Center for Faculty Development

Online Teaching Support

IT Help Desk Information

The Information Technology Help Desk is located in Hayes Hall Room 169. The Help Desk hours are Monday-Thursday 8am-7pm and Friday 8am-5pm. Telephone support is available 24/7. You many reach the Help Desk by telephone at 765-973-8375 or by email at iueitsup@iue.edu

You can find more information here: https://east.iu.edu/digital/it-help/index.html

(Note: You can copy this text and add it to your course materials for students!)

Canvas F.A.Q.

Canvas is the Indiana University Learning Management System (LMS). There is so much you can do with a blank Canvas site - but sometimes all the options can create a lot of questions. We'll do our best to help you find the answers you need. If you don't see your question in the list below, or if you are having difficulty with a tool, feel free to contact us for quick help, or to schedule a one-on-one consultation: 765-973-8561 or cfd@iue.edu

Question Mark Icon A course I'm teaching in the future is not yet available. Can I still get started in Canvas?
Yes! All you need to do is create a practice site in Canvas. Once you have an empty site, you can add all your content here. When the 'real' course becomes available you can easily import all your content into the 'real' site.

Question Mark Icon I'm teaching one class - why do I have so many sections?
This is most likely an Online Course Connect course. You can find more information about this kind of course in the "Programs" section of our CFD page, or by visiting the About IU Online Course Connect website.You can also feel free to contact the IU East CFD for more information.

Question Mark Icon How will Students find my course?
Courses will automatically populate to the students Dashboard.This is also where you can set a course 'nickname' for your own use. Be cautious about changing the name of a course in the course Settings tool - a change there will affect all users and could cause students to not recognize your course. Note: Students will not be able to access course sites or materials in Canvas until the are published (by default, all Canvas sites are unpublished until the instructor chooses to allow access).

Question Mark Icon How can students learn how to use Canvas?
Most students now have some experience with the Canvas LMS, however, you might have a new student, or someone who has not taken online courses before. Please feel free to refer them to the Canvas Student Help Guides and videos (and to link to the guides in your course!). Students can find technology help at the IT Help Desk 24/7.

Question Mark Icon
Where can I get additional help as an instructor?
Below are a number of resources to help instructors make the most out of Canvas:

Quick Questions
How do I Import materials into my course?
How do I use one site to teach multiple sections (Cross-listing)?
What is my Canvas Dashboard?
How do I change what courses I see on my Canvas Dashboard?
How do I make a link to a file in my course?
How do I change the course Home page?
How do I change the Navigation menu in my course?
How do I allow a retake/extra attempt on a quiz for a single student?
How do I allow a student extra time on a quiz?
How do I view my course as a student?

Canvas Video Tutorials

  - Canvas Instructor Tour (16 short videos on various tools)
  - How to properly use Pages and Modules, and why they are different.
  - List of all Canvas Video Guides created by Instructure
  - IU Canvas Help Training

And you can always contact the IU East CFD (cfd@iue.edu)

Instructional Design

It can sometimes be difficult to know how to adapt projects, courses, or even personal teaching styles to an online environment - but we're here to help! There are many fantastic resources available that can help you update, upgrade, and just polish-up your online classes!

IU Teaching Online Series (TOS)
The IU Teaching Online Series (TOS) is a self-paced, customizable, design and teaching resource delivered through Canvas. It includes seven modules that will take you through the process of designing and developing your course based on research and sound pedagogy, as well as provides tips on delivering your online course. You can enroll in the series at any time at go.iu.edu/tos (CAS authentication required). 

Teaching at IU Online Events
The IU Online conference is a yearly event that facilitates the exchange of resources and expertise among faculty members from various IU campuses. It features a diverse array of panels covering a wide range of subjects related to teaching and technology. Faculty members can easily register for the upcoming conference and access past conference panels and information by using the IU Online Conference link on the Teaching at IU Online Events page.

IU Canvas Studio
Canvas Studio, formerly known as Canvas Showcase, serves as a valuable repository for Indiana University faculty, offering templates, customizable components, and how-to documents to enhance the appearance and experience of their courses. These Studio components have been thoughtfully designed and tested by IU faculty who have utilized Canvas in their teaching. To ensure faculty always have access to the latest updates, Canvas Studio can be conveniently accessed through Canvas Commons. This means you can easily import the entire Studio or specific sections into your own site, giving you the flexibility to modify and adapt them according to your needs and preferences.