Faculty FAQs
-
How do I access Canvas?
You can access Canvas via Flashline or canvas.kent.edu.
-
How do I setup my class(es) in Canvas?
Review the Canvas-Ready Checklist before you begin teaching to make sure your course is Canvas Ready!
-
How do I receive Canvas training?
We are excited to offer a variety of options for online (live) sessions, self-paced training, and individual consultation opportunities:
- Canvas in a Flash. (available now in Canvas). Self-paced orientation to Canvas with pedagogical considerations for designing and delivering instruction in any classroom.
- Practice Course. (available now in Canvas). Each instructor has access to a Canvas Practice Course. Consider this course to be your space to explore and apply lessons learned in trainings and workshops. Not seeing a Practice Course? Please let us know!
- Training.kent.edu. Online (live) Canvas training sessions and workshops.
- 1:1 Help & Support. Individual consultations with our team of Instructional Design and Educational Technology staff.
- Student Support. Our Canvas website has a variety of resources to help students get started, and our KSU Help Desk will be available to support students with Canvas 24x7.
-
How are students notified about Canvas?
Invariably, students will have some Blackboard courses and some Canvas courses in Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022. It’s important to let students know that you're using Canvas for your course(s).
Recommendations:
- FlashLine “Button” and Dashboard. Students can easily identify and access Canvas or Blackboard courses with the new Canvas/Blackboard “button” and dashboard in FlashLine.
- Course Technology. Students can check the Course Technology field in their class schedules to identify Canvas courses and Blackboard courses.
- Redirect from your Blackboard course. No course content should be available in Blackboard. However, consider adding a link on the homepage to Canvas (canvas.kent.edu).
- Welcome email. Include a link to Canvas (canvas.kent.edu) in a welcome email at the start of your course.
- Check People. Monitor the People area in Canvas. If a student does not have any activity in your course, consider reaching out and helping students find their way to Canvas.
- Student Support. Let students know about our Canvas website, which has a variety of resources to help students get started, and our KSU Help Desk is available to support students with Canvas 24x7.
- Phone (330-672-HELP), Opt 4 for Canvas
- Chat with Canvas Support via Help button in Canvas
-
How do I combine courses in Canvas?
Submit a ticket to request a Canvas Course Combine. Multiple courses in Canvas can be combined or merged into a single primary course and appear as secondary “sections” within that primary course. In Canvas, the combination process is called “cross-listing.” This process in Canvas is separate and unrelated to courses designated as cross-listed in the University Catalog.
-
What other tools are available in Canvas?
GradeScope has replaced ScanTron: Gradescope is a tool for creating and grading paper-based assessments through the web. GradeScope provides modern, digital access to bubble sheet testing for both in-person and remote testing. We invite you to check out this brief video.
Kaltura (video.kent.edu) brings the power of video to our teaching and learning platforms. Kaltura integrates seamlessly with Canvas, allowing faculty to embed video directly into courses and students to submit video assignments. This article provides additional information on the platform.
Turnitin Similarity Checker is our new anti-plagiarism tool. Turnitin was selected by a cross-functional RFP committee and integrated with Canvas because Safe Assign is a Learn-only solution. We successfully copied the content of Kent State’s SafeAssign database, so all content through this past spring is included in Turnitin. A host of helpful tutorials are available to help get started with Turnitin.
MS Teams for Canvas is also here! This video conferencing tool integrates with Canvas and is also available to use in Learn. Collaborate Ultra will remain available in Blackboard Learn, and Teams is the official video conferencing tool for Canvas. More information about this exciting integration can be found on the MS Teams Sharepoint site.
Review the current list of Canvas LTIs for additional tools and more information.
-
How do I import the Kent State Online Template?
Import the KSOT. Kent State Online Template is designed to help you build a high-quality online learning experience quickly and efficiently. The Canvas KSOT comes pre-loaded with a Home page, standard course navigation, as well as placeholders for course content that can be customized.
-
How do I send a message to the entire class?
Canvas Inbox. Instructors can utilize the Canvas Inbox to send messages to an entire class or specific students. Note, that students' custom notification settings may or may not alert them (via KSU email) to the new message; these settings are customizable by each student for each course.
Notifications, Inbox, and Announcements. Guide to clarify if/when notifications are sent when instructors send messages or post announcements, based on course publishing and participation settings.
-
How do I upload video files to Canvas?
Kaltura Video. Instructors and students can embed Kaltura videos in their Canvas courses anywhere that the rich text editor appears (including pages, assignments, discussion posts, etc.).
-
How do I use MS Teams in my course?
MS Teams & Canvas. MS Teams is the synchronous classroom technology paired with Canvas. An MS Teams meeting link can be added to your course using the Rich Text Editor. Recommendation – add one MS Teams meeting link to your Canvas homepage.
-
How do I use Grade Push in Canvas?
Midterm and Final Grade Push. The Canvas Midterm and Final Grade Push Applications allow all grades in a section to be imported from Canvas and then pushed to either the Midterm Grades roster or Final Grades roster. The Grade Push Applications will be active during the midterm or final grading window of your course sections.
-
How do I adjust assessment times for students?
Moderate Quiz. Extra time will need to be added per student, per assessment.
-
How do I proctor exams in Canvas?
Proctorio remains the default proctoring service available for all Kent State University courses. Proctorio currently works with Classic Quizzes only.
-
Canvas courses are now missing from my Dashboard … how do I access them?
Check Courses > All Courses. Favorite courses remain on your Dashboard. At the end of a semester, courses are filed into Courses > Past Enrollments.
-
How do I copy content from another Canvas course?
Course Import. You can copy course content from one Canvas course to another using the Course Import Tool. Be sure to review more information on the Course Import Tool, including, features, options, and limitations.
-
What happens after a term end date?
Students can view a course, email instructors, and download submitted work. Students can no longer participate (e.g., complete assignments) in the course.
Instructors can email other instructors or TAs, and download student work. Instructors can no longer adjust course dates, edit course content, email students, or update grades.
Courses now appear in Past Enrollments (accessible via Courses > All Courses).
Reference: University of Texas, Course Term Dates and Extend End Dates
-
How do I adjust start and end dates?
By default, students can only participate in Canvas courses within the term start and end dates. Instructors can modify start and end dates during an active course (before the term ends).
-
How can students participate in a course after the term ends? (E.g., to finish coursework for an Incomplete)
If you would like a student(s) to participate in a course after the term ends, please contact our online support staff to extend your course end date. Please include the new course end/extended date in your request.
Student Athletes - Academic Support Services with Canvas Observer Role
Effective December 1, 2022, Athletic Academic Support staff will monitor student-athlete academic persistence in alignment with NCAA bylaws. You may notice full-time support staff listed as Canvas Observers where student-athletes are enrolled.
-
What is required of instructors in Canvas Observer?
Having a student enrolled in your course who has an Observer will in no way impact the instruction or curriculum for the course. Instructors will be able to view any Observers in their course in the People area, but no action is needed and having Observers in the course will in no way impact instruction or curriculum.
-
Can Observers submit assignments for a student or interact with the class?
No. The observer function does not permit observers to submit assignments, view course rosters, comment in discussion groups, join groups, etc. View list of what Observers can and cannot access.
-
Who will be observing the courses?
Observer status will only be issued to full-time staff within Student-Athlete Academic Services. Students will be observed by their assigned athletic academic counselor, plus any full-time learning specialists who work with the student’s team.
-
What will the athletics staff observer be looking for when observing courses?
Athletic academic staff meet weekly with student-athletes to review the student’s canvas account together, document academic progress, and assist the student with time management and study skill techniques. The addition of Canvas Observer will not change that process – full-time academic staff members are already viewing Canvas content for students during these meetings.
The observer status will allow staff to view Canvas accounts when students need assistance but are unable to meet in-person. With frequent team travel and academic assistance required at non-traditional hours, this function will allow academic counselors to view Canvas and assist students remotely.
Additionally, for student-athletes who are utilizing objective-based study, observer status will allow full-time staff to verify course assignment submission without an additional student meeting required.
-
I use an alternate site for grading in my course. How will Canvas Observer assist student support if the grades are not a full reflection of the student-athlete’s performance in my course?
As athletic academic staff has already been viewing Canvas content for student-athletes through individual meetings, it is understood that for some instructors the grading screen on Canvas is not always accurate to the student’s overall performance. It is also understood that some instructors use Canvas minimally.
Canvas Observer will be used in a holistic approach to assisting the student. The in-person meetings continue to occur, and conversations are ongoing between the student-athlete and their assigned academic counselor. By meeting weekly, the academic staff is familiar with various course structures and where grading is located, similar to the student’s understanding.
Observer is also not centralized to viewing grades. Oftentimes, a student needs assistance locating where to submit an assignment, how to understand a course syllabus, when an assignment is due, etc. Observer will allow staff to assist the student remotely when they are not in person to log in.
-
If I do not want to offer this service for student-athletes enrolled in my course, how do I remove observers?
If you would like to remove observers from your course, please contact Dr. Theresa Walton-Fisette, Faculty Athletic Rep, at twalton1@kent.edu.
Additional Resources
Kent State Online
Serves all faculty with assistance in building, teaching, and designing online courses.
Training.kent.edu
IT offers over twenty-five different workshop offerings to choose from covering Canvas, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Adobe Products, and Cloud Storage.
Canvas Community
Find resources and connect with other Canvas users at higher-education institutions.