Online Learning Support

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I copy a course in Canvas?
  Upcoming courses generally become available in Canvas the same day the course schedule is released for the particular semester. Copying a previous course’s content into a new one is a best practice to save time and effort. The Instructure Community’s article on copying course content walks through the process step-by-step. And, of course, CIRT is always here to assist!
• How do I enroll users or students in a Canvas course?
  While instructors may add additional users, such as other teachers or TAs, they cannot add students to term-based courses. External users can be added with a few specific steps. Explore our articles on Term-Based Course Enrollment and External Users to learn more. If you need to reach out, CIRT is always here to assist!
• Can I combine multiple sections of the same course in Canvas?
  Instructors are permitted to combine course sections in Canvas, but there are implications to consider when combining courses in Canvas that are not cross-listed on the course schedule. Read our article on combining course sections to learn more. And if you have additional questions, CIRT is always here to assist!
• How do I monitor student activity in a Canvas course?
  Canvas’ “New Analytics” feature allows instructors to drill down into different aspects of student activity in a course. For a higher-level overview, instructors can view the Course Access Report for individual students. Take a look a these Instructure resources, but remember – CIRT is always here to assist!
• What's a good way to share narrated PowerPoints in Canvas?
  While there are a few different ways that narrated presentations can be added to Canvas, our top recommendation is to add them to Canvas Studio. If you have already added narration using the embedded tools in the PowerPoint (or similar) application, you can export the presentation as a video and upload it. If you need to record your narrations, you can use the Canvas Studio screen capture option to page through the presentation as you provide a voice-over. For Mac users, Keynote offers the same functionality. Refer to our collection on Canvas Studio to learn more. And, of course, CIRT is always here to assist!
• How do I allow extra time for students taking a quiz in Canvas?
  For timed quizzes, you can allow extended time for individual students. Keep in mind the quiz time limit and the “available until” time in the quiz settings are mutually exclusive. The availability window trumps all else – so if you extend the timer, you need to ensure the availability window is open long enough to incorporate the extra time. CIRT will help you double-check these settings, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!