Common myWPI requests and (how to accomplish in) Canvas
At the start of every term/semester, we receive many requests asking for assistance in copying prior content into a new site, merging Blackboard sites into “MASTER” sites, adding TAs/graders/PLAs, and bringing back a prior offering to have available for reference, or for a student to make up an incomplete. Many instructors were frustrated that they couldn’t do some of these tasks themselves.
GOOD NEWS! In Canvas, you can! Learn how below.
Copying Content Between Canvas Course Sites
Link to instructions: Copying Content Between Canvas Course Sites
If you only want to copy certain content (e.g. one homework, one module, one quiz, etc.), then visit this page to learn how to select specific Canvas content to copy into a new Canvas site.
Merging Canvas Sites into one Section
Before you do this, we also recommend that you rename your sections so that you can easily sort them in the Grades tool. In each section site, go to Settings > Sections > Edit (pencil button). Then rename the section. If you forget which section site you are in (happens to us all the time!) look at the course ID in the upper left-hand corner.
After you have renamed a section, then follow these instructions for cross-listing Canvas course sites.
Granting Site Access to Course Support Staff (e.g. TAs, PLAs, Graders, etc.)
Link to instructions: Granting Site Access to Course Support Staff
You do not need to use these instructions to add registered students to your site. Course registrations, including adds and drops, will be automatically processed hourly.
Bringing Back a Prior Offering
Link to instructions: Bringing Back a Prior Offering
More Canvas good news… we will NOT be turning off older course sites for instructors. HOWEVER, sites will still turn off for students after the term/semester official end date. Essentially, you want to override the term availability settings using the “Limit User Participation” section of the above-linked documentation by setting your own preferred access dates. If you have concluded your course (read: students will no longer be able to submit anything), please contact myhelp@wpi.edu for assistance.
Adding Columns to the Gradebook
Another common request is in assistance adding a new column to the Gradebook. This is an entirely different process from how it worked in Blackboard and can take some getting used to. Basically, an instructor has to add an Assignment, even if nothing is being turned in. Alternatively, an instructor can manually add a column by downloading the Gradebook CSV file, adding a new column, giving the column a title, and uploading the CSV file back to the Gradebook.
- Link to instructions: How do I use the Gradebook
- Link to instructions: How do I Create an Assignment Shell (select “no submission” for the Submission Type drop-down menu in the Assignment Details).
