Category Archives: Faculty/Staff

Canvas: New Features

New Feature Highlights (May 2024)

New Quizzes: Build Upon Prior Attempt

The Build on last attempt setting makes it possible for students to take additional attempts on a quiz, only re-attempting those questions they answered incorrectly. This feature can help to improve student outcomes and performance.

A video of this feature can be found here. For more details, see this guide.

 

New Quizzes: Zero Point Quizzes

(This is the strategy for surveys.) Instructors can now create zero point quizzes in Canvas and select an option to not display a column in the gradebook or student’s grades view. This allows instructors to remove unwanted content in the gradebook and prevent confusion for students related to zero-point practice quizzes. For more details, see this guide.

 

Publish Modules in Bulk

Instructors can now publish or unpublish modules in bulk.  Instructors have the option to publish all modules and items, publish all modules only, or unpublish all modules and items. Additionally, the publish icon on individual modules is updated to include a Module status menu. This menu includes the options to publish module and all items, publish module only or unpublish module and all items for individual modules.

 

Scheduled Page Publication

Teachers can schedule publication for an unpublished page. Teachers can use the Publish At box in any unpublished page in their courses. Click here to read full release notes for Saturday, October, 15, 2022.

 

Submit on Behalf of Students

Teachers and TAs with the ability to edit grades can find a Submit for Student link by opening the Gradebook, clicking a cell, and clicking the grade detail tray icon to open details for the submission represented by the cell. When someone submits files on behalf of students, Canvas displays the name of that person and the time they submitted it. Read more in the March 18, 2023 Canvas release notes.

 

Discovering New Features

Did you know you can find new feature announcements in the Canvas Help menu?

Help-NewFeatures.png

Canvas New Discussions/Announcements on July 20, 2024

Canvas is rolling out a new design for Discussions and Announcements on July 20th, 2024.

All existing Discussions and Announcements will be updated to the new design on this date. No current discussion options will be discontinued, but Discussions will have an updated user interface and new features. This update will also have an impact on the Announcements interface. The new design is already available for Teachers to turn on in their courses earlier than July 20th if desired (see below for more details).

Included in this notice:

  • What’s New
    • Interface Modifications
    • New Features
  • Learn More
  • Switching to New Discussions/Announcements Early

WHAT’S NEW

Interface Modifications

For individual discussion and announcement topics, the following modifications have been made:

  • The toolbar appears at the top of the discussion and announcement thread.
  • Newest replies display at the top of the first page instead of the bottom of the last page.
  • Users can sort replies from newest to oldest, or oldest to newest.
  • Users can also quickly move to the top of the discussion or announcement at any time.
[Screenshot of current discussion thread compared to new discussion thread]

Current/Previous Discussion Screenshot

New Features

  • Anonymous discussions.*
  • Labels for posts created by the “Author” or  “Teacher” for easy identification. Posts from TAs will also be labeled as “Teacher”.
  • A streamlined view of multiple replies to the same post that can be displayed either “inline” (click to expand) or in a “split view” (in a side panel).
  • Supports mentions with the @ symbol. Typing “@” will bring up a list of all users in the course.
  • Quote other replies when responding.
  • Allow participants to report replies that are inappropriate or offensive.*

* This feature is off by default and must be enabled to use.

LEARN MORE

SWITCHING TO NEW DISCUSSIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS EARLY

Teachers who wish to switch to the new Discussions and Announcements interface prior to the July 20th mandatory update can do so from their Course Settings. Enabling this new feature will update all Discussions and Announcements in the course. Teachers can switch back to the classic design again up until the July 20th deadline.

  1. From the Course page, go to Settings > Feature Options [tab]
  2. Find “Discussions/Announcement Redesign” and click the X icon next to it on the right.
  3. Click “Enabled” to initiate the update.

To go back to the classic design, follow these steps again and choose “Disabled” in step 3. You will not be able to choose the classic design after July 20th.

Canvas New Quizzes

Canvas has developed a new quizzing engine called “New Quizzes” that will eventually replace the “Classic Quizzes” we use in Canvas now. New Quizzes was first introduced several years ago and although it is still being improved and expanded, it is no longer considered to be in a beta development stage. New Quizzes also have several advantages and unique features over Classic Quizzes. For these reasons, New Quizzes is currently an optional tool. Goucher instructors who wish to use New quizzes may do so while Classic Quizzes will remain available for those who are not ready to make this transition yet.

You will see the following prompt whenever you add a new quiz to your Canvas course. If you don’t want to see this prompt each time, check the box next to “Remember my choice for this course” before you hit the SUBMIT button.

Screenshot of Choose a Quiz Engine pop up

Benefits

What are some of the benefits of New Quizzes?

  • Student Quiz Accommodations for the whole course (not just quiz by quiz!)
  • Stimulus, Ordering, and Hot Spot Question Types
  • Shuffle Answers by Question
  • Printing Quizzes
  • Require Waiting Period Between Attempts
  • And more!

Ways to Explore

Canvas has a host of online resources available both for those who need more information and for those who are ready to take the plunge sooner rather than later.

Information Gathering and Planning

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

Questions about how to use New Quizzes not answered in the resources above can be addressed to the Canvas 24/7 Support Hotline available on the Canvas Help menu.

Technology Training & Tidbits Newsletters

2024-12-10_Highlights from 2024The training newsletters are your go-to resources for staying up to date with the latest technology, tools, and techniques in an evolving world of technology. It is designed to support you in harnessing the power of technology effectively by providing valuable insights, practical tips, and hands-on workshops to enhance workplace productivity.

Technology Training & Tidbits Newsletters

Train The Trainer Resources

As a subject matter expert, your role is crucial in empowering individuals to navigate systems with confidence and proficiency. This blog is designed to provide you with valuable insights, practical tips, and comprehensive resources to enhance your training skills and elevate your impact as a trainer. Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to deliver effective, engaging, and impactful training sessions.

Four Step Training Prep Checklist

The Four Step Training Checklist will help you prepare training materials, presentations and delivery. Use the checklist to help you consider logistics, scripting, presentation design and training delivery. These essential components contribute to a successful training experience for you and your participants.

Click here to view the Four Step Training Prep Checklist.

Design and Deliver Workshops

Using OneDrive

Included with your Office 365 account, OneDrive is an unlimited cloud drive similar to Box, Drop Box, and Google Drive. Using OneDrive to store computer files saves hard drive space, and makes sharing files and folders with other Goucher faculty, staff, and students easy. When you create or edit a document saved to OneDrive, from any location or any device, changes will automatically save back to your OneDrive account. 

Learn More

General Information from Microsoft

Below are links to articles written by Microsoft support to help you get started using OneDrive. Please contact the IT Help Desk if you have any questions or need assistance with the install or an update.

 

resource description
OneDrive Quick Start Guide A visual map of the OneDrive screen on browsers and the mobile app.
OneDrive Video Training Series Short video tutorials on OneDrive features. Note – Goucher accounts are OneDrive for Business Accounts.
OneDrive Help and Learning Dashboard Includes the links below and many more.
Installing OneDrive for Windows/Mac/Mobile If you have Windows 10 or above, OneDrive is already installed on your PC. Use this link if you’re using a Mac, another version of Windows, or want to use the OneDrive mobile app,
Uploading and saving files and folders to OneDrive Step-by-step guide on saving files/folders to OneDrive
Syncing files and folders between the web (cloud) version and your computer Step-by-step guide on syncing files between OneDrive and your computer
Sharing OneDrive files and folders Step-by-step guide on sharing OneDrive files/folders
Viewing Shared Folders (and Adding to My Files for quicker access) When someone shares a folder with you, it appears in the Shared section of your OneDrive account on the web. If you have Edit permissions to those shared folders, you can add them to the My files section of your OneDrive to make them easier to access and work with.
Creating a File Request This is a useful feature! With the file request feature in OneDrive, you can choose a folder where others can upload files using a link that you send them. People you request files from can only upload files; they can’t see the content of the folder, edit, delete, or download files, or even see who else has uploaded files.

More About Finding Folders Shared With You

Note that files/folders shared with you will always be available to you on the web from the Shared space, but only items in the My Files space will automatically appear in File Explorer or Finder on your computer. To add shared items to My Files, follow the steps below.

  1. Open your OneDrive account online.
  2. Navigate to Shared.
    OneDrive Shared Files
  3. Select one or more items, click “Add shortcut” on the toolbar and select “My Files”.
    Alternatively, you can also right-click on an item and select “Add Shortcut“.

Using Favorites to Find Frequently Used Files

Another tip for organizing your OneDrive content is to Favorite items you work with often.

  1. Open your OneDrive account online.
  2. Navigate to My Files or to Shared.
  3. Select one or more items and click “Favorite” on the toolbar. Alternatively, you can right-click on an item and select “Favorite“.
  4. Navigate to “Favorites” on the OneDrive navigation panel to find these items in the future. You can also declutter this file list as needed by selecting a file or files from this area and choosing “Unfavorite” from the toolbar.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication and Why Do We Need It?

Recently, cybersecurity has become a priority for businesses, government, and schools which is why Goucher has included this as part of the new strategic plan. One of the first cybersecurity projects Information technology (IT) is implementing is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

MFA is a two-step process of providing access to a website or application for an added layer of security. Banks, colleges, and more now require MFA and most likely you’ve already gone through this process for at least one site outside Goucher.

To help ensure the security of email and data, IT began implementing MFA via a phone app called Microsoft Authenticator. Other than the added security that comes from adding MFA to your account, there are other advantages:

  • Users with MFA setup no longer need to call the Help Desk to reset their Goucher password. This is also true for shared accounts.
  • Password resets for faculty/staff have changed from every 90 days to every 180 days

Before you Begin:

Please review the following information prior to setting up MFA:

In most cases, you will only be prompted every 90 days to verify your identity. Students living on campus will be prompted at least once every 7 days. This will occur for each device. For instance, if you use the Outlook app on your phone, you will need to approve access. If you then access your email through a browser, you will again be prompted to approve access. There are other situations that will trigger a new authentication request. . Please review the FAQs for more information.

MFA will only work with certain email apps on mobile devices. The following apps support modern authentication:

  • Outlook on iOS version 10.x and greater
  • Outlook on Android

Make sure you have the latest OS or application version installed on your device prior to setting up MFA.

MFA will only work with Office 2016 or higher or Office 365. If you are running Office 2013 for Windows or Office 2011 or lower for Macs, on your Goucher-managed laptop, contact the Help Desk to upgrade your system. If you are using Office on a personal computer to check your Goucher emails, please make sure that you are running at least Office 2016 (for Windows users) or Office 365 (for Windows and Mac users). Office 365 can be installed on personal computers for work at home use. For those who cannot upgrade or install Office 365 on your personal computer, you will need to use the web-based version of Outlook to check messages.

Instructions on how to take advantage of Microsoft’s Office 365 home use option

Two authentication methods are needed to be set up to fulfill MFA requirements. Entering your password and setting up one of the methods below is not enough to fulfill MFA requirements. You will need to set up both the authenticator app and the phone methods. The only exception is if you have a non-smartphone device. In that case, only set up the phone method.

Get Started

Once you have reviewed this information, go to Setting Up Multi-Factor Authentication for instructions.

Have more questions? Review the Multi-Factor Authentication FAQs page.

How to Use Webcam in Classroom

Connect Webcam to Laptop

Locate the USB cable connected to the webcam

Connect the cable to your laptop’s USB port. If using a laptop equipped with a USB-C port, then use the USB hub that was provided with your laptop.

Zoom Settings

If the connected webcam is not detected by default, navigate to the bottom of the screen.

Click the arrow next to the “Stop Video” icon.

Select the USB webcam in use. For example,  “AUKEY PC- LM1E Camera,” or “Logitech C920.”

To use the connected webcam’s microphone, navigate to the bottom of the screen.

Click the arrow next to the “Mute” icon.

Under “Select a Microphone” click the microphone corresponding to the make and model of the webcam. For example, “AUKEY PC-LM1E.”

Under “Select a Speaker” click on the appropriate speaker output. For example, “HDMI” if using the AV system.

Instructional Videos

How to Connect Your Windows Laptop

How to Connect Your MacBook (Coming Soon)

Setting Up Multi-Factor Authentication

Before you Begin:

Review the information provided in the What is Multi-Factor Authentication and Why Do We Need IT? article prior to going through these instructions. Also, take the time to review the instructions before going through the steps.

Instructions:

Everyone must visit the MFA Setup Page to configure at lease one secondary verification method. You can choose to use the Microsoft Authenticator app (Option 1 below) and/or choose a text or call to your phone (Option 2 below). Best practice is to set up both using the Microsoft Authenticator App as the default method with a phone verification (SMS or Call) as a backup.

Please read the instructions below carefully prior to following the steps.

Option 1: Microsoft Authenticator App

Once installed, this will be set as your default sign-in method. You can change this if you prefer to use a different method as your default.

  1. Visit the MFA Setup link and sign in with your Office 365 username ([username]@goucher.edu) and password. Click NEXT.
  2. From the Security info page, click Add Method then select Authenticator App.
  3. Then click the Add button.
  4. You will then be prompted to download the app to your phone. From your phone, launch the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
  5. Search for and download the Microsoft Authenticator app. Once downloaded, click Next on the Microsoft Authenticator window on your computer. Then click Next again.
  6. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app and select to allow notifications (if prompted).
  7. Select Add Account from the Customize and control icon (3 vertical dots) in the upper-right corner.
  8. Then select Work or school account (Android) or Scan a QR Code (iPhone).
    NOTE: If this is the first time setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app, you might receive a prompt asking whether to allow the app to access your camera (iOS) or to allow the app to take pictures and record video (Android).  Please select “Allow” so the authenticator app can access your camera to take a picture of the QR code in the next step.
  9. Scan the QR code provided on the screen which will add the account to the device automatically. Once this is complete, click Next on your computer.
  10. From your phone, click Approve to allow your account to be added to the Authenticator app.

Tip: If you are not able to scan the QR code or are denied access, you can still receive approval by providing the one-time password code found in the Microsoft Authenticator app.

Option 2: Phone (As Default or Backup Method)

As a backup option to the Microsoft Authenticator app, it is recommended to add a second method. To receive a phone call or text to verify your identity, follow these steps:

  1. Visit the MFA Setup link and sign in with your Office 365 username ([username]@goucher.edu) and password.
  2. For first time users: Click NEXT, and then click “I want to set up a different method” link.


    For users who already setup the Authenticator app    : From the Security info page, click Add Method

  3. Select Phone from the dropdown.

  4. Enter your cell phone number and choose the option to either Text me a Code or Call Me.
    • If you choose the text option, you will receive a message on your phone with the code you need to enter.
    • If you choose the call option, you will get a phone call for verification. Please follow the prompts to continue.

Your Security info page should look like this once both methods are set up:

Verifying Your Identity

Once all the methods are set up, you can then attempt to access your Goucher email. If you are off-campus, you should be prompted to enter your password, then an option should appear to verify your identity. Here’s how the app should look once it’s been set up:

If the authenticator app is installed on your phone and set as the default sign-in method, then you’ll be prompted to approve access. If you selected a different identity method, then a verification code will be sent via text or phone call.

You will only be prompted for MFA once the feature is enabled for your account. If you do not receive a prompt while off-campus then it hasn’t been enabled for you yet.

Troubleshooting tip: If you already have your Goucher email setup on your phone, you may experience a problem with the authentication. If that is the case, remove the Goucher account from your email app then add it back again.

For instructions on how to remove and add your Goucher account back on your phone please check the following link https://blogs.goucher.edu/knowledgebase/2018/07/05/adding-your-office-365-email-account-to-your-mobile-device/

Please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@goucher.edu if you experience a problem during setup.

 

Important Related Links: What is Multi-Factor Authentication and Why Do We Need It? and Multi-Factor Authentication FAQs

 

How to Pull Audits in Degree Works

Go to http://degreeworks.goucher.edu and log in with your Goucher username and password.

You’ll then see a student search page.  If you know the student’s ID number, you can enter it here.  If you want to search by name, click Advanced search.

Clicking Advanced search will open the following screen.  Enter the student’s name.  Both names don’t need to be entered.  After entering the name, click the Search button.

A list of students that match your search will be displayed. All students that match are checked by default.  You can uncheck all the names by clicking the check box next to the “Id” column and then re-select just the student you want to review.

Clicking the Select button at the bottom left will take you back to the Worksheets page.

To start reviewing audits, click on the Select Student box and choose from the list of students.

If you have any questions or experience any issues, please contact the helpdesk at x6322 or at helpdesk@goucher.edu.