Florida Atlantic University Canvas Student Guide
This guide provides essential information for students using Canvas, the Learning Management System (LMS) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). It covers various aspects, from accessing courses to submitting assignments and managing personal settings.
Accessing Canvas
FAUNet ID and Password
Your Canvas username is your FAUNet ID, and your password is the same one you use to access MyFAU.
Course Availability
Courses are loaded into Canvas around the advanced registration period, which is typically 2-3 months before the start of the term. However, students will only see their courses once their instructors publish them. The course will move from "Future Enrollments" to "Active Enrollments" for both instructors and students one week prior to the posted start date of the semester, according to global term dates set for each Canvas course. Even after a course becomes active, students cannot view or participate in it until the instructor publishes the course.
Automatic Enrollment
Students appearing on the official roster for a class are automatically enrolled in the Canvas course website approximately two weeks before classes begin. This automatic loading into Canvas occurs upon registration in Banner. In accordance with the university Registration Requirement policy, “No student may attend a course for which he or she is not registered, either as a degree-seeking student or as a non-degree-seeking student," students may not be added to a Canvas course unless officially registered. Students whose registration has been withdrawn in Banner will remain in the Canvas course roster but will be listed as Inactive. The integration between Banner and Canvas occurs every hour.
Navigating Canvas
Browser Compatibility
Canvas is web agnostic and built with the latest HTML5 standards, meaning it generally works with any web browser. Canvas officially supports the last two versions of every browser release.
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Calendar
Use the Calendar feature to view upcoming due dates and assignments for each of your courses.
Submitting Assignments and Viewing Grades
Online Submissions
Learn how to submit online assignments and view your grades within Canvas.
GradeBook and SpeedGrader
The Grade Book and SpeedGrader are tools used by instructors to view and assess student submissions.
Personalization and Settings
Notification Preferences
Take control of your personal information and set your own notification preferences. Connect to web services outside of Canvas.
Active Courses
Customize the active courses you want to show on your Canvas dashboard.
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Course Content and Tools
Content Editor
Canvas has a simple, yet powerful, content editor that is available anywhere for creating new content, including Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Pages, Quizzes, or Syllabus.
File Management, Pages, and Quizzes
Learn how to add files, create pages, organize course content, and create and administer online quizzes and surveys.
Special Considerations
Cross-Listed Courses
Courses that are cross-listed in Banner will integrate into Canvas automatically. However, courses that do not meet the university’s cross-listing definition cannot be cross-listed in Canvas. This is because students in one section of the course would be able to view and communicate with students in another section, thus violating student privacy. The university must adhere to the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) to protect the privacy of students’ educational records. A student’s class enrollment is not considered directory information. Students cannot remain anonymous in the classroom even if they opt out of directory information disclosure. Students enrolled in courses that meet the university cross-listing definition (or exception to) fall under this same requirement.
Respondus
FAU has purchased a site license for Respondus, a tool for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Canvas. It is recommended that the first test your students take online should NOT be their midterm or final exam. Your students should have taken at least one other online quiz or exam using Canvas so they are familiar with the system.
Course Disk Space Quota
All Canvas courses are subject to a 500 MB disk space quota.
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Troubleshooting and Support
Initial Support Contact
Students should first contact the instructor or TA if content within the course is unavailable.
Technical Support
If the instructor needs assistance, they may contact Instructional Technologies for support via a ticket.
Instructional Technology Assistance
Instructional Technology staff will assist instructors with copying their course, provided the instructor is enrolled in both courses before the copy can take place.
Incomplete Grades
Instructors needing to add a student to a course to complete an incomplete grade should submit a ticket to the online Help Desk. This initiates a process requiring the Registrar to verify the enrollment and grading status of the student.
Masquerading
Occasionally, individuals with admin accounts (i.e., OIT staff) may need to log in as an instructor or student to aid in troubleshooting an issue. This is called "Masquerading." Logs are associated with this activity, and no changes will be made without explicit written consent from the instructor (i.e., resetting student quiz attempts, changing availability dates of assignments, etc.).
Instructor-Specific Information
Access to Courses
Access to courses for instructors is dependent on several factors. The hire process and onboarding must be complete before being added as the instructor of record of a course in Banner. The department must ensure this process is complete through the Registrar’s office. Being set as the instructor of record is necessary to gain access to the course in the LMS.
Training
Canvas training is not required but is highly recommended. FAU offers scheduled hands-on training workshops as well as one-on-one appointments. You may attend training in advance of gaining access to your course in order to familiarize yourself with the LMS. Be on the lookout for various learning opportunities. Roadshows and Canvas Tech Talks will be offered at each college. Tech Talks will also be available outside of the scheduled college visits. You can request group sessions, personalized one-on-one sessions, and virtual appointments.
Guest or Visiting Instructors
Occasionally, there is a need to allow Guest or Visiting Instructors access to a Canvas course. To request access for a NON-FAU instructor, instructors (or Deans/Chairs) must make a request in writing for a Courtesy Account from FAU. Once permission is given, Instructional technology staff will assist with the clearing of attempts.
Course Availability after Semester End
Full access to courses and materials for instructors remains after the semester term ends and also after “Concluding” the course in Canvas. A course concludes two weeks after the end of the semester, at which point, the course turns into a read-only state where grade book entries and student submissions cannot be modified. Students maintain access to the course in a read-only state, meaning they can only view published materials and their grades.
Course Content Upload
OIT will not upload course content to Canvas for faculty.
Test Reset
Instructional Technology staff will not reset a test, assignment, quiz, or other graded item for a student where the due date has passed or the number of attempts has been exceeded. Students should contact the instructor/TA first.
Sandbox Courses
Instructors who are actively assigned to a course(s) in LMS will have the ability to create courses for Sandbox, professional development, student academic societies, etc., as required. Instructors will be responsible for adding users as needed.
Instructor View
If an instructor wishes to view their course as a student, they can use the Canvas Test Student mode in Canvas.
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