Link, Link. Who's Got the (properly formatted) Link?
Links are how your students navigate your course content. While it might seem like a picayune matter, knowing how to set links up properly will have a pretty big impact on how quickly and easily students can start interacting with all the great content in your course (and it’ll increase your Canvas Ninja factor considerably!).
NOTE: This episode was updated in January '22 to reflect the new rich content editor.
Making Your Tables Accessible--In 15 Seconds (or Less)
Tables can be a useful way to organize certain types of content visually. But tables add an extra layer of complexity for students using a screen reader device which means it’s imperative your tables are formatted properly. Never fear! The Canvas Accessibility Checker is here to save the day.
Think You Know All There Is to Know About Due Dates?
Ever have students who seem to think “online” means self-paced? They want to zoom ahead and they’re asking you about Module 8 in the third week of class. Ensuring students are working on the material at the same time is one aspect of building a sense of community. Canvas has a nifty little feature that will help you do just that.
How to Increase Student Success the Easy Way
Personalized learning is recognized as crucial element of student-centered teaching. But with 30, 40, 50 students in your online class, how the heck are you supposed to accomplish it?! Here’s one way you can help close learning gaps and support greater success among all your students.
Ready to Beautify Your Canvas Pages? Here's How. . .
Pssst! Want a quick way to add some visual interest to your Canvas pages? Don’t let a little HTML code scare you! There’s no reason why you can’t have beautiful callout boxes in your course. In this episode of Byte-sized, I walk you through the steps (it’s simpler than you may think).
Here's a handy cheatsheet with the HTML coding snippets you need for each of the four callout boxes.
How to Handle That Pesky Little Dash in the Canvas Gradebook
Ever been confused by all the options and symbols in the Canvas Gradebook? Well, you’re not alone! In this episode, we’ll zero in on the little dash that shows up in ungraded assignments. Knowing how to deal with it properly will mean you’re headache-free when it’s time to turn in your grades at semester’s end.
Byte-sized Canvas - There's No Place Like Home
Your Home page is a special place in your course. It’s the virtual “first impression” you’re making with students (and remember what Mother said about the importance of first impressions!). In this Byte-sized episode, we’ll look at the many functions of a Home page and offer some examples for you to model.
I Did NOT Know That! Time-Saving Tricks in Canvas
Want to become a Canvas ninja like me <wink, wink>? Here are four fast and furious little Canvas tricks that will leave you gasping for breath as you exclaim, “I did not know that!”
[Tip topics in this episode: Speedgrader comments, viewing Groups area, displaying announcements, undelete]
Know any great best-kept-secret Canvas tricks? Do tell! (And maybe I'll use it in a future "I Did Not Know That" episode.)
The One Thing You’ve Been Missing to Keep Students Focused on Your Content
Many students are brand new to Canvas or, even if they’ve been using it awhile, just don’t know it very well. You can decrease their floundering and frustration (and make your life easier) by giving students some basic guidance as part of your course design. In this episode, we look at four simple things you can do to keep students from getting sidelined by inexperience with Canvas.
BONUS: I created a "Canvas Tips for Students" cheatsheet you can share with your students. It's currently in a barebones, accessible Word format--I suggest you download and customize it for your class and then add it to a page in your course.
Before You Add Video to Your Course--Watch This!
Providing content in multimedia formats (video, audio, images, infographics) is a powerful way to engage your students and appeal to multiple learning preferences. Combining your free 3CMedia account (courtesy of the Chancellor’s Office) with Canvas tools makes it super easy to add video and audio content into your courses.
This Byte-sized Canvas episode is a little longer than usual but there’s so much to share with you on the topic, I didn’t want to leave anything out!
[Updated April 2022.]
Check Your Links!
Hate getting messages from students about broken links in your course? With Canvas’ link validator tool, you can verify what’s working and what’s not before you publish your course each term. It’s a great way to save time now and headaches later. Very nifty!
Customizing Modules to Guide Student Learning
Ever get the sense students are jumping straight into quizzes and assignments without first taking the time to read or watch your carefully designed content? This Byte-sized session explores an often-overlooked way to use modules to easily guide students along the learning path you want them to follow.