1. Course Prep List
For each course:
• Request the syllabus from the professor.
Some of them won’t have it ready right away and it’s good to be able to know which ones you’ll be able to start working on.
• Obtain Access to the Course’s Canvas course website
Email the Academic Technology Group: atg@fas.harvard.edu to request that you be added to the course’s Canvas webpage with Designer level privileges.
• Has book order been submitted to the COOP?
Order Desk Copies
• Proofread the Syllabus
• Post the Finalized Syllabus to Canvas
• Login to the course website on canvas and post to the course’s syllabus page.
• Add the Lecture Dates to the Calendar in Canvas
• Post Readings to the Course Canvas Site *
• Add the Required and Recommended Books to the Reserves on Canvas
2. Basic Canvas Tips
Here are some of the basic steps to getting a site up and running for Faculty:
- Getting to and activating the site: This has not changed. Faculty will still go to my.harvard.edu to find their websites. If they have not set it up yet they will see a prompt asking them to do so, or to designate the task to someone else like a TF or admin.
- Adding people to the site: On the left hand side you will see a page for Manage People. Here you can enter a HUID or official email address to add in teaching staff, site admins or guests.
- Making your site visible to students: In the top right corner of the homepage you will see a Publish button. By default, the sites are not published or visible to students until you are set with your content and click that button.
- If you need content import from an old iSite: Please contact atg@fas.harvard.edu and they will move the content over for you.
- Uploading a Syllabus (or any file) for students to see:
Go to the homepage of your site and over to the right side and click Edit Syllabus Description. This will take you into the editing mode of your page.
Just place the cursor where you’d like the file, then go back over to the right hand side of the page and click on the Files tab towards the top. Here you will see all the files that have already been uploaded to the site, if any. By clicking on the titles you can add them to where the cursor is. This will be the same for any page, announcement, assignment, discussion prompt and so on. If your syllabus isn’t uploaded yet, just click on the Upload New File just below.
Alternatively you can type and then highlight any text on the page and link to the file the same way you did by placing the cusor.
There are two other ways to display a syllabus:
Follow the steps above to get into edit mode and then copy and paste the contents from your syllabus document onto the page. If you had links, they will be preserved. You can also type in any content you wish.
Canvas also has what is known as a dynamic syllabus. This means that individual assignments, weekly readings, discussion prompts, can be entered on the site. The advantage of this is that students will see all of them on a calendar as upcoming tasks, along with all their other courses. The will also get a reminder of what’s upcoming that week. Faculty can use this as a way to collect and grade assignments online as well. Here is a short video with more on what it is and how to use it: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/Syllabus-Instructors/ta-p...
There are a number of ways to get training and support with your course site:
https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Guides/ct-p/canvas_guides
In the top right corner of every Canvas site under Help there is 24/7 phone and chat support
There are workshops and drop-in help hours every week. An upcoming scheduled is on the ATG website: http://atg.fas.harvard.edu/calendar/upcoming
Email with any questions at atg@fas.harvard.edu and/or refer to their Canvas guide here: https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/display/canvas/welcome