-to:

Once the Master Course is complete, go into your upcoming course in Canvas, and  click on “Settings” on the bottom left of your course page.
Lara
​ Then click on “Import Content into this Course” on the right hand side of the page.
2016-07-26 (2)
​ You can choose where you want your files to come from, and which course you’re copying.
2016-07-26
2016-07-26 (1)
​

Then click the shiny red button and your course will be imported!

Finally, for those who like to troubleshoot on your own, follow this link to see the Canvas guide on importing courses, or go to  Canvas’s Instructor Guide. It’s a great place to go and learn about Canvas and get your questions answered.

Carmen (D2L) to Canvas updates

The transition from Carmen to Canvas is in full swing!  Please note the following Carmen (Canvas) updates.

Canvas spring pilot courses will disappear on Friday, May 13.
If you developed any content in a spring pilot Canvas course, you must export it now if you don’t want to lose it!  All spring pilot courses are scheduled to be deleted on Friday, May 13.  Read more here, under the heading “Where is Canvas?”  To export your Canvas course file, enter your Canvas course > Settings > Export Course Content.

Canvas Workshop
Tuesday, May 17
Room 220, Newton Hall (2nd floor computer lab)
1-2 p.m.
If you are using Canvas this summer or fall semester, please attend!
ODEE will present a 60-minute custom workshop for College of Nursing faculty and staff with an additional half hour at the end of the workshop (2:00-2:30) for individual questions.  The ODEE facilitators will cover how to export a course from Carmen and import it into Canvas, and they’ll explore the scenarios under which you might want to start fresh (instead of bulk importing all of your old Canvas content).  They’ll cover basic Canvas functions and answer your questions about Canvas features.  No registration page is available at this time—just plan on attending!
Other ODEE Canvas workshops
Navigating Canvas (Hands-on):  Mon, 5/16, 9:30 a.m., Derby Hall 029
Start in Canvas (Hands-on):  Mon, 5/16, 10 a.m., Derby Hall 029
Navigating Canvas (Hands-on):  Thu, 5/19, 1:30 p.m., Derby Hall 029
Strategies for Adapting D2L to Canvas (Hands-on), Thu, 5/19, 2 p.m., Derby Hall 029
New “Smart Landing Page”
Need more information about the Carmen Smart Landing Page?  It seems to be changing on a moment-by-moment basis, but you can find the latest information about the new landing page for your Carmen/Canvas courses in this ODEE article.  You can now add users to your courses by clicking on the gear icon to the right of your course title on the landing page.  To do so, do not enter the course by clicking on its title; click on the gear icon to the right of the course title on your Smart Landing Page.
Where did the old Carmen go?
Here’s a link to the old Carmen (D2L) interface, just in case you need it.  Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page in our CONtech blog for more information.
Autumn 2016 academic courses
According to ODEE, you will see your Autumn 2016 courses appear on the Smart Landing Page “in the next week or so.”

Need more information about adapting your Carmen (D2L) course to Canvas?
Please see this information-packed page from ODEE, and be sure to attend the May 17 workshop (mentioned above).  These two resources are great first steps toward moving your course from Carmen (D2L) to Canvas.
Need some technical assistance with the transition from Carmen (D2L) to Canvas?
Faculty will be responsible for course design and navigation/flow in Canvas, but don’t let technical troubles with Canvas stand in your way!  We are fortunate to have our graduate student, Phil Newman, available during the summer to assist with the technical tasks related to transitioning your course from D2L to Canvas.  Please contact me directly to request Phil’s assistance with moving courses from D2L to Canvas.
Your Canvas interface and functionality may appear to be changing minute by minute, mostly because it is doing exactly that.  John Pryba and I do not yet have all the Carmen Affiliate abilities we had in Carmen (D2L) to help you, but feel free to email us with any questions.  If you need to go directly to Carmen Support with your question, you can email canvas-support@osu.edu.
Watch for more information next week related to the CON’s transition from Carmen (D2L) to Canvas.  In the meantime, send your questions and concerns to CON-InformationTechnology@osu.edu.

 

Carmen-to-Canvas Transition

Flash Friday: Get Ready for Canvas

Find out what your first steps are to prepare for our new learning management system.

Joni Tornwall provided an update on where we are with our Canvas transition timeline and discussed how you can make your own transition to Canvas as smooth as possible. View a recording of the session to get a tour of our information page where you can find updates, workshops, and other resources, and walk through the process of exporting a course from Carmen and into Canvas.

Flash Friday – Randomized Quizzes in Carmen

If you are thinking about moving a paper quiz into Carmen, or if you’re simply concerned about student “collaboration” on an existing quiz intended for individual completion, join John Pryba for this quick virtual demo. He’ll show you, step by step, how to make Carmen display your quiz questions in random order and also display the answer choices for each question in random order. Learn when randomization is an appropriate strategy and when it may cause problems, and find out how easy it is to make Carmen facilitate the quizzing workflow for both you and your students.

View the demo.

Don’t wait until end-of-semester; survey your students now!

 Add a description

Mid-semester is a great time to check in with students to gauge their perceptions of what is working in our courses and what isn’t. Whether you teach face-to-face or online, a midterm survey in Carmen is a good way to find out if your students are struggling with any of the course content.

Margie Neidecker has an excellent midterm survey for her MACPR online program, and she has graciously agreed to share it her CON colleagues. If you are interested in adding a midterm survey to your Carmen course, just let us know. The results of the survey will be available in Carmen only to you and any other person who has the role of instructor in your course.

To get a midterm survey in your course:

  1. Email CON-InformationTechnology@osu.edu.
  2. Tell us which course(s) to which you want the survey added. Include the course name and class number as it appears in Carmen.
  3. Tell us what date the survey should open and what date it should close.
  4. Tell us if you want any questions added, edited, or deleted from the survey.

We will:

  1. Put a midterm survey in your Carmen course.
  2. Set it to open and close for students on the dates you specify.
  3. Post an announcement on your course home page asking the students to complete the survey.

Take advantage of this simple strategy and instructional best practice, and aim toward better end-of-term evaluations!

The questions on the survey template are below. You are welcome to edit the survey to fit your own needs after it is imported into your course.

Question 1

For each of the following statements, please select the answer that best corresponds to your opinion about the course.

(Students will respond to the following questions on a scale of Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.)

1

   The course materials are well organized and easy to navigate.

2

   The lectures are presented in a clear and effective manner.

3

   The readings complement the topic for that module and help me understand lecture material.

4

   I am learning what I expected to learn from this class.

5

   I am getting the feedback and/or support I need to be successful in this course.

6

   I find the class very difficult.

7

   I would recommend this class to someone else.

Question 2

Approximately how many hours per week do you spend on this class?

A) 1-3 hours
B) 4-6 hours
C) 7-9 hours
D) 10-12 hours
E) More than 12 hours

Question 3

Approximately how much of the reading that has been assigned so far have you completed?

A) 100%
B) 90%
C) 75%
D) 50%
E) Less than 50%

Question 4

What do you like or find most useful about this course? What is the best thing about it for you?

Question 5

How could this course be improved?

Question 6

What concerns or questions do you have related to this course that you have not already expressed? Please provide any additional comments you would like to make here.

Request upload of articles to your Carmen course

College of Nursing instructors, be sure your students can access the articles you want them to read for your course by requesting assistance from our librarian in the Health Sciences Library with upload of articles to Carmen. This service can relieve some of the burden on you to make sure copyright regulations are followed and articles are accessible and available all semester to students. Use this Reserve Request Form to request that materials be placed in your Carmen course by a librarian. If you have more than one article, compile a list of articles with all required information in a Word document and include it as an attachment to the form. If you have questions, please see the helpful information on the Health Sciences Library website or contact me or an HSL librarian.

Wondering what your students see in their Carmen gradebook?

Do you ever wonder where those comments you leave for your students in the Carmen gradebook go?  Or maybe you want to know exactly what your students are seeing when they open their grades in Carmen.  The student view of the Carmen gradebook is quite different from the instructor view, but you (the instructor) can preview what an individual student sees when they open their gradebook.  This can be a very useful view if a student contacts you with questions about their grade.  You will want to open this view so that you know precisely what they are seeing and why they might have questions about it.

To see an individual student’s view of their gradebook, follow these steps:

Continue reading Wondering what your students see in their Carmen gradebook? →

Upcoming events in the College of Nursing

Strategies for Digital Communication in Challenging Student Encounters
When: Monday, December 15, 1-2 p.m.
Where: Room 168
Who: Instructors of academic courses in the College of Nursing.  Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, this session will not be recorded or available virtually.
Registration is limited: https://survey.con.ohio-state.edu/Checkbox/Strategies-for-Digital-Communication-in-Challenging-Student-Encounters.aspx

No matter whether you teach online or face to face, situations arise for every instructor in which student behavior presents a communication challenge.  If you use email, discussion boards, or any other text-based digital format to communicate with students, there are approaches to ensure your words are consistently clear, positive, and supportive, even in response to student behaviors that may seem less than favorable.

In this presentation and round-table discussion, join your CON peers for a few pearls of wisdom that come from the teaching trenches.  Learn seven strategies for managing digital exchanges in challenging student encounters.  You’ll leave the workshop with templates for language you can use in digital communications with students.

Final Grades Submission work session
When: Wednesday, December 17, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Room 198 (Note the change in room number! We will be in 198.)
Who: Anyone who wants one-on-one assistance with submission of final course grades, either through Carmen gradebook or directly in Faculty Center
No registration necessary; come and go as convenient for you!

Drop in to Room 198 any time between 2-4 p.m. to get one-on-one assistance with final grade submission.  This is an open forum for questions, demos, and assistance with Carmen Gradebook, preparing final grades, transferring them to Faculty Center (the Registrar) working with grades in Faculty Center, and making sure your grades are, in fact, posted in SIS and go to the Registrar.  Bring your laptop or use one of ours.  Nathanael, John Pryba, and Joni will be available to answer your questions and walk you through the grade submission process or prepare you to submit grades when you are ready.

Questions?  Contact Joni Tornwall at CON-InformationTechnology@osu.edu.