1. We are Here to Help!
We offer instructors, TAs, and course support staff several support options, learning opportunities, and ways to connect:
- Just-in-time Consultation (15 minutes) – Check-in for support about one or two topics.
- Full Consultation (45-60 minutes) – Book if you need help with a more significant question or need extensive guidance on Canvas.
- Workshops (60 minutes) – Learn in a live, remote group training with your colleagues.
- Contact us: Email the team at canvas@northwestern.edu.
2. Review Your Course Settings and Grading Policies
Now is the time to check your Canvas course and gradebook settings and to make sure that your course works the way you want it to. A few settings that you may wish to adjust include:
- Grade Posting Policy (Gradebook) – Set a ‘Manually Post Grades’ policy to score and finalize grades before releasing them to students.
- Gradebook Weighting (Assignments) – Set up your graded items to match your syllabus regarding the relative weight of grading categories.
- Hiding Totals and Grade Distribution Graphs (Settings, under “More Options” button) – If you want students to focus less on their grades and more on their feedback and learning, consider hiding grade totals and comparison info from students.
- Default Due Time (Settings) – Set the default due time for assignments, quizzes, and discussions to something other than 11:59 p.m. to minimize student stress.
- Grading Scheme (Settings) – If you plan to use GradeSync at the quarter’s end, set your course grading scheme now so that the tool works when submitting grades.
3. New and Updated Canvas Analytics Dashboards Pilot
Are you looking for more information about the students in your class, their use of resources in your Canvas course site, or the best date for deadlines in your course? The NU Canvas analytics tools can help!
Built by TLT developers, these three analytics tools are being piloted now:
- NU Files – Locate information about what files are being downloaded and by whom in your course.
- NU Submissions – Find out when students are submitting their assignments in your course and when they have deadlines in other courses.
- NU Academic – Review information about the academic year and major/program of students in your course.
You can install these tools via the NU Learning Apps tab available in every Canvas course. Share your feedback on these tools via this short survey during the fall quarter to influence future updates to the tools.
4. Polling Tools Pilot Program
This fall, Northwestern IT is launching a multi-quarter evaluation of PollEverywhere and iClicker. These student response systems offer instructors live, in-class opportunities to capture student feedback, gauge understanding, and increase participation. The pilot is free for students and instructors not currently on a paid subscription. Both polling tools integrate with Canvas.
Please contact canvas@northwestern.edu if you are interested in learning more.
5. Focus on Course Site Accessibility Continues; New Pope Tech Accessibility Guide Now Available
The partnership between Northwestern IT, AccessibleNU, and the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance that launched the Canvas Accessibility Project and the Mission: Accessible challenge is back for the 2023-24 academic year. New this year is the Pope Tech Accessibility Guide. Pope Tech is available in all Canvas courses and identifies and remediates accessibility issues on your Canvas pages and other areas of your Canvas course. Learn more about Pope Tech Accessibility Guide.