Embedding a picture in a Canvas discussion post can be completed in three simple steps. First, make sure the image you want to embed is saved as a jpeg file on your computer. Second, within the discussion post reply, click the image button to add your picture file. Finally, after you add the accompanying text within your post, click the reply button. You can find additional information on using image files in a discussion post in the Canvas Student FAQs.
Did you know you can share just a portion of your screen during a Zoom meeting rather than your whole desktop screen? It’s relatively easy to do so!
To share a portion of your screen, click the green share screen button at the bottom of the Zoom window. When the share screen settings window pops up, select the “Advanced” tab at the top.
On the Advanced menu, select the “Portion of Screen” option and then press “Share.”
A green window will then appear on your screen. You can adjust the size of this green window to fit the area of the screen you want to share.
Whenever you need to include a link in an email or on a webpage, make sure you follow accessibility guidelines to ensure easy access for all. Creating accessible links helps those using screen readers determine exactly what information they will find by choosing a link. When links do not have meaningful associated text, those using screen readers might be unsure of where a link leads. The following tips avoid this issue.
For more accessibility tips, check out the accessibility training on the iSchool Technology Training page located on Canvas.
Whether you are an instructor or a student, there may be times that you need to check Canvas away from your computer. You could use a browser on your phone but you know that many functions are not mobile compatible and those that are can still be difficult to navigate. Fortunately, you can download the Canvas Student App or Canvas Teacher App instead. From participating in discussions to seeing or posting grades, the Canvas mobile apps allow users to access their courses easily while on the go.
There’s lots of free content for students, staff, and faculty on the UIUC WebStore, from the Microsoft Office Suite, to Adobe, to security software. Check it out the WebStore’s “Personal Purchases” page to see a break down of software categories for easy browsing.
Below is a series of screenshots of webpages you’ll likely encounter when purchasing software in the WebStore. Be sure to log in to the WebStore first. There have been some issues w/ logins to the WebStore, so if you encounter login trouble, please contact the iSchool Help Desk. You can reach us at (217) 244-4903 or (800) 377-1892, ischool-support@illinois.edu, or via chat at https://go.ischool.illinois.edu/TechChat.
From this point, depending on which software you’re looking into, directions may vary. Likely though, you’ll download and install the software and be good to go. There may also be limits on how many devices you can install a single instance of software on, so be sure to prioritize installing software on your primary devices.
You may have noticed that your profile picture on Canvas is blank, or is the same image as your iCard photo. If you would like to change your Canvas profile photo, follow along this week’s Tech Tip below.
First, have a picture you’d like to use on the device you are using, or be ready to take a picture with a camera.
Log in to your Canvas account, either on a computer, or on a smart device via the Canvas App. Select the profile icon in the left hand bar of Canvas.
It should be at the top of the pillar of icons.
Select “Profile” in the menu that appears.
You should now see a page with your name, a place for your profile picture, and places for other personal information which you may manage separately. You can edit your profile picture by clicking on it. If you have not already placed an image there, Canvas will default to your iCard portrait photo, if you took one.
Once you have clicked on the circle icon to edit it, you will have the option to “Upload a Picture” from your computers files, or “Take a Picture” using any attached web camera. Select “choose a picture” at the bottom.
Note: You may use any image file type, such as .png or .jpg, or even .gif animated images (although the animation will not carry through to your icon).
Upon choosing an image to use, you may then crop the picture using the circular overlay to focus on the picture as you please. Click and drag the cropping circle to focus your profile picture to your taste.
Hit “Save” at the bottom and you’re good to go.
Note: Immediately after saving the new image as your profile pic, the icon in the profile settings page you’ve been working from may turn white. Try refreshing the page or clicking back to it, allowing the new image to load properly. You may want to double check your new profile picture before moving on, to ensure the cropping and resolution are to your taste.
Additional Resources: For more in-depth directions, see the official Instructure Guide for changing your profile picture on Canvas. The above link from the UIUC Systems Knowledge Base in turn links to the official Canvas Instructure Guide.
Here are some notes taken directly from Instructure’s Canvas guides. The source is listed below if you would like to view the content directly and more in-depth.
Source: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/How-do-I-submit-an-online-assignment/ta-p/503
Celebration Animation:
One of the easiest ways to tell if your submission has gone through properly, is to enable the Canvas celebration animation in your profile settings. You can find these settings by logging into Canvas, selecting your profile photo, then the settings item. Scrolling down on the subsequent settings page will reveal the “User settings” under the heading, “Feature Options.” Within the “User settings” there is the option to enable and disable celebration animation. Enabling the celebration animation will allow a burst of digital confetti to display upon submission of an assignment.
View Submission:
After you have submitted your work, you will see information in the Sidebar about your submission. For file uploads, the sidebar provides a link to your submission to download if necessary. This should populate immediately, or upon refreshing the page and remain there indefinitely.
Re-Submission:
If you choose, you may resubmit another version of your assignment using the New Attempt button. You will only be able to view the details of your most recent submission in the Sidebar, but your instructor will be able to see all of your submissions.
*When you resubmit an assignment, you can only access and view your most recent submission. However, instructors can view all of your submissions.
Graded Submissions:
Once the instructor has graded your submission, the Grades link in Course Navigation displays a grading indicator.
You can also see details about your assignment and links to additional feedback in your Grades page.
Before the semester begins, it might useful to know more about your options for using Canvas. While the desktop version of Canvas is ideal for getting work done, the App “Canvas Student” allows you to log-in on the move and check in on announcements and notifications more conveniently.
If you need to, you may also enter your Zoom room from your Canvas Student app, presuming you also already have your Zoom app set up on your phone. (The Zoom app is simple enough to set up; download the app, login w/ SSO using “illinois”and DUO 2FA, and get going with your meetings. The settings for Zoom mobile are definitely worth setting up before trying to attend a meeting.)
You can also mess around with the settings in the Canvas Student app, though they are not as in-depth the desktop settings for Canvas. The app’s settings are more directed towards notifications and display, missing much of the organizational and workflow oriented settings.
For further information regarding Canvas’ Student App, check out these links to the official FAQ,
Logging into the Canvas Student App: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Troubleshooting/Logging-into-the-Canvas-Student-App/ta-p/885
Viewing My Courses in the Canvas Student App: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Troubleshooting/Viewing-my-courses-in-the-Canvas-Student-app/ta-p/879
Viewing my personal to-do items in the Canvas Student App: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Troubleshooting/Viewing-my-personal-to-do-items-in-the-Canvas-Student-app/ta-p/877
In Canvas, there are opportunities to customize features to your own taste. Today’s Tech Tip will focus on notifications in Canvas. There are two options; the first being your general account Canvas Settings which you can find beneath your profile photo, and the second being Course-specific Notification Settings which you can access on individual course pages.
In the general settings, as shown in the first two images, you can disable/enable notification timeouts, such that when notifications do appear in Canvas, they will remain until they are dismissed. Enabling Notification Timeouts will allow notifications to dismiss themselves a short moment.
In these next two images, on an individual course page, you can customize notifications frequency and device destination (phone, email, canvas homepage, etc.)
And that’s all for Canvas notification Settings. There are of course other Canvas settings which we hope to explore further in future Tech Tips.
As always, if you have technical questions about Canvas, contact us at the Help Desk at (217) 244-4903 or (800) 377-1892, ischool-support@illinois.edu, or via chat at https://go.ischool.illinois.edu/TechChat. You can also find us on the 4th Floor of 614 E Daniel just to your left as you exit the elevators. Our desk hours are typically 9-5 on Weekdays.
Whether you are recording audio for a podcast or a class presentation, mistakes are bound to happen. When you make a mistake, clap your hands or make a loud noise. That way, when it’s time to edit, you will see a spike in the audio waves and can quickly locate errors you need to remove.