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Canvas Faculty Docs
This is used when, in cases where a student, multiple students, or section of students, need/s a different Due date or duration of availability time to complete an Assignment or Quiz.
For login or password problems, contact the iTech Helpdesk at 601-266-HELP(4357). Press 5 for a Helpdesk Technician.
For technical issues such as browser or display problems, plugin issues, go to the 24-7 Canvas Support Hotline 1 833-668-1667. There is also an option for Live Chat through Canvas’ Help? link on the global navigation.
You may also contact the support staff at the Office of Online Learning via email at onlinelearningFREEMississippi.
To avoid copyright issues, don’t download and upload streaming videos to your Canvas course/s.
Embed instead!
Printable, full instructions for using Turnitin
Turnitin can be added directly to a Canvas course using the Assignment tool. When Turnitin is added to Canvas, students’ Turnitin accounts are automatically created. Students submit their documents through the Turnitin assignment in their Canvas course.
- Click the Assignment link on the Canvas course menu.
- Click to +Assignment
- Name the assignment
- Scroll to Submission type to select External Tool
- Choose from the list of options Turnitin
- Click to Select
- Continue the routine setup of the assignment
- You must click Save and Publish in order to see the Turnitin Assignment.
To setup the options of the Turnitin assignment, you must click to access the assignment.
- Edit Assignment Settings returns you to the Canvas assignment
- Settings in the header bar takes you to the Turnitin settings.
- Click Optional Settings to set your preferences for Turnitin
- Click Submit to save settings.
Turnitin does not recognize Canvas’ Student View. You will not be able to see the assignment as a student.
If you, or your students, have a problem with Turnitin, you can report it directly
to Turnitin by using the Helpdesk link.
Southern Miss’ Turnitin admin is Gene’O Gordon (601 266-4644, Eugene.GordonFREEMississippi%29
There are times when you are required to add extra time to an online test for a specific student. Canvas allows you to do this using the Moderate This Quiz button.
Canvas_Adding Extra Time to Test (Printable instructions)
Note: Your test must be Published to see the Moderate This Quiz button.
After you have created and published the quiz, you will find and click Moderate This Quiz option located on the upper-right.
In the Moderate Quiz window, you will see a list of your students.
You can choose to use the search tool or scroll through the list.
Once you have found the student,
- Click the box to the left of the student’s name.
- Click the Pencil icon on the right to edit.
The Student Extension box will open after you click the pencil icon.
- Enter only the extra required minutes in the box.
ex: the test time is 30 minutes; the student is allowed time and a half. - Enter 15 minutes in the box.
Click the Save button
The Import Course Content allows the user multiple ways of adding content. This tutorial covers copying content from one Canvas course to another.
You will start in the course that needs the content or empty course.
Printable instructions – Import Canvas Content
SETTINGS
- Click Settings
- Click Import Course Content
SELECT ONE:
- Choose Copy a Canvas Course from the list of options.
ENTER THE PAST COURSE:
- Choose from the drop down list or type in the search box for the course with the content.
- If the course has been concluded, be sure to click the box next to “Include completed courses.”
CHOOSE THE CONTENT YOU WANT TO COPY
- The easiest is to select “All Content”
- To learn more about selecting specific content, view the printable instructions Import Canvas Content.
- Click to Import
It is important to know if a student posts something inappropriate or plagiarize, the student has the power to delete his/her post and discard of the evidence. The power to edit or delete a post written by a student is the default setting.
Canvas Student Docs
Canvas uses several different types of technology to ensure a richer, more comprehensive experience for the student. Because of this, the technical requirements for Canvas may be a bit different than what instructors are used to. Specific technical requirements and issues associated with Canvas are below.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BROWSER
Because it is built using web standards, Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS,
Android, or any other device with a modern web browser. Canvas supports the last two
versions of every browser release. You can use the Canvas app for tablets and phones,
but best practice is to complete work through Canvas using a computer.
Recommended Browsers are: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari (version 5 or greater).
NOTE: Internet Explorer is not supported. Any user using Internet Explorer will not have full functionality of Canvas.
CANVAS WILL REQUIRE YOU TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL FLASH.
Certain components of Canvas use Flash to record audio and video. Unfortunately, some
browsers support Flash better than others. To access the Flash support documentation
for your browser, click on the following name of your browser: Google Chrome | Mozilla Firefox | Safari | Microsoft Edge
CONFERENCES (I.E., BIG BLUE BUTTON) REQUIRES JAVA.
Java is only required for one component of Big Blue Button (Screen Sharing). This
does not require Java to be enabled on your web browser, but does require Java to
be installed on your computer. If you need help installing Java on your computer,
please view the Java Installation Guide.
As with any online learning management system, if you experience difficulty with any of the supported browsers, it is recommended that you try using an alternate browser to see if this resolves the problem.
Printable instructions – Canvas_Courses_All Courses
Canvas does not immediately reflect the changes you make in your SOAR account. Wait a few hours.
If you do not see your course/s in Canvas after waiting 24 hours, you may want to check under Courses to select All Courses.
Check the All Courses table for the name of the course, the semester, and if the course is published. If the course is published, click the Star Icon located to the left of the name of the course to give the star color. The colored star indicates the course is a favorite and will show on your Dashboard.
214 – Assignment Submissions from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.
200 – Canvas Overview for Students from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.
Canvas Studio Faculty
Office 365 Faculty Docs
The most common way instructors publish lectures, or lecture materials, to an online course is with PowerPoint. PowerPoint is easy, efficient, and most instructors know how to use it. However, most instructors upload their entire presentation file to the online course, which gives students an editable version of their work. Fortunately, PowerPoint has advanced give instructors’ options for publishing and sharing their work with students.
The following guide focuses on the Recording feature of PowerPoint. Recording is the new iteration of what used to be called PowerPoint Mix. It allows instructors to record audio and video per slide and export the entire presentation as a MP4 video file. The video files can then be uploaded to a streaming service and shared to a Canvas course. This gives instructors the ability to share non-editable works with students and gives online students a similar lecture experience as face-to-face students.
This support guide discusses the following:
- Activating the Recording Feature of PowerPoint
- Recording a PowerPoint
- Sharing the Video to a Streaming Service
- Adding the Video to a Canvas Course
Please note the PowerPoint recording feature is currently not available for Mac users. It is also not available for anyone using Microsoft Office 2013 or later. Instructors at USM can download and install the latest version of Microsoft Office at http://portal.office.com
See attached resource below:
ACTIVATING RECORDER ADD-ON
The Recorder feature is available in the latest version of PowerPoint but it is deactivated
by default. Before it can be used, the feature must be enabled within Microsoft PowerPoint.
NOTE: this feature is not available with the online version of PowerPoint. It is only available for the computer application and is only available for Windows/PC computers.
To activate this feature:
- Open PowerPoint and start a blank presentation
- Click the File tab
- Select Options
- In the left Column, select Customize Ribbon
- In the column under the Main Tabs pull down, check the box next to Recording (see right)
- Click OK
A new tab called Recording will appear in the toolbar at the top of the screen. When you click on this tab, a row of tools will appear. You will use the Record Slide Show tool to record the audio and video per slide.
RECORDING THE PRESENTATION
To start, use the PowerPoint application with the Microsoft Office suite to create
your presentation. This would include any text, graphics, or animations you wish to
add. Since you are recording audio for each slide, it may also be helpful to create
a script for each slide in the notes section.
Return to the first slide of the PowerPoint, click the Record tab, and select the Record Slide Show tool (see below).
A new window will appear with a black background. This window displays the current PowerPoint slide and a webcam area in the lower right corner of the slide (see below).
The record button is in the top left corner of the new window (see above). Below the
webcam area are controls to turn the microphone or webcam on/off. Use the Settings
option in the top-right corner of the screen to change webcam and microphone options.
When ready, click the Record button. You will get a countdown and the record button will turn into a Pause button. You can click stop when finished or move to the next slide and continue recording. You will record audio/video per slide, or multiple slides at a single time. The recordings are sectioned by slide. If you need to edit or re-record audio/video you will do so on a per slide basis (i.e., you do not have to re-record the entire presentation). You can also preview your recordings with the Replay button in the slide recorder window (see right).
When finished, close the new window. The webcam image will appear in the bottom-right corner of each slide recorded. You can re-position or resize this image if desired.
When you are ready to publish the presentation to a video, click the Recording tab again and select Export to Video (see above). The default settings are appropriate for most recordings. Click the Create Video button to save the presentation as a video. PowerPoint will prompt you to select a location on your computer where the video will be saved. Follow the prompts and be sure to save the video in a location that you can access later (like Documents, Videos, or Desktop).
UPLOADING TO STREAM
To share/add the video to Canvas, you first need to upload the video to Stream. Stream
is an Office365 app you have access to. The app is similar to YouTube except it is
only available for people associated with USM. You can also upload these videos to
Yuja, if you prefer to use that product to stream videos. Instructions for uploading
to Yuja are found at: Yuja – Uploading Videos
To upload your videos to Stream, go to portal.office.com. Use you w-number and password to login. The first screen will require you to add your w-number in email form (w######@usm.edu). The redirect to the second username/password box will require your normal login credentials (for SOAR or Canvas).
From the Offce365 home screen, locate and click on the App Launcher icon (see right).
This looks like a box made of nine smaller boxes and is in the top-left corner of
the screen. Select Stream from the list of apps.
Stream is like YouTube, except it is attached to Office365. You can create a group or channel for storing your videos, or simply upload a video to your account. Click the Create tab at the top of the screen and select Upload a Video (see below). Follow the prompts to complete the upload.
When the video begins to upload, click the Options bar and turn off the Comments option. Click Publish Now when the video has completed processing.
ADDING THE PRESENTATION TO CANVAS
Click the Share button to get the share link for the video (see right). Stream allows
you to link the video or embed the video into Canvas.
Linking involves obtaining a share link for the presentation and adding that link directly to the Canvas course. This link will open in a new window and can be placed in multiple locations in a Canvas course.
Embedding involves the copying/pasting of web (HTML) code into a content page within Canvas and adding that content page to a module. Embedding allows students to see the full PowerPoint without having to leave Canvas.
On the share menu, Stream displays the share link by default.
To link the video to your Canvas course:
- Copy the web link on the share menu.
- Login to Canvas and navigate to the desired course.
- Open Modules.
- Click the plus sign within the module header to add content to the desired module.
- Select External URL from the pull-down menu.
- Paste the web link into the URL text box.
- Type the video name in the text box next to Page Name (This is what the student will see in the module).
- Check the box next to Load in a New Tab.
- Click Add Item.
- Publish the URL link in the module.
To embed the video into a content page:
- Click the Embed tab (see below).
- Use the pull-down menu under Video Size to select the appropriate size (for Canvas, nothing above 900).
- Click the Responsive option to turn it on.
- Click the Show Info option to turn it off.
- Copy the web (HTML) code from the textbox.
- Login to Canvas and navigate to the desired course.
- Open Modules and click the plus sign in the module header where you wish to place the video.
- Click the pull-down menu and select New Page. A list of all content pages will appear below the pull-down. Select the first option: [New Page]Type the name of the page in the text box that appears, select any desired indenting, and click Add Item. The page will appear at the bottom of the module where it was added. You can drag this page to any location within the module for organizational purposes.
- Click on the name of the page to open it (it will be blank). Canvas HTML Editor Link
- Click the Edit button (located in the top-right corner of the screen).
- In the top-right corner of the text editor, click the HTML Editor link (see right).
- Paste the copied Embed code into the text box.
- Click Save.
- Publish the page in the module to complete the process.
Since the video is hosted on a service included with Office365, students may have
to login to Office365 to view the content. This login uses the same username and password
as SOAR and Canvas. Once logged in, a play symbol will appear for students to watch
the presentation.
Follow this link for Microsoft Teams Video Training
Microsoft Forms is a survey tool included with the Microsoft Office 365 Suite. It works as a stand alone tool or can be included as a polling option within PowerPoint (both live/synchronous and asynchronous). Links to support documentation, demonstrations, and walkthroughs are below:
Office 365 Student Docs
For online students, presentations can be tricky things. If the instructor wants a live presentation, students typically create a slide presentation and present their material through a web conferencing software. However, if the assignment is to record yourself presenting and submit that recording to an online course, that is a bit more difficult. It does not have to be. The following support guide walks you through creating a PowerPoint Presentation video and sharing that video to Canvas.
Topics included in this support document are:
- Enabling PowerPoint Recordings
- Recording Your Presentation
- Sharing Your Presentation To Canvas
The recording feature of Microsoft PowerPoint is only available for PowerPoint 2013 or newer. If you do not have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your computer, please see the Student Presentations – PowerPoint w/ Voice Over support guide (look below this guide) for instructions on obtaining Microsoft Office. Because you are creating a presentation video, the software also requires your computer to have a microphone. A webcam is optional but may be a useful feature.
Note: This feature is currently only available for PC/Windows users. The features are not available for the Mac version of Microsoft Office.
The first step is to create all visual elements of your presentation. This includes adding any text, images, animations, or transitions to each slide. When creating a presentation, it is best practice not to overload your slides with text and only include images that emphasize what you are presenting.
ENABLE RECORDING
Recording used to be a separate add on called Office Mix. It is not built in to Microsoft
PowerPoint, but the feature is not enabled, or turned-on. To turn on Recording:
- Click on File
- Click on Options
- In the window that appears, select Customize Ribbon in the left column. The window will change to display two columns.
- In the right column (Customize the Ribbon), scroll down and check the box next to Recording (see right).
- Click OK.
The Recording tab should appear at the top of row of the PowerPoint window.
RECORDING YOUR PRESENTATION
Recording a presentation is similar to recording voice overs audio per slide, except
the recorder has the ability to record a webcam and your microphone at the same time.
NOTE: if you have a touch screen computer, you can also markup the PowerPoint slides with a stylus and the recorder will record this as well.
It is still good practice to script what you plan to say per slide in the notes section. These notes are available when you are recording.
When you are ready, go to the first slide of the presentation. Click on the Recording tab and select Record Slide Show from the tool bar (see below).
The screen will change as the recording window opens (see below). The recording controls appear in the top-left corner of the screen (Record, Stop, and Play). The Notes display in the top-center of the screen and a settings menu is in the top-right of the screen.
In the bottom-right corner of the screen is a webcam preview and on/off controls for your microphone and webcam. The webcam is not required for recording. You can turn this off and still record your audio on each slide.
NOTE: if you are going to record audio only, the presentation recorder is not required (see PowerPoints w/ Voice Over).
The color blocks at the bottom of the screen are drawing tools you may use if your computer has touch screen capabilities. If you have a PC laptop or Windows Surface Pro that is no more than two years old (or made before 2016), your computer may have touch screen capabilities. The drawing tools allow you to illustrate, or draw, on the presentation slide and those drawings are recorded. For the best use of the drawing tools, you need to use a stylus.
To start recording:
- Click the Record button
- Present your slide
- Click Stop. Click Play to preview the recording. If you need to re-record the, click the Record button again and present your material.
You will repeat these steps for the remainder of your presentation. If you are ready to move onto the next slide, you can use the left/right arrows to move through the presentation as needed. Or, you can close the Recording screen, move to the next slide in your presentation, and start recording again.
SHARING RECORDINGS TO CANVAS
When you are finished recording on each slide, you need to export your presentation
to a video. Video is the preferred method for PowerPoint Recordings for it keep all
audio and video timings the same in relation to any drawing or illustrating you may
have done on the presentation slide. The export function is located on the Recording
tab toolbar (see below).
The video will save (or export) to your computer first. After it has finished exporting, you will need to upload that video to a video streaming service for sharing purposes. You may choose to use a service you are already familiar with, like YouTube or Vimeo, or you can use one of the services provided by USM through Canvas: Studio.
Studio
Studio is located at the bottom of the black, global navigation bar that runs vertically on the left of your Dashboard. Studio allows you to create or upload videos.
- Click on Studio
- Click the +Create button which will allow you to choose to record a video using Studio Capture, Screen-o-Matic or Add Media to upload your video.
The following instructions are for sharing your video in your class assignment of discussion.
Adding a Studio video through a Canvas assignment or discussion
- Open the assignment or discussion your instructor wishes the video to be placed.
- Click Reply or Submit Assignment (Reply for Discussions, Submit Assignment for Assignments)If it is an assignment, there is an extra step. In the submission box that appears, click the Text Entry tab. After this extra step, the process for a discussion or an assignment are the same.
- Click the plug icon in the text editor tool bar.
- Click View All
- Find and click Canvas Studio to open a portal to your Studio library
- Find and click the video you want to share
- Click Embed
- Click Add item
For a discussion, click Post Reply. For an assignment, click Submit Assignment.
When submitting video for an assignment, you can use the Studio tab instead of the plug icon on the text editor tool bar. The Studio tab gives you direct access to your Studio library and ultimately your video collection.
For online students, presentations can be tricky things. If the instructor wants a live presentation, students typically create a slide presentation and present their material through a web conferencing software. However, if the assignment is to record yourself presenting and submit that recording to an online course, that is a bit more difficult. It does not have to be. The following support guide focuses on adding recorded audio, or voice over, to slides within a PowerPoint presentation (to provide that presentation element to the assignment). The guide also demonstrates how students can share these presentations to Canvas without uploading a large PowerPoint file.
Topics included within this support document are:
- How to get a copy of Microsoft Office
- Adding voice over to PowerPoint slides
- Sharing PowerPoint files to Canvas
GETTING MICROSOFT OFFICE
Most college students have created a PowerPoint presentation, or at least understand how to use the software. However, most online USM students do not know they can download the full Microsoft Office Suite for free and use it while they are a student at USM. The software is available for both Mac and PC/Windows and students can install this software on any computer they are able to (personal, work, etc).
To access this software, go to the following website portal.office.com (no www).
The site has a two-stage login process:
- Your username is your w-number in email form (Username: w######@usm.edu)This will direct you to a second username/password box.
- Username: just your w-number (w######)
Password: the same password you use to login to Canvas or SOAR
This logs you into Office365. Office365 is also your student email account. You can
use the same website and login process every time, so it may be worth bookmarking.
To download your free version of Microsoft Office, click on the Install Office Apps pull-down menu and select Office 2016.
NOTE: Office365 will download the correct version for your operating system (Mac or Windows). Currently, no Linux version of Microsoft Office is available.
A setup file will download onto your computer. Open the file and Office will begin the install process. If you already have Office 2013 for PC/Windows, you do not have update to the latest version to create a PowerPoint with voice over. If you are a Mac user, you are encouraged to update to the latest version of Microsoft Office.
Follow the installation prompts and open PowerPoint when finished.
ADDING VOICE OVER
The first step is to create all visual elements of your presentation. This includes
adding any text, images, animations, or transitions to each slide. When creating a
presentation, it is best practice not to overload your slides with text and only include
images that emphasize what you are presenting.
NOTE: when presenting, do not read directly from the slide. Your text should emphasize the main points of your slide and use the voice over to provide further explanation.
Adding audio to a PowerPoint slide is an old feature, or old technology. The ability to share PowerPoints via the internet is making this old functionality valuable again. Sharing these files is covered in the next section.
When adding voice over to a PowerPoint slide, it may be helpful to write, or script,
what you plan to say before recording. An easy place to do this is in the notes section
of the PowerPoint. Notes appears at the bottom of the PowerPoint window below the
slide layout (see right). Notes are specific to each slide and you can type any content
into the notes section you wish. Notes also save directly to the PowerPoint file,
so they may be used if you were to present your PowerPoint in a classroom environment.
Script out your presentation by adding notes to each slide.
Once you are satisfied with your audio script, return to the first slide. In the navigation
row at the top of the screen, click on Insert. Select audio from the tool bar and
click on Record Audio from the menu that appears (see right).
A recording panel will appear above your PowerPoint slide. The layout of this panel is very simple, with a play button, stop button, and record button. You can name your recordings, but this is not required.
To record your audio, click the record button. The recorder will display a counter
showing you how long you have been recording. When done, click the stop button. Click
the play button to listen to what you just recorded. If you need to re-record the
section, click the record button again. This erases what was previously done and allows
you to record a fresh voice over.
If you like the recorded audio, click the OK button and move on to the next slide. Repeat this process for all slides with your presentation.
Again, remember to save.
SHARING THE FILE TO CANVAS
In the past, all you could do with PowerPoints was upload the full file to an online
class. Office365 gives you the ability to store these files online and share them
with a web link. The audio voice overs also play in this online environment, which
gives people watching the impression of having the material presented to them.
To upload your PowerPoint file to Office365:
- Login to Office365 through portal.office.com (see Creating the
- Presentation for login instructions)
- Click on the OneDrive tile from the landing page
- At the top of the screen, click Upload and select Files from the menu that appears
- Locate and open your PowerPoint presentation
- In OneDrive, over your mouse pointer over the PowerPoint file name. Click the circle to the left of the file name to select it (see below)
The navigation row at the top of the screen will change. Click Copy Link from the
row to create a link to the presentation- From the menu that appears, click the pull-down that says “Anyone with the link can
view and edit”. This is located below the web link
When the menu expands, uncheck the box next to Allow Editing (see right). This prevents anyone with the link from making changes to your presentation - Click Apply
- Copy the web link
Once the weblink is copied, you will need to paste that link into Canvas in the location designated by the instructor. If the presentation is going to an assignment, without any classmate interaction, you can still upload the raw PowerPoint file with voice over (and, in some cases instructors may prefer this). However, if the instructor wants you to post the presentation to a discussion board for other students to view, use the weblink technique.