Canvas FAQs for Colorado Mountain College Students
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Accessing Canvas
Canvas FAQ
Accessing Canvas
What do I need to access Canvas and my classes?
In order to access Canvas, you need a computer with Internet access and an active Canvas user name and password, provided by CMC. Your user name will be your Datatel Colleague/CMC ID number, which is 7 digits long, so you'll need to be sure and include any leading 0’s--your ID number must always total 7 digits. Canvas can be visited via most major web browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, and is supported under Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX operating systems. Here's how to navigate Canvas. Although Internet Explorer will work with Canvas, it's not recommended as a first choice browser.
Will Canvas work on my mobile device?
Canvas functions fully on several smart phones. Compatible devices include the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Android, Palm and Blackberry. On Android devices, browsers that work well are Opera, Firefox and Dolphin Browser HD. Others are functional but these three are currently recommended. Additional mobile applications are planned or are under development.
How do I log into Canvas for the first time—what will my username and password be?
The very first time you log into Canvas, do not click on the "Reset Password" link, that link is for users who have already logged in at least once and have forgotten their passwords. Instead, log in with your CMC ID number as your username and your default password which will be cmc and the last 6 digits of your Social Security number, for example: cmc123456. Or, if you don't have a Social Security number, your default password will be cmc, followed by the 2 digits of your birth month, followed by the 2 digits of your birthday, followed by the letters xx.
So, for example, if your birthday is January 5, and you don't have a Social Security number, your default password would be cmc0105xx. If you have no Social Security number and no birth date in the system, your password will be a randomly generated number. You would need to contact the IT Service Desk at 970-947-8438 for assistance in that case.
How do I find my CMC ID number so that I can log into Canvas?
Your CMC ID number is located on the top right corner of your printed Student Schedule. You can also find it by logging into WebAdvisor, then clicking on the Students menu tab, then clicking on “Program Evaluation.” Your CMC ID number may be printed on your ID card; it will always be found on your paystubs from CMC if you work for CMC as an employee. Finally, you can also contact your local campus or the IT Department's Service Desk if you are still unable to locate your CMC ID number.
How do I reset my password if I've lost or forgotten it?
If you've previously logged in to Canvas successfully but have lost or forgotten your password, then click on the link "I don't know my password" on CMC's log-in page for Canvas. Instructions for resetting your password will be emailed to the principal email address in your Canvas account. Please see this tutorial for more details on how to change your default password to a password of your choice.
What about changing my password or updating my profile and receiving notifications and alerts from Canvas?
Please see these illustrated steps for instructions on how to change your default password to a password of your choice. And please see this tutorial on how to customize the notifications or alerts you receive from Canvas. By clicking on the link with your name in the upper-right corner of the Canvas interface, you can also:
- change your display name
- add a profile photo
- adjust notification preferences--what kinds of activities in Canvas will prompt it to send you messages, and how you prefer to receive those messages
- upload files
- create ePortfolios
- input or change phone numbers, email addresses, social media information, notification preferences, and other profile information in Canvas. Please note: your principal email address will remain your CMC email address.
- You can link your accounts from Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Google, LinkedIn, Diigo, and Delicious to Canvas, and you can choose to receive alerts on your cell phone from Canvas too!
Canvas FAQ
How do I get help with using Canvas?
Students can click on the Help link at the top right corner of the screen while logged into Canvas to request help. Students can also call the Service Desk at 970-947-8438 or 866-642-0495. We recommend as well that students check out the tutorials in Canvas' YouTube channel and the information at Canvas Guides. The Canvas student's manual is posted online in the Canvas Guide for Students.
Is a student orientation for Canvas available?
Yes, we have a Student Orientation to Canvas module available that teachers can copy into their Canvas courses. If your teacher hasn't done so, please ask your teacher to contact the Office of Innovations at innovations@coloradomtn.edu or (970) 947-8408 to obtain this module. Sorry, the Office of Innovations can only respond to inquiries from faculty.
Customizing Canvas alerts and notifications
Please see this tutorial on how to customize the notifications or alerts you receive from Canvas so that you don't receive too much email or other alerts from Canvas. By clicking on the Profile link in the upper-right corner of the Canvas interface, users can:
- change their display name
- add a profile photo
- adjust notification preferences--what kinds of activities in Canvas will prompt it to send you messages, and how you prefer to receive those messages
- upload files
- create ePortfolios
- input or change phone numbers, social media information, notification preferences, and other profile information in Canvas.
- You can link your accounts from Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Google, LinkedIn, Diigo, and Delicious to Canvas, and you can choose to receive alerts on your cell phone from Canvas too!
Will my teacher email me from Canvas?
Canvas doesn't have an email tool that broadcasts out emails to students (the way that CMC's previous online course system Blackboard 8 did). Instead, Canvas assumes that with the ability to set up custom Notifications, students are getting the message in the channels they prefer--but that important conversations should be in one central location: Canvas itself. Instead of emailing out to users, Canvas uses its Conversations tool, an internal messaging system entirely based within Canvas. You can use Conversations to send messages to any other CMC Canvas user-- you don't need to be in a course together. So students can contact instructors whose courses they may take and have questions about-- and whenever you write a comment when you submit an assignment, it's copied to the Conversations inbox for you and your teacher. Likewise, any feedback a teacher provides on an assignment you've submitted will be copied into your Conversation inbox for your convenience. Click here for a tutorial on Conversations.
When can I access my courses?
You typically will not have access to your courses in Canvas until the first day of class. You do not need to request access as you are automatically enrolled after registration in your Canvas course(s). If you register on the first day of class or after that date, it may take one business day before access is available as we update the information periodically, not instantaneously.
I can't see a course I registered for in Canvas. Why?
In order to view your course in Canvas, two things must happen:
You must be officially enrolled in the course; and your instructor must have "published" the course to make it available to students. If an instructor asks you to access a Canvas course but it is not listed in your My Courses list, ask your instructor if the course has been published yet. If the instructor has published the course, ask your instructor to check if you are on the roster. If you have recently registered for the course, please allow one day for your enrollment to be added to Canvas.
What happens in Canvas when I drop a course?
If a student drops a course, he or she can still visit that course, but strictly in a "read-only" mode--in other words, you will be unable to participate, submit work, take tests, etc. This occurs once the system has had time to process this change in registration (typically one day).
My course list doesn't show all of my courses! How do I access them?
Canvas displays up to 12 courses in the Courses drop-down menu. Once users have more than 12 courses, they may customize the drop-down menu to choose which courses will display. Click here for a tutorial on how to do so. After a semester ends, your courses from that semester will be retired from your course list. Also, if you're involved in many courses at once during a semester, you may not see all of your courses on your course list. In any case, you can always access all of your courses, past and present. Click on your course list and when that dropdown list pops open, look for the text at lower right that says “View all courses.” Click on that text and you'll be taken to a new screen which will list all of your courses, past and present alike. Click on a course's name to enter it.
How do I upload files for my Assignments?
Here's an online tutorial to show you how to turn in an assignment.
Can I submit files multiple times for an assignment?
Yes, you can return to an assignment and submit your work again, as long as the instructor has not restricted the assignment. You can also write a comment as you submit work. Canvas will keep track of the time and date each file is submitted for your instructor. However, be aware that you will only see your most recent submission for an assignment if you return to the page where you submitted or check the Grades section.
What about the Turnitin anti-plagiarism tool and my assignments?
Your instructor has the option of enabling the Turnitin anti-plagiarism tool to check assignments that are submitted online in your Canvas course. Please contact your instructor if you have any questions about Turnitin. The Turnitin student manual can be found online here.
How do I attach files to my discussion posts?
Your teacher must turn on a particular setting to enable you to attach files to your posts in discussions. If this setting is on, then you should see this "attach" option at the lower right when you are composing a discussion post:
If you are not seeing this "attach" option, then ask your teacher to turn on this option--there are instructions for faculty regarding this topic at the Canvas Faculty FAQ page.
How can I find the URL (web address) of an image that is already online, so that I can embed it in Canvas?
Please click here for a video tutorial explaining how to locate the URL (web address) of an image that is already online so that you can embed it in a Canvas wiki page, assignment submission, etc.
How do I check my grades in Canvas?
This online tutorial will demonstrate how to check your grades in your Canvas course. Final grades can still be viewed by logging into WebAdvisor, clicking on the Students Menu, then clicking on Grades. Next, select the semester you're interested in, and click the Submit button. Your final grades for that semester will be displayed.
How do I use Respondus LockDown Browser when taking a test in Canvas?
Some instructors will require that online tests be taken with a special browser, Respondus LockDown Browser. This browser makes tests more secure. For the Respondus LockDown Browser Quick Start Guide for Students, please click here.
How long after the semester ends can I access my courses?
You should be able to view past courses at any point in the future, but you will not necessarily be able to do any work in them. If a situation arises where you need access to a course for doing more work in that course, but the course is turned off, please consult your instructor first.
How can I use the Canvas Calendar that I see when I first log in?
Please click here for a video tutorial on using the Calendar feature.
How can I take advantage of Canvas' hypothetical grades feature?
Canvas allows students to view not only their actual grades via the Grades section, but also to plug in hypothetical grades to assess their academic performance in a course and plan ahead. To learn more, please click here.
How can I view a course I took in summer 2012 or earlier, when CMC was using Blackboard 8?
Please consult your instructors regarding past courses that were hosted in Blackboard 8.