What is Canvas?
Canvas is a web-based Learning Management System (LMS) used to design and deliver online and blended learning environments. It helps to engage, assess, and track student learning progress. It provides instructors a variety of tools to create and share course content using Assignments, Discussions, Modules, Quizzes, and Pages. Instructors may choose to foster a collaborative learning experience using Collaborations, Conferences, and Groups.
How do I get started?
If you are assigned a course by your department, it is automatically created on Canvas. To find your course login to the Portal site (my.bergen.edu) and click on Online Classes/Canvas item. If you are creating a Canvas course from a blank course shell, first import the Bergen template from the Commons area. The Bergen template uses the core style to provide a consistent experience to all students. This will also give you a head start on using modules to structure your course and add institutional support services to your course.
In case you are using publisher provided content, link the external site/resources in your Canvas course for students to find all the course content from a central location. If you are teaching a course you have previously taught, copy the course from a previous semester.
Where can I find training materials?
To begin learning canvas you can start with the Self-paced training Course, “Bergen Canvas Training Course,” which is listed next to your course on the Canvas Dashboard. You can also attend any of the training sessions by registering for a workshop from the CITL workshop calendar. The Canvas Instructor Guide provides step by step instructions on how to work with Canvas tools. Alternatively you may watch Canvas Video Tutorials to learn a Canvas tool or feature. If you need assistance with issues/problems, contact the Canvas support team 24×7 by clicking the “Help?” option from the Global navigation bar within your Canvas course.
A quick start guide can be downloaded to refer to at the start of a semester for setting up your course. It is expected instructors will make the course available to students on the first day of the class.
If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected].