Canvas Support FAQ

• How can I get help with a Canvas-related issue?

  The best way to get timely assistance is to submit a help ticket. When you submit a help ticket, the ticket is forwarded to IDD (or IM&T depending on the nature of the issue).

  There are three ways to submit a help ticket:

  1. Send an email to help@unco.edu
  2. Call 970-351-4357 and speak to a member of the TSC
  3. Submit a web-based form

  No matter which option you choose, please include the following information:

  • Course ID (ex: ENG122) and the name of the course in question
  • Where in your course an issue is occurring (ex: name of assignment, page, etc.)
  • Any other additional information that you believe will be helpful in investigating your ticketed issue

  Once the ticket generates and gets to us, a member of the IDD team will respond as soon as possible. 

• How do I copy ("import") my previous course content into my new course?

  There are two ways to do this. The option that will work best for you will depend on how much previous content you want to import into your new course. 

  If you would like to import all or most of your previous content into a new course, choose an All Content import. Please view our How to Import All Content quick tip video for a demonstration of the necessary steps.

  If you would like to import specific bits of your previous content (like a module or page or a number of files) into your a new course, choose a Select Specific Content import. Please view our How to Import Select Specific Content quick tip video for a demonstration of the necessary steps.

  For more information on both options, please view our How to Copy a Course guide.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing these resources, please submit a help ticket.

• How can I share previous course content with another instructor?

  You can do this by requesting and then sharing a developmental (DEV) shell with that other instructor. To get a DEV shell, submit a help ticket and request a blank DEV shell from IDD. Let us know the course ID (ex: BIO101) and the names of the instructor(s) with whom you want to share your content.

  Once you have submitted the ticket, a member of the IDD team will create the blank DEV shell. You can then copy your previous course content into the DEV shell to share with the other instructor.

  Please view the above FAQ, "How do I copy ("import") my previous course content into my new course?" for resources on how to copy course content into a DEV shell.

• How can I share my Panopto video with another instructor?  

  The language that Panopto uses for sharing a video is "create a reference copy." To create a reference copy, you must be the original creator of the video. When you create a reference copy of a video to share, Panopto creates a clean reference to the video. This means that any video or student data will be connected to only the reference copy and only the students that view that copy. This also means that while the person you shared with is not the creator of the video, the video will not disappear if the creator removes the original video.

  To create a reference copy to share with a colleague, please view this Panopto guide Learn About Video Reference Copies.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the guide, please submit a help ticket.

• If all else fails and I am having trouble with permissions in Panopto, do I have any other options for sharing my video?

  You can download your Panopto video as an .mp4 file and then email that file to your colleague(s). Your colleague can then upload your .mp4 file into their Canvas course/Panopto account and embed the video in their course.

  For more information on downloading your Panopto video as an .mp4 file, please view this Panopto guide How to Download a Session as an MP4.

  For more information on uploading an .mp4 file into Panopto, please view our guide Upload Panopto Video.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing these resources, please submit a help ticket.

• I want course content from an instructor who previously taught the course. Can I get their content in my new course?

  You need to first get permission from that instructor to use their content in your own course.

  Ask that instructor to submit a help ticket requesting a DEV shell and for both you and that instructor to be added to that DEV shell as Teachers. That way, you will have both have permissions to use the shared content once their content is imported into the DEV shell for you. The instructor can then import their course content into the blank DEV shell.

  Please view the above FAQ, "How do I copy ("import") my previous course content into my new course?" for resources on how to copy content into a shell.

• I want course content from an instructor who has left UNC. Can I get their content into my new course?

  If you are certain the instructor has left UNC, reach out to that instructor’s previous Dean via email and ask for permission to use that instructor's previous content (include the specific course ID (ex: BIO101), course name, and term date).

  If the Dean grants permission, forward the email to help@unco.edu to submit a help ticket and request a DEV shell for the course content. Once we see the Dean’s written permission, IDD will create that DEV shell and add the course content for you.

• I need a classroom template for my course ASAP. How can I get one?

  Submit a help ticket and include the following information:

  • The full course ID (ex: ENG122-970) and name of the course in question
  • How many modules you want (ex: you organize content by units and need four units in your course. You'd then request four modules).
  • The start and end dates for the course 
  • If the course is online/hybrid or face-to-face (F2F)

  IDD aims to deliver an OC-DEV (online/hybrid classroom template) or F2F-DEV (F2F classroom template) to you within two working days of receiving the help ticket and required/bulleted course information. 

  You can also download certain classroom templates from Canvas Commons using the search term: UNCO_LE@RN. These templates are not customized with your course information, but all the "how to use the template" guides are included so that you can customize the course yourself. Review the Instructor Start Here and Template Toolbox modules to learn more.

  USE CAUTION: Download a Commons classroom template into a blank Canvas DEV shell. For example, if you have existing content in a DEV shell, the classroom template content will either replace the existing content or will create duplicates. If you do not have a blank DEV shell, please submit a help ticket requesting one and IDD will be happy to create one for you. 

• I used an older version of the classroom template and now my module quick links on the home page don't work. Can you help me?

  You need a Home Page Resync. Instructors using an older version of the classroom template will still have the old dates connected to modules from the Home page. IDD can quickly and easily resync the modules with the new term dates to the Home page quick links.

  Please submit a help ticket requesting a Home Page Resync and include the course ID and term dates of the new course. IDD aims to resync your template Home page within one working day of receiving the help ticket request and the required information. 

• I need to upload a copy of my course syllabus/update my course syllabus, and I don't know how. Can you show me?

  Upload a copy of your course syllabus by going to your Syllabus page and selecting Edit. Place your cursor within the text area (RCE). Then, select the document icon and choose Upload Document. Follow the prompted steps to select a file from your computer and then select Save.

  Please view our Quick Tip: Upload a copy of your syllabus to Canvas video for a demonstration on how to upload a copy of your syllabus to Canvas.

  Please view this Canvas guide How do I upload a document in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor? for more information on uploading a document to a page (uploading a file/copy of your syllabus).

  Update your course syllabus in Canvas by uploading your updated syllabus from your computer into your course files. Then embed the new file on your Syllabus page. If your updated syllabus has the same name as your old syllabus, then Canvas will ask if you want to replace the old file with the new file. This is ideal because when you replace the old file, the new file will be automatically replaced on the Syllabus page.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the steps in the video or guide, please submit a help ticket.

• I accidentally copied my previous course content into my current course shell twice. It's a mess. Can IDD fix this for me?

  The answer to this question depends on where you are in the semester and what type of Canvas shell you are using.

  If you have copied duplicate content into your live Canvas course (the course that Banner generates for you each new semester that includes your student roster) before the beginning of the term and the course is not published, submit a help ticket requesting a Course Reset.

  USE CAUTION: Please know that a Course Reset completely removes everything from your current shell except the student roster. Once it is reset, IDD cannot recover anything that was in that shell. 

  If the semester has already begun, your course is published and students are already reviewing and responding to your content, the duplicate content will need to be removed manually. This can be a time-consuming and detail-oriented process. Please submit a help ticket and we can assist you by showing you how to carefully delete specific pieces of content to get you started. 

  If you are unsure of which option you will need to follow, submit a help ticket and a member of the IDD team will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

• How do I create student groups for my course?

  To create student groups, you must go through the People tab on your Course Navigation. Then, select + Group Set as groups are created within Group Sets. Name your group set and then select one of the group structure options for that group set.

  An example of a group set is "Final Project Groups". Within the final project, you will have some number of groups. When you have established the structure option for your groups, add as many groups as you need (that the option allows) for that group set.

  Please view our How to create group sets, groups, and group-related content in Canvas  video for a demonstration of the three different group set structure options. 

  If you imported previous content into a new course and know that previous content included group-related content, please view our Where did my Canvas group sets and groups go after importing? video to help you reconfigure your groups and group content in your new course.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the steps in the resource, please submit a help ticket.

• I want to add another person to my current course. Can you do that for me?

  If you need to add someone to your current or upcoming course, you will need to reach out to your department’s course scheduler. IDD is unable to add anyone to live courses. Live courses are generated by Banner, and IDD does not work in that environment. If you do not know who your department’s course scheduler is, reach out to your department's main office.

  If you need to add other instructors or TAs to a development (DEV) shell, IDD can help you with that. For more information on adding other instructors or TAs to a DEV shell, please view this Canvas guide How do I add users to a course?

  If you need to add students to a SUPP shell, please submit a help ticket to the help desk.

  If you are unsure of which option you need, please submit a help ticket and a member of the IDD or IM&T team will be in contact as soon as possible.

• I used to have an Attendance tab in my Course Navigation, but now it’s gone. Help!  

  The issue may be that the Attendance tab is no longer enabled in your Course Navigation. To resolve, re-enable it from your Course Settings.

  For more information on enabling or disabling tabs on the Course Navigation, please view this Canvas guide How do I manage Course Navigation links?  

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the steps in the guide, please submit a help ticket.

• My Gradebook looks disorganized. Can you fix it? 

  By default, the Gradebook is organized according to the order of your assignments on the Assignment Index Page. For more information on how to reorganize your assignments on the index page, please view this Canvas guide How do I move or reorder an assignment? 

  The process for moving assignment groups is similar to moving or reordering assignments. You can also reorder your Gradebook in the Gradebook without reorganizing the assignments on the index page. For more information on arranging your Gradebook columns in the Gradebook, please view this Canvas guide How do I arrange columns in the Gradebook?

  If you need further assistance after reviewing these guides, please submit a help ticket.

• What do the different colors and icons in my Gradebook mean?

  Gradebook communicates with you and with your students by using various icons and color-coding. If you don't understand what they mean, please view this Canvas guide How do I use the icons and colors in the Gradebook?

  If you do not see the icon or color in question in the guide or need further assistance after reviewing the guide, please take a screenshot of the icons or color-coding in question, and then submit a help ticket with the screenshot attached. Remember to include the course ID (ex: BIO101) and course title. A member of the IDD team will take a closer look at the issue and will then reach out to you as soon as possible.

• How do I assign weights to my assignment groups in my course?

  Canvas allows you to create weighted assignment groups on your Assignment Index Page so you do not need to do the calculations yourself. For example, if you have in your syllabus that exams are worth 50% of the final grade, assignments are worth 25% and discussions are worth 25%, you can weight each assignment group at the needed percentage and Canvas will calculate the final grade for you. 

  For more information on how to create weighted assignment groups, please view this Canvas guide How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the guide, please submit a help ticket.

• How do I remove weights from my assignment groups in my course?

  Removing weights from your assignment groups is almost identical to the steps outlined in the Canvas guide for assigning weights to assignment groups (see FAQ above). Instead of selecting, Weight final grade based on assignment groups, de-select that option and Save. This will remove the weights from your assignment groups.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the guide, please submit a help ticket.

• How can I give my students extra credit in Canvas?

  While extra credit is not a default option in Canvas, there are several options available for awarding extra credit in your course. For an overview of different extra credit options in Canvas, please view this Canvas guide How do I give extra credit in a course? 

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the guide, or if you would like to discuss an extra credit option you are considering, please submit a help ticket. 

• How do I check for plagiarism in an upcoming Canvas assignment?

  UNC has TurnItIn Similarity, an application in Canvas that detects potential plagiarism (both accidental and intentional). 

  Below are Turnitin Similarity resources for you and your students:

  • Read the TurnItIn Accessing the Similarity Report guide to navigate to the Similarity Report from an assignment.
  • Read the TurnItIn Navigating the Similarity Report guideto reference how to read and move around the different Similarity Report features. Note: Select the Similarity tab for curated guides on TurnItIn Similarity's Similarity Report.
  • View this Turnitin guide Creating an assignment for how to set up Turnitin in a Canvas assignment.
  • Walk through the TurnItIn Similarity Interactive to walk through the new interface/design.

  USE CAUTION: Please note that Turnitin will not work for image-based files such as scanned PDFs and/or some PowerPoint files based on Turnitin's file requirements.

  TurnItIn Similarity does not detect potential generative AI use. The version of TurnItIn that does detect potential AI use is both cost prohibitive and far from fully accurate. In fact, through our own testing, we discovered many false positives and negatives. 

  If you need further assistance after reviewing this information, please submit a help ticket.

• My students are getting an error message or “Access Denied” message when they try to view my Panopto video, PowerPoint, PDF scan, files, images, etc. in my course. What can I do to fix this?

  When students see an error message or, "Access Denied" on course content, it could be due to several issues, such as: 

  • The content in question is linking to a previous course (if you imported content)
  • The content in question's permissions are not allowing students to view the content
  • The content is included in a locked module
  • The content in question did not upload properly

  The first step to troubleshoot the issue is to see if all students also see "Access Denied." To do this, you can check the content as the Test Student using Student View.

  To access Student View in Canvas, please view this Canvas guide How do I view a course as a test student using Student View?

  If you confirm that students are unable to see the content in question, e.g., you also see "Access Denied" when using Student View, please submit a help ticket for further troubleshooting.

  If you do not see "Access Denied" when using Student View, and you find that most of your students do see the content in question,  ask those students who don't see the content to submit a help ticket to the help desk.

• My students cannot see the course/module/module content, but I can. There is no error message or "Access Denied." What’s going on?

  If multiple students contact you to say they cannot see course content but there is no error message displayed, it could be due to a publishing issue. For students to see course content (modules, content in modules, files, etc.), the content has to be published.

  To troubleshoot, use the Student View function to see if you are also unable to see the content.  For how to access Student View, view the Canvas guide in the above FAQ.

  If you are unable to see the content in Student View, check to see that the content, the module or folder the content is in, and the course itself are all published.

  For more information on how to publish a course, please view this Canvas guide How do I publish a course?

  For more information on how to publish a module, please view this Canvas guide How do I publish or unpublish a module as an instructor?

  For individual course components, such as pages, files, assignments, etc., check that the Publish icon is green (published). If the icons are grey, then they are not published.

  If you need further assistance after reviewing these guides, or the guides do not help resolve the issue you are seeing, please submit a help ticket.

• My students cannot see the images in my quiz questions. Where did they go?

  If students report that they are unable to view images embedded in quiz questions, it could be due to several issues, such as:

  • The images are tied to a previous course (importing issue)
  • The image files were corrupted when they were uploaded
  • The image files aren't published in your course
  • Students may be using an unsupported browser
  • Students may be using one of the mobile apps (there have been reported issues with images)

  To troubleshoot, act as the Test Student in Student View and preview the quiz. If you are able to see all of the images in Student View, ask the students who have reported the issue to try attempting the quiz again with a different supported browser or from a desktop computer. If they continue to have issues viewing the images, please ask that they submit a help ticket to the Help desk.

  For more information on supported browsers and computer requirements, please view this Canvas guide What are the browser and computer requirements for Instructure products?

  If you cannot see the images in Student View, then the issue may be with the images themselves. If you are unable to recognize or resolve the issue on your own, please submit a help ticket for further troubleshooting.

• I want to use a quiz from an old course but it’s from a different LMS. How do I get it into Canvas, so I don’t have to create everything from scratch?

  You can import a quiz as part of an IMSCC common cartridge file or a quiz alone as a QTI file into your Canvas course.

  For more information about how to import a quiz as an IMSCC common cartridge file, please view this Canvas guide How do I import a Canvas course export package?

  For more information about how to import a quiz as a QTI file, please view this Canvas guide How do I import quizzes from QTI packages?

  If you need further assistance after reviewing these guides, please submit a help ticket.

• I have a student who needs extra time on the upcoming exam. How do I give them extra time without giving all my students extra time?

  The best way to give individual students additional time on an upcoming exam is to use the Moderate This Quiz feature. To access this feature, go to the quiz in question and in the top right corner, select  Moderate This Quiz. A list of your students will appear and to the far right of each student's name is a pencil icon. When you select the pencil icon, a pop-up called "Student Extensions" will appear. You can then add the extra time your student needs for each attempt in the second option in the pop-up. You can also award extra attempts for individual students through the Student Extensions pop-up (the first option).

  USE CAUTION: Only give your students the extra minutes they need. For example, if you are notified that a student needs a total of 75 minutes, but they already get 60 minutes for each attempt at the quiz, you will only need to give that student 15 extra minutes for each attempt through the Moderate This Quiz feature.

  For more information on how to use the Moderate This Quiz feature, please view this Canvas guide Once I publish a timed quiz, how can I give my students extra time?

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the guide, please submit a help ticket.

• All the assignment grades for the most recent assessment have disappeared except for one student’s grade. Where did the rest of the grades and submissions go?

  When this happens, it is usually because you have granted a date or time extension one or more students and everyone else in the course was accidentally unassigned to the assessment. 

  To resolve this issue, go to the assessment in question and select Edit. Scroll down the page until you see a box that says Assign to. At the bottom of the box should be the option + Add. Select + Add and under the new Assign to option, either select Everyone or start typing "Everyone." Once selected, Canvas will display Everyone Else in the new Assign to field. Enter in the original due date and time (and include the original available from and until dates and times if they were selected) and then select Save. 

  Now the assessment is assigned to everyone in the class but the student(s) who needed the extension still have it. Confirm that assigning "Everyone Else" worked by checking your course Gradebook and/or assessment Speedgrader to see if the submissions and/or grades have re-populated. 

  For more information about how to assign Everyone Else to an assessment in Canvas, please see this Canvas guide How do I assign an assignment to an individual student? under the subheader, "Assign Everyone Else."

  If you need further assistance after reviewing this guide, please submit a help ticket.

• Grades are due tomorrow and students see a final grade of 0%. I see it too. What happened?

  If you or your students notice that their final grade is listed as 0% but you have graded student work, it could be due to the assignment groups (if you have them or imported them). 

  Go to your Assignment Index Page (the Assignments tab in your Course Navigation) and look at your assignment groups. Are there weights attached? If so, you can remove the weights and that should allow the student grades to re-populate correctly. See the steps for how to remove weights from an assignment group in the FAQ question above, How do I remove weights from my assignment groups in my course? 

  If you need further assistance after reviewing the steps in the guide, or you do not see weights attached to your assignment groups, please submit a help ticket.

• Why can’t I change the term start and end dates for my course?

  Term dates are set through Banner and cannot be changed by anyone without the Registrar's approval. 

  IDD will never be able to change the dates for you, even with the Registrar's approval. The change is made through Banner. With the Registrar's approval, your course scheduler or IM&T will be able to change the dates for you.

• Students no longer have access to the course. I know the term ended yesterday, but their final paper wasn’t due until noon today. What can I do to fix this?

  Term dates are set through Banner and so IDD is not able to extend access to a course that is officially closed (past the course or section end date). If you need a term date extension so students can finish submitting their work for the term, you will need to contact the Office of the Registrar to see if a term date extension is possible.

• How do I “sync” my grades from Canvas to Ursa (Banner) at the end of the semester?

  You can sync your final grades from Canvas to Ursa (Banner) within your Canvas course. 

  USE CAUTION: Before you sync your final grades through Canvas, verify that all your grades in the Gradebook are complete and accurate (no empty/null cells) and a grading scheme is enabled in Settings. If you do not have a grading scheme enabled, do not use this process. Instead, go to the Employee tab and the Final Grades link in Ursa to manually enter your grades. In future terms, set your grading scheme at the beginning of the course so that you can easily use this process.

  To sync your final grades from a Canvas to Ursa, go to your Gradebook and find the Sync option towards the upper right of your screen. Select Sync so a drop-down menu appears. From the drop-down menu, select, Sync grades to SIS. 

  You will then be brought to a new page called Final Grades. Select Sync grades to SIS to generate a new browser tab. Reauthenticate your login by using your UNCO credentials and then you will be brought to the GradeSync app. Review your grades and enter in last dates of attendance (LDAs) for each student with an "F." Then, select Sync to Banner.

  For more detailed information about how sync your final grades from Canvas to Ursa, please view our guide How to Sync Final Grades.

  If you realize that the grades need to be changed after Ursa has updated (by 7:00 p.m.), fill out this grade change request form.

  If you have any further grading policy or grade changes questions or concerns, contact the Office of the Registrar for additional assistance.  

• Can you teach me how to use Canvas?

  IDD is a small team that serves all UNC faculty, and so we have created several resources to help you learn Canvas. We will direct you to those resources first. If you have more specific questions about Canvas after going through those resources, then you can schedule a 50-minute consultation with us, and we can work together to answer your questions one-on-one. 

  Our primary resources for Canvas training is called Online Course Technology  This shell includes the following self-paced training modules:

  • UNC's Online Classroom
  • Getting Started w/ Canvas
  • Build Your Canvas Gradebook
  • Grading in Canvas
  • Canvas Gradebook Management
  • Canvas Classic Quizzes
  • Advanced Classic Quiz Resources

  If you are unable to enroll in Online Course Technology, please submit a help ticket and we will help you get enrolled as soon as possible.

• How do I set up my Canvas course?

  This question can mean different things depending on your situation.

  If you are looking for help importing previous course content into your new shell, please view the information in the above FAQ, How do I import/copy my previous course content into my new course?

  If you are requesting an Online Classroom Template, please view the information in the above FAQ, I need an Online Classroom Template for my course ASAP. How can I get one?

  If you wish to understand the basics of Canvas to create and set up your Canvas course, you can self-enroll in our Online Course Technology training course and complete the Getting Started in Canvas and Gradebook Basics modules.

  You can also watch the videos in the Getting ready for a new semester in Canvas playlist and the Gradebook Basics webinar.

  Feel free to use the resources mentioned above to help you check off the items in the Course Development Checklist or the Updating your Canvas Courses - Checklist.

  If you are looking for assistance with redesigning a specific component of your course, please submit a consultation request and include which specific part of your course you want to revise.

• How do I get content from previous courses into my new classroom template (OC-DEV or F2F-DEV) shell?

  Please watch our Working with the Classroom Template webinar for the steps needed to move previous content into your TEMPLATE-DEV shell.

  We also recommend enrolling in our Online Course Technology shell and participating in the UNC Online Classroom Template training module if you are new to the TEMPLATE for more information and practice opportunities.

  If you need further assistance after viewing and participating in these resources, please submit a help ticket.

• Why do my discussions and announcements look different (after July 20, 2024)?

  On July 20, 2024, Canvas Discussions and Announcements will get an enforced redesign of certain features and updated functionality to enhance peer-to-peer interactions, provide a more accessible design, and improve functionality and usability on existing features and functions.

  Review our Canvas Discussions/Announcements Redesign Fact Sheet for a basic overview of the redesigned features and updated functionality.

  Watch Instructure's Discussions Redesign Q1 2024 video for a demonstration of some of the major feature updates. The video is also linked in the Canvas Discussions/Announcements Redesign Fact Sheet.

• How do I tell my students when work is due in Canvas?

  Watch our Are you setting Canvas dates correctly? video to learn how to set due dates with the new "Assign to"and let students know when work is due in your course. The video also covers how and where students will see the chosen due date and the "availability dates" options.