Spring Course Requests in SPIRE open 11/6
Spring 2024 course requests will open in SPIRE on Monday, November 6.
Don’t forget need to request a Canvas course for each class you plan on using it to teach.
For step by step instructions on requesting a Canvas course see: Request a Canvas Course in SPIRE
Last Chance for Concierge Migration for Spring 2024
UMass Amherst has partnered with a third-party vendor to migrate courses from Moodle and Blackboard to Canvas. Fall 2023 course migrations are on schedule. There will be several more opportunities for migrating content. If you are teaching in Canvas in the Spring 24 semesters, you can request concierge migration for your courses.
- Teaching in Spring 2024?
Submit your course migration requests by Friday, November 3, 2023 - Teaching in Summer 2024
Submit requests by January 5, 2024
Note: Requesting course content migration from Moodle or Blackboard to Canvas is a separate process; you still need to request your course in SPIRE to be able to teach in Canvas in Fall 2023
Requesting concierge migration of course content does not mean you must teach in Canvas for that semester. However, if you plan on teaching using Canvas in those semesters, make your request early to ensure your course is migrated and you have time to get familiar with it.
Canvas Tip of the Month: Grade quizzes by question
Did you know you can grade a quiz one question at a time in Classic and New Quizzes? Using the option to grade one question at a time in the SpeedGrader allows you to quickly view each student submission for a question, and then move to the next question. Essay and file upload questions require manual grading, but you can even use this to review responses and grade other question types too.
Canvas Updates for November
Canvas has a series of improvements slated for arrival November 18. You can read more about them in the Canvas Release Notes, but some highlights are:
- Copying Media:
- New copied media file permissions are based on the new copied media instead of the original content
- Captions are now independent of the original media, and can be modified without impacting other versions
- New Quiz Features:
- Instructors using New Quizzes will be able to manually grade quiz questions without seeing the identities of students.
- The Item bank will receive new duplication and interface options.
Canvas Help and Resources for Instructors
24/7 Direct Canvas Support
Live Chat: Canvas Support for Instructors
Phone: +1 (855) 219-3080
Canvas Training: Live and On-Demand
Register for IDEAS Workshops: Join us for an IDEAS workshop
Explore: Canvas Example Course with Training Videos
Search: Canvas Instructor Guide with Example Screenshots
Enroll: In the Canvas left navigation menu, select Help > Training Services Portal to access live and on-demand training from Canvas
Planned downtimes
There are no planned downtimes for Canvas this month.
IDEAS Support
Zoom Drop in Help: Meet with a Consultant (available 10am-3pm ET Monday-Friday)
Request Help: Email instruct@umass.edu