The fall 2022 term is fast approaching, and we are excited to announce some exciting updates and improvements coming to the Canvas LMS just in time.
Optimized Course Creation Process
As an improvement to the current workflow, all Canvas course shells will be automatically created 90-days in advance of a course’s my.SMU start date. Working in coordination with the Registrar, we can now ensure that each Canvas course shell will also include the official start and end dates as defined by my.SMU in the catalog of classes. Don’t worry; if an emergency arises or an exception is required, your area’s Academic Technology Service Director (ATSD) or the Academic Technology Operations team can still help override the course’s start and end dates.
Students will be able to see course content once the course is published, though course interactions are typically only available after the course’s specific start date. Instructors will continue to have full access to the Canvas course as soon as they are enrolled. Access will continue until 14 days after the course’s official end date.
Dropout Detective
Dropout Detective, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, is a unique Canvas-based student retention system that offers you, as the course instructor, a dashboard view of your students and helps to predict if one of your students might be in trouble in that course. Data is clearly represented by a graph showing a risk index, an estimate of the student’s success in the course. This tool should help you identify at-risk students—especially in large classes—and take action before the need to drop the course arises! We hope all instructors will take advantage of the wonderful new tool for student success.
Feedback Box
The Feedback Box is an integration that allows students to provide anonymous instructor feedback about their course. The instructor can click on the Feedback Box within the course navigation to quickly read and respond as necessary. Also, if the input is abusive, it can be marked and reported. While we hope this tool will help to improve faculty-to-student communications, any comments made using the Feedback Box are not collected or used in the instructor’s evaluation.
Need Additional Help?
Remember, you can always contact your ATSD directly for any help with teaching tools, such as Canvas and Zoom. Feel free to schedule an appointment with your school’s Academic Technology Service Director or contact the IT Help Desk.
