Faculty members are asked to read through the "January Canvas Newsletter" email for more detailed information on the items listed below.
Final Sakai Reminders
- Access to Sakai is available through January 31, 2022. For helpful articles with steps to download materials, refer to the IT Knowledge Base articles on Migrating and Archiving Sakai Content.
- Please remind students if they need any materials from Sakai they should save them to their IC Microsoft OneDrive, personal computer, or a thumb drive.
- After February 1, users should contact the IT Service Desk (servicedesk@ithaca.edu) to submit a request for files.
Updates to Canvas
After several extensive reviews during the fall semester by members of the LMS Governance Committee and recommendations from a special task group, including faculty from all 5 schools, the following changes have been implemented.
iRubric will be discontinued
Effective June 1, 2022, our contract with iRubric will be discontinued and we will no longer have this tool as part of the LMS. The email "January Canvas Newsletter" has more information for faculty.
New Analytics enabled
Canvas has a robust “classic” analytics tool available to support student success that some faculty and students began to explore during the fall semester. A round-table discussion sponsored by the Center for Faculty Excellence will be held on January 18. For more information and to join the discussion visit the IC Engage event page for L&IT.
Student view of grade distribution disabled by default
Members of the student body raised concerns with the LMS Governance and Executive Committees regarding their peers being able to view the Grade Distribution of exams and assignments. The decision was made to turn off this feature by default. Faculty can turn it on by individual course should they find it a meaningful tool for their students.
Want to turn it on? View the Canvas Guide on Grade Distribution.
Revised Blueprint/template
As previously announced in the Intercom a new and revised blueprint has been applied to all Winter and Spring 2022 courses along with easy-to-follow directions. Changes based on feedback from faculty and students include simplified Course Navigation, easy-to-edit Module, and Page examples, and updated information on the Syllabus page.
Spring 2022 course development reminders
All Spring 2022 course shells are available in Canvas and will appear on your Canvas Dashboard. If you need to refer to your Fall 2021 courses or locate any of your migrated Sakai courses, they will be found by clicking on Courses --> All Courses in the Canvas navigation. The email "January Canvas Newsletter" has information and steps to Plan, Build & Publish your Spring semester courses.
For additional information and support with planning, building, and publishing your course explore the guide Canvas Course-Building Beginning of Semester Checklist: Canvas Resources @IC
Support Offerings in Using Canvas
The staff from Learning & Innovative Technologies (L&IT) and the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE), along with campus partners, invite faculty to join us for Canvas open office hours and workshops. We are also offering Canvas Tech Checks, a new service through L&IT and the IT Tech Bar.
Course Site Examples
Faculty are invited to explore peer-developed Canvas Course Site Examples. These open courses allow visitors to explore on their own time and gain new ideas for building their own Canvas courses from Ithaca College peers.
To explore the IC Canvas Course Examples site visit this Canvas page.
Webinars and workshops
The staff from Learning & Innovative Technologies (L&IT) and the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE), along with campus partners, invite faculty to join us for webinars and workshops on Canvas and preparing for the spring 2022 semester.
To see the workshops and webinars available in January visit the IC Engage event page for L&IT.
Open office hours
Staff from L&IT and CFE will hold open office hours to meet 1:1 or with small groups of instructors. Open office hours will be held remotely over Zoom in breakout rooms and in-person. Visit the IC Engage event page for L&IT for more information including dates, times, Zoom links, and locations.
Tech Checks
Need help organizing your Spring Canvas course content? Sign up for a Tech Check to receive a comprehensive evaluation of your course structure before the semester starts. Get your Canvas course site evaluated for Spring 2022 readiness by the experts in the Learning & Innovative Technology team.
Please submit your request through this Microsoft Form and an L&IT team member will reach out to you within 72 hours to schedule a consultation. Get started today!
Canvas Support from Instructure 24/7
Canvas Support through Instructure (makers of Canvas) is available 24/7 via Chat and Hotline. Click on the Help Menu in Canvas to launch chat, get the hotline phone number, or visit the Canvas Community for helpful articles and video tutorials. Please contact Canvas Support before reaching out to IT @ IC for your Canvas questions.
On behalf of the Canvas Implementation Team, wishing you a great start to the Spring 2022 semester. We look forward to seeing you at the Canvas events throughout the next few weeks.