Canvas Faculty Support
Updated, May 17, 2023
The IDT team has curated several Canvas-related resources for faculty that can be accessed via the menus below. We expect to add significantly more resources as this project develops, so please check back on this webpage frequently. In addition, you can opt in to the IDT team's weekly newsletter through which we'll post most of our Canvas-related updates and information. To join the newsletter mailing list, please email your request to IDT@uhcl.edu.
Stay current on the Canvas transition, Blackboard updates, alerts, online learning tips, and more by visiting the UHCL Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) Blog. Please email any Canvas-related questions to either IDT@uhcl.edu or SupportCenter@uhcl.edu.
Canvas LMS Transition News and General Resources
On October 24, 2022, Dr. Maynard announced UHCL's selection of Instructure Canvas to become the university's new learning management system (LMS), replacing Blackboard Learn by the SP24 semester. OIT's Instructional Design and Technology team is already preparing for faculty training and support for the new system, as announced in our Canvas LMS "Special Edition" Newsletter.
As of May 12, 2023, we're gearing up for the initial "soft launch" of Canvas by the university's SU23 Canvas early adopters. Below are some statistics regarding SU23 courses in Canvas:
- 31 Faculty Early Adopters
- 83 Classes/Sections Using Canvas
- 668 Unduplicated Student Headcount in Canvas
- 733 Student Enrollments in Class Using Canvas (Duplicated Headcount)
In preparation for SU23 Canvas courses, the IDT team has completed the following tasks:
- Created blank Canvas shells for all SU23 courses/sections using Canvas and added instructors to those shells.
- Manually updated student enrollments (adds and drops) for all SU23 Canvas shells.
- Coordinated with our OIT colleagues in other business units to get a Canvas tile in QuickLaunch (go.uhcl.edu) deployed and made visible only to faulty early adopters and students enrolled in SU23 Canvas courses.
- Created a new Canvas Student Support page to provide resources and support information for learners in SU23 Canvas classes.
- Added all students enrolled in SU23 Canvas courses to the online Canvas training course within our Canvas PROD environment (we'll continue to update those rolls as we update Canvas student enrollments over the coming weeks).
General Canvas Transition Resources
- [Link] October 24, 2022 - Canvas LMS "Special Edition" Newsletter
- [Online Form] Canvas FA23 Early Adopter Online Application
- [Document] Blackboard to Canvas: Import Guide
- [Online Lesson] Before You Migrate Courses From Blackboard to Canvas...
- [Document] UHCL Third-Party Learning Management System (LMS) Integration Guidelines
- [Document] Canvas Faculty Cheat Sheet
Canvas Early Adopter Information and Resources
As of May 17, 2023, the Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) has processed requests for 127 faculty/staff members wishing to be Canvas early adopters, teaching in Canvas in either the SU23 or FA23 semesters. All four colleges are well represented in all three early adopter cohorts.
The IDT team continues to accept requests from faculty who are interested in being a Canvas early adopter in the FA23 term. Please use our online Canvas Pilot Program Online Application to submit your request to join the FA23 cohort today! Both existing and new early adopters may find the following resources useful as you prepare to use Canvas.
- [Video] Canvas Early Adopter Kick-Off Meeting - Feb 24 2023 [41:37]
- [Video] Canvas Manual Migration Demo - Part 1 [9:38]
- [Video] Canvas Manual Migration Demo - Part 2 [8:33]
- [Document] Blackboard to Canvas: Import Guide
- [Online Lesson] Before You Migrate Courses From Blackboard to Canvas...
- [Document] Canvas Faculty Cheat Sheet
- [Document] April Canvas Early Adopter Roundtable Qs and As
Canvas-Related Training Recordings
In addition to the Online Canvas Training for Faculty already available to our early adopters, the IDT team offered the following topic-specific sessions in a hybrid format (in-person or online attendance options) during the week of April 10, 2023. These sessions were intended both for early adopters and those who are not yet using Canvas but want to learn more about the system.
- Canvas Course Design Essentials: Creating Engaging and Interactive Courses
- Canvas 101: A Beginner's Guide to Navigating and Managing Courses in Canvas
- Promoting Active Learning in Canvas: Strategies and Tools for Engaging Students
- Maximizing Student Learning with Effective Assessment and Grading in Canvas: A Guide to Quizzes, Assignments, and Rubrics
- Integrating Canvas with Third-Party Tools: What You Need to Know
- Canvas Analytics and Reporting: Understanding Student Performance and Engagement
- Creating Accessible Online Courses: Best Practices for Inclusive Learning in Canvas Part 1
- Promoting Active Learning in Canvas: Practical Strategies for Adjunct Instructors
- Enhancing Collaboration and Communication in Canvas: A Comprehensive Guide to Discussions, Announcements, and Group Assignments
- Improving Accessibility in Online Courses: Using the Ally Tool in Canvas Part 2
Canvas "Crash Course" Video Tutorials
The IDT team creates short "crash course" videos for the many tools we support. Shown below are those we've generated for our new learning management system, Canvas. If you would like to see a "crash course" video on a specific Canvas topic, please email your request to IDT@uhcl.edu. We'd love to create a new tutorial for you!
- Crash Course - Canvas Copy Course to Course [4:04] / Document Version
- Crash Course - Canvas SU23 Semester Offerings [6:41] / Document Version
- Crash Course - Content Copy from Bb to Canvas [5:59]
- Canvas Tutorial - Creating a Page for Bb Legacy YouTube Video [3:53]
- Canvas Tutorial - Adding a Landing Page [9:15]
- Crash Course - Canvas "First Look" [6:07]
Canvas Interactive Lessons
During our April early adopter roundtable sessions, someone commented that the Wednesday newsletter was helpful, but made it very difficult to later search for a specific article. In response to that excellent observation, the IDT team has begun going through our Articulate-based newsletters to date and we're extracting significant articles as their own standalone Articulate Rise interactive lessons.
- Canvas: Student Help Resources!
- New Canvas Feature Coming Soon: Microsoft Office 365 Collaborations
- Faculty Canvas Support Options
- Student-Student and Instructor-Instructor Communication in Canvas
- Canvas Basics Part 1 - Course Navigation Links
- Canvas Basics Part 2 - Understanding Modules
- Peer Review Assignments in Canvas
- Preparing for Canvas: Decrease Blackboard Course Size
- Utilizing Modules in Canvas
- Canvas Course Design Essentials: Creating Engaging and Interactive Courses
- Student Accommodation: Canvas vs. Blackboard
- Canvas Basics: Adaptive Releases
- Preparing for Canvas: Moving Videos out of Blackboard
Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) Team
Through training, documentation, and consultation, the Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) Team supports faculty in identifying, evaluating, and implementing instructionally appropriate software tools to deliver and support face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online learning. We also provide ongoing technical support for university-approved applications and tools for web-based teaching and learning, thereby facilitating the creation and maintenance of easily navigable, well developed, accessible, high-quality web-based instructional environments for our users – the faculty, staff, and students of University of Houston-Clear Lake. Please see our team's blog for more information.