Welcome to the Canvas Insider

This multimedia Substack is curated by Chris Powell, Canvas LMS Administrator for Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, USA.

Since 2016, Chris has been accumulating knowledge about Instructure’s Learning Management System from supporting thousands of teachers, staff, and students at WWU. He is fueled by sharing information with people and likes helping de-stress his customers’ relationship with technology.

While Instructure has an outstanding, extensive online documentation repository for teachers and students, the Canvas Insider multimedia Substack provides unique tips and tricks Chris has acquired from working “in the trenches” with his clients. The supplemental podcast “audiograms” provides similar tips and suggestions for aural learners. And the various videos featuring famous movie clips with overdubbed dialogue is intended to provide lighthearted entertainment with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

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Quick Links to Insider Tips

Issue 1 - January 2022

• Bookmark your course homepage

• Is Canvas Down?

• Guest Post - Using Canvas to Enhance Student Engagement

• Reminder to publish module sections

• Message students before the start of the term

Issue 2 - February 2022

• Insurance for Essay Questions

• Is my browser compatible with Canvas?

• Two Steps to Extend Quiz Time for Students

• Troubleshoot Images not Appearing in Pages or Quizzes

Issue 3 - March 2022

• Grade Policy - No Going Back

• Help Students locate Rubric Comments and Annotation Feedback

• Pick and Choose What you Import

• Disappearing Courses for Students

Issue 4 - April 2022

• Course Navigation Menu Missing

• Start-of-term checklist

• Preventing “Who’s Who at the Zoo”

• Cross-listing courses before the term

Issue 5 - May 2022

• What-if Scenario: You can’t login to your computer’s user profile account

Issue 6 - June 2022

• Students can’t access published assignments

• Adding late-enrolling students to groups after groups have been created

• Making changes to quiz questions after publishing

• Words and links not showing up in content pages

Issue 7 - July 2022

• Importing Course Content revisited

• Peer Reviewed group discussions

• Saving your Canvas Admin’s tips for future reference

• Email algorithms possibly moving messages out of inbox

Issue 8 - August 2022

• Celebrity recommendation for viewing Syllabus

• Easter Egg Extra Credit Method

• Optimize providing students extra time for quizzes

• Proactive announcement for week activities

Issue 9 - September 2022

• Adding frequently asked questions to your email signature

• Students can’t access published assignments, revisited

• Quarter-long discussion to prevent email deluge

• Correctly configuring course start/end dates outside default term settings

Issue 10 - October 2022

• Follow-up from August 2022 - Optimize providing students extra time for quizzes

• Canvas Dark Mode extension in desktop web browser (not recommended)

• Enhanced Gradebook Filters

• Sortable Name Field advice to ensure correct alphabetized roster