University of Kentucky Canvas Student Guide: Navigating Your Learning Journey

Embarking on your academic journey at the University of Kentucky (UK) requires familiarity with various technological resources. This guide introduces you to essential tools and platforms, with a primary focus on Canvas, the university's Learning Management System (LMS).

Understanding Your Linkblue Account

Your "linkblue" account serves as your digital key to accessing a wide array of UK's online resources. This single sign-on account grants you access to:

myUK: Your central hub for student information, including unofficial transcripts, billing details, degree planning via myUK GPS, and course registration. Accessible via desktop or the myUK app on iOS and Android.
Canvas: The primary platform for online coursework.
APEX Degree Planner: A tool for mapping out your academic path.
Other campus-wide systems.

Securing Your Account with Duo

Duo Mobile is a two-factor authentication app that fortifies your linkblue account, adding an extra layer of security to sensitive resources like myUK, Microsoft365, and the Palo Alto Global Protect VPN client.

Essential Tech Checklist for New Students

UK ITS has compiled a Student Tech Checklist to ensure you have the necessary technology tools in place:

Duo Mobile App: Essential for securing your university accounts.
UK Invests: A pioneering initiative aimed at helping students develop financial literacy, gain financial security, and prepare for their career.
WildCard Mobile ID: Use your smartphone, Apple Watch or iPhone to access buildings, attend events, and make payments across UK's Lexington campus.
Eduroam: The primary Wi-Fi network at UK, providing seamless internet access across campus.
Canvas: The hub for all your online coursework.

Diving into Canvas: Your Online Course Hub

Canvas is a powerful and intuitive Learning Management System (LMS) designed to support teaching and learning across diverse instructional formats, including in-person, hybrid, and fully online courses. It serves as a centralized platform where instructors organize and deliver course content, and where students access materials, submit assignments, and engage with their peers.

Key Features and Benefits of Canvas

Content Management: Instructors can easily upload syllabi, share multimedia resources, and organize learning materials in a structured manner.
Assignment Management: Canvas streamlines the submission, grading, and feedback process for assignments and assessments.
Communication and Collaboration: Faculty can engage students through announcements, discussion boards, and integrated video tools like Zoom, a cloud-based platform for video and audio conferencing, online meetings, and virtual collaboration.
Progress Tracking: Detailed analytics and a comprehensive gradebook allow instructors to monitor student progress and provide timely support.
24/7 Support: Canvas Support is available around the clock. Access live chat or the toll-free telephone number by clicking the help button inside Canvas. For assistance with accessing Canvas or your linkblue password, contact ITS Customer Services at 859-218-HELP (option 1).

Navigating Canvas: A Student's Perspective

Once you log in to Canvas with your linkblue credentials, you'll be greeted by your personal dashboard. This provides an overview of your enrolled courses, upcoming assignments, and recent activity.

Course Navigation: Each course within Canvas has its own dedicated space, typically organized into modules, assignments, discussions, and grades.
Assignments: Pay close attention to assignment due dates and submission guidelines. Canvas supports various submission formats, including file uploads, text entries, and website URLs.
Discussions: Engage with your classmates and instructors in discussion forums. These forums are often graded and contribute to your overall course grade. Creating good, non-confusing graded discussion forums is actually quite challenging.
Grades: Regularly check your grades to track your performance in each course. Canvas allows instructors to provide feedback on assignments, helping you understand your strengths and areas for improvement. If you want something to be in your gradebook, then create an assignment for it.

Tools and Integrations within Canvas

Canvas integrates with various external tools and applications to enhance the learning experience. Some notable examples include:

Zoom: A cloud-based platform for video and audio conferencing, online meetings, and virtual collaboration.
Turnitin: A plagiarism detection tool. Canvas now has two new features available in Canvas: Smart Search and Discussion Summaries. Smart Search helps users find content by understanding query context, thus providing more accurate and relevant search results. Discussion Summaries allows educators to identify central themes, key questions, and emerging trends with just a single click, freeing them from the time-consuming process of sifting through hundreds of comments and allowing them to focus on fostering meaningful dialogue and guiding student learning, particularly in large-scale courses. For more information: Check out the Discussion Summaries FAQ from the Canvas Guides.
SLAM (Self-Service LTI App Management): Allows instructors to quickly and easily add and remove other LTI apps to their course. Visit the SLAM tool in Canvas Integration Central.

Tips for Success with Canvas

Familiarize yourself with the platform: Explore the Canvas interface and features to understand how it works.
Check Canvas regularly: Stay updated on announcements, assignments, and course materials.
Utilize the Canvas Calendar: Keep track of important deadlines and events. How do I use the Calendar?
Communicate with your instructors: Don't hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification when needed.
Take advantage of available resources: Explore the Canvas Guides and tutorials for assistance.
Organize your files: Use folders to organize all your materials, e.g., handouts, library, images, etc.
If you want something to be in your gradebook, then create an assignment for it. You can create weighted assignments. Bear in mind, CANVAS will just take all points earned and divide this score by points possible within a group. Since I want my midterm weighted differently than my final, my midterm is in its own group. If you have a bunch of pre-Coronavirus assignments in your non-Canvas gradebook already, I recommend against using the CANVAS gradebook as your main gradebook, especially if you're not adept at CANVAS already. Quizzes are a specific sort of assignment.
Creating good, non-confusing graded discussion forums is actually quite challenging.

Additional Resources

Canvas Guides: A comprehensive library of step-by-step tutorials, videos, and FAQs designed to help instructors navigate and utilize Canvas effectively.
Canvas Tutorials: From a quick video introduction to an in depth course on accessibility fundamentals for Canvas, check out these self-paced training courses.
Instructor Getting Started Resources: This comprehensive guide includes step-by-step instructions, videos, and flowcharts to help instructors become comfortable with Canvas. It covers everything from account setup to course management and communication tools.
Canvas Quick Start Checklist: A handy checklist that provides a high-level overview of essential tasks for getting started with Canvas. It includes links to tutorials, videos, and best practices for setting up and managing your course.
ITS Customer Services: Contact ITS Customer Services at 859-218-HELP (option 1) for assistance with accessing Canvas or your linkblue password.
Sign up for UK ITS news, alerts and tech tips here.

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