Canvas is the Learning Management System used by nine of the Maricopa Community Colleges. The CTL is here to provide you everything you need to deliver your resource, hybrid and online courses.
Getting Help from CTL
We are always more than happy to help you! Please include specific information in your communication to lmshelp@phoenixcollege.edu, such as course section number, student information, the location of the problem and your MEID (if you need enrollment in a course). Call us at 602-285-7444 or 1-888-994-4433 for 24x7 assistance.
Course Creation & Archival
Creation of SIS Courses
All courses are automatically created in Canvas. Spring courses are created in mid-March. Summer and Fall courses are created in mid-October. If you don’t see your course, ensure you are listed as the Instructor of Record (you can confirm this by looking at the Class Schedule). If you are not, work with your department chair. If you need a developmental template, send an email to lmshelp@phoenixcollege.edu and include your MEID as well as the course prefix and number (e.g. EDU250).
Removal of Developmental Courses
Do you have a developmental, practice or training course you no longer need? Submit a request for removal through the Canvas Course Delete Request. We will delete courses you are the only instructor in and remove you from courses if other faculty are instructors.
Course Archival
You can expect to retain five semesters of courses at one time. Ensure you create course exports and follow proper end of semester tasks so you don’t lose course content when they are archived.
Learn to Use Canvas
- Canvas Beginning of Semester Tasks
- Canvas End of Semester Tasks
- Canvas Best Practices
- Canvas Instructor Guide
- Canvas Video Guide
- Canvas Instructor Orientation
- Online Getting Started with Canvas training through the CTL. This self-paced training meets part one of the training requirement to teach hybrid and online classes at PC. When you register for the online training, you will receive an email with instructions on how to begin within 24-48 business hours.
- Online Getting Started with Design and Delivery training through the CTL. This self-paced training meets part two of the training requirement to teach hybrid and online classes at PC.
Use the Getting Started Module!
Get a jump on your course design with the Getting Started Module. This "Start Here" module includes everything you need to get students going in Canvas and in your course. The template includes a custom home page, getting started module, links to important student resources, Canvas tutorials and much more. This module helps our courses adhere to a few of the Quality Matters standards and can be used with any course format.
Preview and download the PC Getting Started Module Template into your course today!
Updates and Releases
Canvas has a public (Google) calendar which shows all Canvas updates to BETA Releases and PROD (Live Production) including when release notes are published! Follow these updates to prepare for changes and test out cool new features before they are released. Learn more about the Canvas production schedule and test environments.
You can add Canvas Updates to your personal Google calendar so you will always be in the know! Learn how to add a calendar link to your Google Calendar.
Cheating Prevention
Turnitin
MCCD has purchased a District-wide license for Turnitin for plagiarism detection. Creating a Turnitin assignment within Canvas is easy!
ProctorU
ProctorU has signed a master agreement with the Maricopa County Community College District that allows all institutions to receive premier pricing for online proctoring.
ProctorU watches students take exams online with live proctors using webcams and screen-sharing technology. The service gives students the convenience of testing at home and instructors the ability to ensure academic integrity.
Faculty are under no obligation to use this service, as it is at cost to our students. A Maricopa-wide agreement was undertaken to pass along cost savings to our students - up to 30% off the price each campus could receive individually. Additionally, students eligible for financial aid may use that aid to purchase vouchers for ProctorU services at the college bookstore.
Learn more about the ProctorU services including exam fees, preparing students, technology requirements, a sample syllabus statement and more.
Student Readiness
SmarterMeasure® is a 10-15 minute assessment to measure a student's readiness for online learning. The assessment provides valuable feedback in the areas of student:
- Personal Attributes
- Learning Styles
- Reading Comprehension
- Technical Competency
- Technical Knowledge
- Typing Speed & Accuracy
The test is not designed to exclude students from course--the reports are designed to provide feedback for students regarding their strengths and weaknesses related to online learning. Students and faculty can use this information to set goals and engage in behaviors that will support their success in online learning environments.
Best Practice Activities
We recommend every online and hybrid faculty member consider including the SmarterMeasure® survey as part of their first week activities. Consider these best practice options:
- Extra Credit - Many faculty simply create an extra credit assignment and ask students to complete and share the report from their SmarterMeasure® assessment. Faculty can use this information to connect students to college resources like counseling, tutoring and more.
- Discussion Board – Some faculty use a discussion board to have students reflect on their SmarterMeasure® scores and set goals that classmates and the instructor can support. The discussions challenge students to consider what steps they could take to be successful, connect to resources that can help them success and more. By sharing with the community, students see that they are not alone and can hold each other accountable.
- Reflection Paper - Ask students to write a brief reflection paper about their SmarterMeasure scores. This gives students an opportunity to consider how they can engage in success strategies, but also provides you with an opportunity to assess their writing skills and comprehension.
Steps for Success(link pc online)
Student Success Strategies for Online Learning(link pc online)
Useful Software
We have licenses for a number of software titles to help you create engaging, interactive courses including SoftChalk Cloud, Respondus and Screencast-O-Matic. Visit the CTL Software page to obtain more information and licenses.
If you use Respondus to create quizzes, you might want to publish them to Canvas from within the software. Here are instructions to do so.