Commonly Asked Questions about Teaching Practices and Educational Technology

Educational & Emergent Technology

Whether you teach online, face-to-face, or a hybrid of the two, there are a variety of ways you can leverage course design principles, educational technology, and pedagogical practices to support you in facilitating your course. The resources listed on this page can help you make quick adaptations or serve as a starting point for integrating Canvas and other available technology into your course design. Each DU course is already set up with a Canvas shell that you can activate at any time! Get started by looking through our commonly asked questions about teaching practices and educational technology.

 

Did you know that we have 24/7 Canvas support?

Call:

  • Canvas Support Hotline for Faculty: 1-833-291-3240
  • Canvas Support Hotline for Students: 1-855-712-9770

Online, real-time Canvas Chat

Getting Started

In this section we answer questions you may have about getting started with your Canvas course design for the new term. 

Canvas Design and Functionality

Explore the functionality of course design options in Canvas through our commonly asked questions below. 

  • What are some of the ways I can share learning materials?

    Both OTL Canvas Templates include a “Readings and Instructional Materials” template page. These template pages can be used to compile lists and links to all the required and relevant course materials.

    You can also share files with your students using Canvas’s Files function, which you can learn more about here.

    The Microsoft Office suite, specifically OneDrive and Teams, also have robust file sharing capabilities. Log in with your DU credentials to this IT page with more information about file sharing via Office 365.

  • How do I set up assignments?

    If you’ve never created an assignment in Canvas before, it’s a good idea to visit the Canvas’s Instructor Guide section on Assignments, which addresses everything from assignment types, grouping, points, and more.

    Many assignments benefit from using rubrics. A well-designed rubric clearly spells out expectations for students, and streamlines the grading process for instructors. You can visit the OTL’s Developing Rubrics page for further information and best practices.

    Assignments can also be created and administered through Kaltura, DU’s video management system. This Knowledge Base article offers examples of video assignments that instructors have created using Kaltura.

  • How do I administer exams or quizzes?

    There are a variety of ways to administer and facilitate exams through Canvas. Currently, you can create exams using either Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes. This Knowledge Base article compares the features of Classic and New Quizzes.

    This blog post gives an overview of the pedagogical uses of New Quizzes.

    If you need to administer exams and want to reduce the opportunities for cheating, you might consider using LockDown Browser, a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Canvas. Respondus Monitor is a related feature that builds upon the LockDown Browser integration, and uses a student’s webcam and video analytics to hinder cheating during non-proctored exams. Before using Respondus Monitor, though, you should familiarize yourself with its drawbacks, some of which are outlined in the OTL’s blog post Inclusive Use of Proctoring Technology: LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor.

    You can also administer quizzes through Kaltura, DU’s video management system. Visit this Knowledge Base article for instructions about creating Kaltura video quizzes.

  • How do I facilitate a discussion on Canvas?

    You can facilitate discussion forums among an entire class, or within smaller groups, using Canvas’s Discussion feature.

    Asynchronous online courses can use discussions to facilitate class discussions, group work, and more.

    Face-to-face (F2F) courses can be use also discussions. For example, an F2F course could create discussion forums where students either prep for or debrief in-class activities. In-class group activities can also continue online using Canvas’s Group feature.

    In order to be effective, discussions should feature clear prompts that pose a few specific questions that ask students to analyze, interpret, reflect on, and/or synthesize the subject matter of the course. Requiring students to respond to each other’s posts also ensures that discussions are productive and interactive. Instructors can facilitate productive discussions by chiming into the discussion board as well.

    Canvas allows users to respond within discussions using media, such as images, gifs, and audio and video recordings.

    If you’re interested in platforms outside of Canvas to facilitate online discussions, consider Flipgrid or Perusall.

  • How does grading work in Canvas?

     The Canvas gradebook will automatically sync with any assignments in your course; this includes discussions, quizzes, and general assignments. When creating any of these in your course, be sure to carefully read the settings in the setup menu, as there are many options available.

    You will need to choose due dates, submission formats, points, or complete/incomplete, and number of allowed attempts. For more advanced Canvas users, you can also choose to embed a TurnItIn review, designate individual or group work, or implement peer reviews. To set up weighted grading in Canvas, utilize the steps in this helpful guide.

    Consult our blog post Making the Grade: Choosing a Grading Scheme to Enhance Student Success for more information about weighting assignments, co-constructing grades, portfolios, and other grading approaches.

Accessibility

The following information addresses common questions with accessibility and educational technology. 

Pedagogical Questions

Here are a few commonly asked questions that may require some additional pedagogical decision making. 

Additional Resources

Additional commonly asked questions about resources across campus. 

Need more assistance? Our Instructional Designers are ready to help, please feel free to schedule a 1:1 consultation.
  • Visit our OTL Event Calendar to check out upcoming events.
  • Check out our DU Teaching Toolkit for in-depth information about Canvas, Planning, Development and Delivery Methods for your course.