Tag Archive: Canvas

Chromebook on a desk next to some books

Respondus Lockdown Browser for Chromebooks

To our teaching and learning community who have stuck with the online assessment process:

You may have had students in the past who purchased their own Chromebook in lieu of a traditional Windows PC Laptop or macOS laptop simply because of the cost savings when being told that online learning at MCC was a requirement due to the campus being shut down in March 2020. When it came time for them to take a high-stakes exam, you may have elected to use Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor in Canvas.

In the past, personally owned Chromebooks were not supported, so your students would have had to borrow a device that Respondus Lockdown Browser officially supported or come to campus to use a computer that was supported.

We are pleased to announce that after a relatively short beta testing period, that personally-owned Chromebooks are now natively supported for Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor. There is nothing you need to do to specifically enter the Chromebook setting in the Lockdown Browser Canvas interface. Chromebooks just work now. Hooray!

Featured Image: Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

Image of Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons Cleaning a Computer Screen

Tidy Up Your Canvas Grade Book

Now that Fall Semester 2020 is over, you may have some questions about how the Canvas Grade Book is organized. Importing assignments and adding new assignments ad hoc may have you and your students scratching their heads on what grade they are going to be awarded in their transcripts. Let the CTL experts show you how to organize everything for the optimal student experience. There will be a total of 4 sessions on these dates and times:

Monday Dec 7, 2020 at 10:30am
Monday Dec 7, 2020 at 2:30pm

Wednesday Dec 9, 2020 at 10:30am
Wednesday Dec 9, 2020 at 2:30pm

Hosted by James Bowles and Jeffrey Anderson

All sessions will be conducted via Webex via this link: https://maricopa.webex.com/meet/jbowles1. Just pick a session from those listed above and click on the Webex link to join.

You can also see these and other future events like them on the CTL calendar: https://ctl.mesacc.edu/opportunities/calendar/

See you there!

Canvas LMS

What’s New in Canvas for Fall 2018

Greetings MCC Faculty and Staff

Welcome to a new semester. If you’ve been away from Canvas we’ve got a summarized list of what may be new to you when you return to getting your course content put together:

  • Module DuplicationPreviously, course content items could only be duplicated individually. With the recent Modules update, instructors can duplicate entire modules. If your module has a quiz in it the module cannot be duplicated.
    How Do I Duplicate a Module?
  • Section Specific AnnouncementsInstructors can now create section-specific announcements in their courses. When creating an announcement, instructors can select to send the announcement to all sections, one section, or multiple sections.
    How Do I Create a Section-Specific Announcement?
  • Inactive Role – (This behavior will begin Aug 25th)

    Statement from DO ITS:Title IV Reporting Improvements (Last Day of Attendance) – ITS and the Office of the General Counsel’s Compliance division, with input from faculty and staff from around the district, developed an application that will assist faculty in reporting more accurate Last Day of Attendance(LDA) dates to the student information system (SIS).  This allows for accurate reporting of Title IV funding to the federal government and reduces financial audits at the college and district levels.  The system will query Maricopa’s online learning management studio presenting appropriate options to faculty and will launch the beginning of August – prior to the start of the fall semester.”

    To support last day of attendance and other operational issues regarding student activity not being available when a student has a withdrawn status in SIS, they have been getting deleted on the Canvas side.The DO ITS team in charge of SIS->Canvas interface has decided to make use of the inactive status in Canvas with the SIS interface so that students who are withdrawn will not have access to their Canvas course but their data will still remain in the course.Faculty will likely notice this in two areas of the course:

 

  1. The Canvas grade book, but only if they show the option to display inactive students

    and
  2. The people tab. All students who have ever enrolled in the course will always display here so this will make the list longer than it has in the past. This first semester is an introduction to this method and you may receive calls for support about the inactive tag showing up in the people tab or instructors wanting information about dropped students.

    Here’s another institution’s description of the purpose and effect:

    https://stritch.instructure.com/courses/2566/pages/inactive-status-for-students-new-process

    See https://ep.maricopa.edu/ERP/canvas/Pages/Last-Day-of-Attendance-Changes-Fall-2018.aspx to see the offical MCCCD statement about this change.

  • Stacking Replies in DocviewerWhen users view comments for a DocViewer-supported document, comments with replies are stacked together. The number of replies is indicated for the comment thread. Users can click the first comment to expand and view all additional comments.

    image of Canvas student docviewer replies that are stacked on top of each other

    Stacked replies is now in DocViewer

     

  • Badgr is the official Canvas badging solution supported by Instructure. Look for special communication about using Badges in your Canvas courses.
Turnitin Success Week Banner

Explore WritingXTech

Free Turnitin® Web Series

Join Turnitin® their third annual Student Success Week October 5-9. SSW15 is a five day virtual conference. This year the sessions will focus on “how technology affects writing instruction and the student learning experience”. Participants will learn techniques and strategies for using digital tools to increase student engagement and improve writing skills. Certificates of Participation are provided for registered participants!

What is Turnitin?

Turnitin® is a service that is used by thousands of institutions in over 80 countries.  It has a range of options, but the primary tool is its Plagiarism Prevention component, which has been purchased by MCCCD. Turnitin® is integrated with Canvas making it easy for you check for plagiarism in work submitted by students within Canvas. Learn more about using Turnitin® at MCC.

Schedule

This FREE series will kick off on Monday, October 5, and will include 45-minute webcasts. Register for one or all 8 sessions!

Monday, October 5:
No Laptop Left Behind?
Kentaro Toyama, W.K. Kellogg Associate Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan School of Information

Digital Tools for Writing Instruction
Kristine E. Pytash, Richard E. Ferdig, PhD, and Timothy Rasinski

Tuesday, October 6:
Writing and the Visual: Graphically Organizing Your Writing
Thomas DeVere Wolsey, CEO of the Institute to Advance International Education

Wednesday, October 7:
Crowdsourcing in the Classroom to Enhance Reading, Writing, and Presenting
Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky, Director of Educational Technology at Frisch

Thursday, October 8:
Writing By Hand, Keyboard, Voice and Beyond
Steve Graham, Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in Teachers College

“The Network Effect”: Amplification and Opportunities for Global Feedback
Michael Fisher, Instructional Coach and Educational Consultant

Friday, October 9:
The Future of Writing: I Wandered Lonely In The Cloud
Anya Kamenetz is NPR’s lead education blogger

Can’t make these times? Register and they will send you the links to the recordings! Visit the SSW15 home page.

For more information, please visit the Student Success Week 2015 website.

Canvas Updates Header

Canvas User Update Week of September 21

Important Notices

Deletion (Archiving) of Courses Begins October 2

Spring 2014 and older SIS courses (courses with a designated section number) will begin being deleted on October 2. Deletion (Archiving) will start with Summer 2012 and Fall 2012 MCC courses. All course materials and student information associated with those courses will be deleted. These courses will also no longer appear in your course menu, inbox or calendar list. Throughout the Fall additional deletion/archiving processes will be run for the Spring 2013-Spring 2014 semesters.

What does this mean for you?

Please create archives of the courses if you think you want to keep/reuse any of the content. The archive (export file) can be imported into another Canvas course at a later time. Note: A course export does not include student records.

Privacy/Security & LTIs

You or your students may have noticed a recent disclaimer in Canvas regarding learning tools, known as LTIs (Learning Tools Interoperatbility) in Canvas. LTIs are a specific type of  tool that may route users or their data to another resource (vendor). They include tools such as communication apps (e.g., “Chat”), to entire learning environments (e.g., Pearson MyLabs), and utilities such as plagiarism detection resources (e.g., TurnItIn). Although these tools are designed to enhance the learning experience, you should be aware that when you or your students use these links, you are potentially leaving the Canvas environment and the protections MCCCD has built-in to assure alignment with Maricopa’s Data Privacy and Security Standards and other legal compliance.

What does this mean for you?

At present, MCCCD has been unable to verify that the LTI software and systems conform to Maricopa standards for privacy and security. There is, therefore, some risk that individuals electing to use the products and services made available by these LTI vendors may place any student information shared with the vendor at a risk of disclosure that would concern MCCCD.

A District-wide committee is being established to address LTI concerns and one of the committee’s first activities may include building a web page that contains additional information about LTIs. Additional announcements will be made to include the address of the informative web page when it becomes available for your use.

For now, there are no specific recommendations. However, you may consider carefully reviewing any LTIs that you are using and informing students of the use of these tools in your course (e.g. syllabus).

Canvas Update Cycle

Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The next beta (preview) release is on 9/28, production notes will follow on 10/5 with the release and documentation to follow on 10/10. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.

View Prior Notices

What’s New in Canvas?

Recurring Calendar Events

Repeat Yourself! Repeat Yourself!

When creating a course event, the calendar feature now includes a recurring option similar to that of Google Calendar. Instructors can choose to create copies of the event to occur every day, week, or month. This course-level feature is pending an MCCCD release, but should be available soon.

Recurring Calendar Event Feature

Learn more about the Canvas Calendar.
Learn more about adding recurring events.

How can this feature be used?

  • To create course events that repeat throughout the semester.

What will it look like?

When an event is scheduled to recur it will create a copy for each instance or occurrence. Recurring events are not linked together. They are copies or independent events. If users need to modify an event, each event has to be adjusted individually.

Conference Polling

Big Blue Button just got bigger!

The Canvas Conferences feature, Big Blue Button, has been outfitted with a polling feature. Now a presenter in a web-based conference in Canvas can survey, assess and engage participants with a quick poll. Polling options include Yes/No, True/False, or letter responses (A through F).

Big Blue Button Polling Feature

Learn more about the Canvas Conferences feature.
Learn more about the polling options.

How can this feature be used?

  • To create an interactive poll during a web-based presentation in Canvas.

What will it look like?

Presenters (faculty or students designated as presenters) can create a poll at the bottom of the presentation window. Polls can also be created automatically from a slide in a presentation document that asks a poll type question. The feature will read the slide and include polling options that match the question! Polls are always anonymous and they are not required. Once a poll is started, presenters can see the participant responses as they are made in real time. The presenter an publish the results of a poll during the web conference.

Groups

Breaking up is easy to do!

Groups (student or instructor created) will now conclude when the course does. Groups in a concluded course will not appear in the Courses & Groups menu. Users will still be able access their previous and current groups in the Groups index page available in the Courses & Groups menu.

Group Feature Changes
Learn more about concluding courses in the End of Course FAQs.
Learn more about the Group feature in Canvas.

Other Updates of Note

Gradebook – Muted Assignments

When an instructor mutes an assignment, scores are muted from (or not calculated in) the student’s Total score. Previously muting also prevented instructors from seeing the actual total. The instructor’s Gradebook will now reflect the total score with the muted assignment value included. Learn more about assignment muting.

Global Announcements

Global Announcements in Canvas have a new face. A clear box and distinguishing color with icons make it easier for users to see important notifications on the dashboard.

Canvas Mobile

Review the latest improvements to the iOS and Android Canvas Apps.

Review the Release Notes for more updates & bug fixes.

Did You Know?

A New User Interface is Coming

Canvas will be introducing a new User Interface, product look and feel, beginning in August of 2016. The new interface will be a big change for both faculty and students.

This new interface will streamline navigation and refine the user experience. You can learn more about the new UI by watching this video and reading this Canvas Guide.

Get a Preview

Be prepared for an exciting change! You can see how the new UI will operate by visiting the MCCCD Canvas Beta environment. This environment is used to review upcoming changes. Note: This is not a live production environment, it is for review of features only.

Log-in with your MEID and MEID password and take a tour!

Why wait? I love it!

The interface has been launched in certain instances of Canvas, the Network and Free for Teachers, but is not available in MCCCD at this time.

Extensive testing and feedback is needed to make sure that the new UI will be a good fit for our teaching and learning environment and to address any specific issues that may cause disruptions. The expected date that the new UI will be available in MCCCD is August 2016.

I think something could be better!

Great! If you are interested in providing feedback to Canvas about the new UI, they have formed a community where people can share their accolades, concerns and ideas.

Join the New UI User Group to see what people are saying and start sharing your thoughts about the new UI.

Resources

New UI Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Canvas Community site.

Watch the upcoming CanvasLive Webinar on September 23, Same U-New UI live or access the archive after the session at a more convenient time.

Contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning for more information about this or other Canvas issues.

Canvas Training

MCCCD Canvas Webinar Learning Series

Join the Maricopa Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) for the fall Canvas Series. For nine weeks the CTLs will provide you with up-to-date informational sessions on tools, instructional techniques, and best practices for Canvas. Each campus will specialize in a topic important to Maricopa faculty. Sessions will be held online using Adobe Connect so you may attend from anywhere. Topics include:

  • Using Collaborative and Social Tools in Canvas (Register)
  • Alternative Ways to Use the Quiz Tool in Canvas (Register)
  • Using Groups in Canvas to Achieve Learning Goals (Register)
  • Practical Peer Review Tips in Canvas (Register)
  • Grading the Easy Way: Using Rubrics in Canvas (Register)
  • Embedding Google Docs and Using Google Apps in Canvas (Register)
  • Using Images to Enhance Content Delivery in Canvas (Register)
  • Module Release in Canvas (Register)

MCC Center for Teaching & Learning

Appointments, Workshops and Customized Sessions

The CTL is your partner as you implement innovative teaching, learning and workplace strategies. From general support, to consultation services, and/or tailored workshops, we are here to help you, your department, program or team reach your goals for student success.

The CTL provides day-to-day support for faculty and staff on technology, teaching and productivity issues including Canvas. Stop by our offices, send us an email or give us a call for support or to set-up an appointment. We are here for you!

View our learning opportunity calendar.
Visit us on the web at ctl.mesacc.edu.
Email us at ctl@mesacc.edu
Call us at (480) 461-7331

Online Tutorials, Resources & Guides

  • Canvas Instructor Orientation is an open enrollment course that will walk you through the basics of setting up a new course in Canvas. To enroll, simply click on the “Join this course” button on the Course Home Page. There is no facilitator, but it is a good series of self-paced exercises.
  • Canvas Instructor Video Guides contain quick and informative video tutorials to get you started with Canvas.
  • Canvas Guides are available that cover all major features of Canvas. They can be searched by topic (e.g. Assignments, Discussions, etc.) or by user/type (e.g. Instructor, Mobile, etc.) and are formatted as easy to navigate and mostly image-based walk thru demonstrations of how to use a particular feature. Best practice tip? Share relevant Student Guides in your Canvas course to help students be more successful in using Canvas.
  • Canvas Live provides free webinar trainings on a variety of best practices with teaching and learning on Canvas topics. Join a live session or if you can’t make it sessions are archived for later viewing.
  • MCC Center for Teaching & Learning How-To Documents include a variety of helpful how-to guides such as the Getting Started with Canvas in 10 Steps resource.
  • [Student Resource] MCC Canvas101 is an open enrollment, self-paced course that introduces students to Canvas and walks them through the basics of setting user preferences, submitting assignments, replying to discussions, taking quizzes, viewing grades and more! Recommended for all students.

Canvas Help at MCC

Faculty & Employee Support

Contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning for all your Canvas questions. We are here to help!

When sending emails or leaving voice messages, please be as specific as possible about your request. Include your name (first and last), the course section number (if applicable) and a brief description of the issue within your inquiry. This will help us address your question faster!

Student Support

Students seeking assistance with Canvas should contact the MCC HelpCenter at:

Outside normal business hours students should contact the 24X7 assistance line at 1-888-994-4433.

Canvas

Canvas User Updates September 1

Important Notices

Bounce Back from Inbox Message Issues

An unexpected change in the way Canvas handles user email addresses may have an impact on the sending and receiving messages using standard email. Specifically, when replying to a message that was received in an email account  Canvas is now verifying that the email address of the sender matches the preferred contact information provided by that user within NotificationsIf they do not match, this may lead to messages being bounced back as undeliverable.

What does this mean for you?
What this means is that if you reply to a Canvas message from your Maricopa Gmail, with one of your email aliases (MEID@mesacc.edu) that does not match the email address that you have used to set up Notifications in Canvas (first.name@mesacc.edu), that message will not be delivered.

What should you do?

Option 1: If you are electing to route your Canvas messages to your Employee Gmail be sure to add your MEID@mesacc.edu account to your preferred contact methods in Canvas and adjust your Notifications for receiving messages accordingly to this account.

Option 2: Within Employee Gmail, remember to select the appropriate alias when replying to a Canvas message. For example, if your preferred contact email address within Canvas is first.name@mesacc.edu then when replying to a message in Gmail select this alias from the “From” field. Note: If you are using an email app from a mobile device, you may not have the ability to change the “From” address when you reply.

Option 3: Streamline your communications by only replying to messages within Canvas. Use Notifications sent to email to alert you to messages to manage in Canvas. The advantage of this option is that you will only have one account to manage and the common issues with routing of messages will be avoided.

Course Deletion

Spring 2014 and older SIS courses (courses with a designated section number) will begin being deleted the third week in September. All course materials and student information associated with those courses will be deleted. These courses will also no longer appear in your course menu, inbox or calendar list.

What does this mean for you?
Please create archives of the courses if you think you want to keep/reuse any of the content. The archive (export file) can be imported into another Canvas course at a later time. Note: A course export does not include student records.

Canvas Community

Canvas launched an updated Community feature for users in April. The Community is a resource for students and instructors to find helpful guides on how to use Canvas, as well as to participate in feature discussions, find best practices and more.

What does this mean for you?
All the links to old Canvas Guides will remain functional, however, we recommend moving any support links you provide to students to the new community guides as the old guides will no longer be updated.

Canvas Update Cycle

Update Cycle Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The next beta (preview) release is on 9/8, production notes will follow on 9/14 with the release and documentation to follow on 9/19. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.

What’s New in Canvas?

Clone Group Sets

Groups will have you seeing seeing double the awesome!

Canvas allows for student group work either independently of assignments (study groups) or within the Assignment or Discussion features (group projects, activities, etc.). Moving students from groups caused a variety of issues once student work for that assignment had been submitted. In this latest update, Canvas has added a warning to instructors if they try to modify a group set that has existing student submissions. Instructors can choose to modify the group, or they can clone the existing group set.

Clone Group Set
Learn more about Groups in Canvas.

How can this feature be used?
  • Remove or add a student to a group for a future assignment without having to redo the group set-up or disrupting grading.
What will it look like?

Cloning a group set will copy the entire group set, including all groups, group leaders, and memberships; instructors can then make changes. Group sets can also be cloned at any time in the Settings menu for the group set.

Other Updates

External URLs in the SpeedGrader

When assessing web links (URLs) submitted in the SpeedGrader, a new link will appear to open the submission in a new tab. Learn more about the SpeedGrader.

Canvas Mobile

Review the latest improvements to the iOS and Android Canvas Apps.

Time Zones

Canvas has improved the accuracy of the displayed time even if a user’s computer browser and Canvas profile are set in different time zones, Canvas will display the profile time zone in a user’s account settings. Learn more about User Settings.

Review the Release Notes for more updates & bug fixes.

Did You Know?

Accessibility of Canvas: A Product Commitment

Instructure, the makers of Canvas, are committed to creating a learning environment for all users. Canvas is built on modern coding technologies and is dedicated to meeting web accessibility guidelines.

Learn about the basic accessibility features of Canvas or review the Canvas Voluntary Product Accessibility Template to more deeply understand Canvas’ conformance with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Accessible Content: Our Commitment

Although Canvas is constantly striving to meet and improve upon its accessibility, this does not guarantee that a course is accessible. Only we can ensure the accessibility of the content we place in Canvas.

5 Tips for More Accessible Courses in Canvas

Tip 1: Layout & Design

Keep it simple and clean. Chunk information and use the descriptive header styles built in to the Rich Content Editor. When using color font, select high contrast options. Use the WAVE Tool to check your text-based content for accessibility.

Tip 2: Images

Alternative (alt) text is required to provide a text alternative to non-text content or images in web pages and digital files. Embed images in Canvas to provide a descriptive text that will be read to those using a screen reader. Learn how to embed images in the Rich Content Editor.

Tip 3: Links

Ditch the “click here” or pasted web address links for descriptive words that link to a web URL. This will help all users understand where a link will go before they click on it. Learn more about descriptive links.

Tip 4: Captions & Transcripts

All videos should be captioned and a transcript alternative available for audio podcasts. Videos uploaded to Canvas can be captioned by the built in resource Amara. Learn how to create captions for new or uploaded Canvas videos.

Tip 5: Files

Verify that MS Word, PowerPoint, PDF and other non-native files to Canvas pass accessibility guidelines. For MS Office, use the accessibility checker utility to quickly scan and correct errors or learn how to create accessible PDF documents.

Resources

Learning Opportunities

MCCCD Canvas Webinar Learning Series

Join the Maricopa Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) for the fall Canvas Series. For nine weeks the CTLs will provide you with up-to-date informational sessions on tools, instructional techniques, and best practices for Canvas. Each campus will specialize in a topic important to Maricopa faculty. Sessions will be held in Adobe Connect so you may attend from anywhere. Topics include:

  • Humanizing and Social Presence in Online Courses (Register)
  • Using Collaborative and Social Tools in Canvas (Register)
  • Alternative Ways to Use the Quiz Tool in Canvas (Register)
  • Using Groups in Canvas to Achieve Learning Goals (Register)
  • Practical Peer Review Tips in Canvas (Register)
  • Grading the Easy Way: Using Rubrics in Canvas (Register)
  • Embedding Google Docs and Using Google Apps in Canvas (Register)
  • Using Images to Enhance Content Delivery in Canvas (Register)
  • Module Release in Canvas (Register)

MCC Center for Teaching & Learning

CTL LogoAppointments, Workshops and Customized Sessions

The CTL is your partner as you implement innovative teaching, learning and workplace strategies. From general support, to consultation services, and/or tailored workshops, we are here to help you, your department, program or team reach your goals for student success.

The CTL provides day-to-day support for faculty and staff on technology, teaching and productivity issues including Canvas. Stop by our offices, send us an email or give us a call for support or to set-up an appointment. We are here for you!

View our learning opportunity calendar.
Visit us on the web at ctl.mesacc.edu.
Email us at ctl@mesacc.edu
Call us at (480) 461-7331

Online Tutorials, Resources & Guides

Canvas Logo

  • Canvas Instructor Orientation is an open enrollment course that will walk you through the basics of setting up a new course in Canvas. To enroll, simply click on the “Join this course” button on the Course Home Page. There is no facilitator, but it is a good series of self-paced exercises.
  • Canvas Instructor Video Guides contain quick and informative video tutorials to get you started with Canvas.
  • Canvas Guides are available that cover all major features of Canvas. They can be searched by topic (e.g. Assignments, Discussions, etc.) or by user/type (e.g. Instructor, Mobile, etc.) and are formatted as easy to navigate and mostly image-based walk thru demonstrations of how to use a particular feature. Best practice tip? Share relevant Student Guides in your Canvas course to help students be more successful in using Canvas.
  • Canvas Live provides free webinar trainings on a variety of best practices with teaching and learning on Canvas topics. Join a live session or if you can’t make it .” target=”_blank”>sessions are archived for later viewing.
  • MCC Center for Teaching & Learning How-To Documents include a variety of helpful how-to guides such as the Getting Started with Canvas in 10 Steps resource.
  • MCCCD Canvas Help Area provides how-to documents, and support information to all Canvas users, students and faculty.
  • [Student Resource] MCC Canvas101 is an open enrollment, self-paced course that introduces students to Canvas and walks them through the basics of setting user preferences, submitting assignments, replying to discussions, taking quizzes, viewing grades and more! Recommended for all students.

 

Web-Based Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning Online: CIS Series

Web-Based Teaching & Learning
Prepare for or Retool Your Online, Hybrid and Web-Enabled Course

The CIS 236 and CIS 237 series is designed to help you get started in or retool for the unique world of teaching & learning in the hybrid and online formats. It can also help support you in web-enabling your ground/face-to-face course.

First, experience the ‘student’ perspective of online learning in CIS236. Get helpful tips to facilitate a course including policies, procedures and content management (copyright and accessibility). Along the way, see what the Canvas learning management system can do to enhance any course format and discover new digital teaching tools to engage learners. Then explore course design and content creation more deeply in CIS 237. Build engaging assignments, group activities and integrate technology to support learners’ needs.

Instructors will complete the series with practical tips, researched pedagogy and a duplicative structure for building and facilitating an online or hybrid format class or supporting a ground/face-to-face course with an online presence.

Advantages of the Open Entry Format

Mesa Community College is offering CIS236 and CIS237 in the Open Entry format for the Fall 2015.

Flexible Learning!

  • Pick your own start date (8/24 – 10/16)
  • Set your own pace over the 8 week period
  • No hard deadlines.

Enroll Today

Enrollment through My.Maricopa.edu(SIS will be unavailable until February 16)

  1. Complete your Student Information Form
  2. Register for Class
  3. Pay for the course, Learn About MCCCD Tuition Waivers: http://www.maricopa.edu/publicstewardship/resources/tw.php

If you have difficulties registering or have questions about these courses, contact the instructor:

CIS 236:  Web Based Teaching & Learning I (2 credits), Section #24269

Experience using a web-based learning environment from an online student’s perspective. Use communication tools, submit assignments, use evaluation tools, and navigate an online-learning environment.  Introduction to the basics of online pedagogy and lots of hands-on experience with a web-based learning environment and digital teaching tools! Prerequisites: CIS133CA or CIS 133DA, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for override code.

  • Offered fully online during Fall 2015 (Open Entry) – Choose a start date between August 24 and October 16. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.

CIS 237:  Web Based Teaching & Learning II (3 credits), Section #24270

Discuss theories, methods, and best practices for designing, developing, and delivering an online course including Classroom Assessment Techniques, Flipped Classroom, Quality Matters and more.  Create an online or hybrid course module using a web-based learning environment.  Prerequisites: CIS 236, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for concurrent enrollment code (allowing students to take CIS236 and CIS237 simultaneously).

  • Offered fully online during Fall 2015 (Open Entry) – Choose a start date between August 24 and October 16. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
Canvas Updates Header

Canvas User Updates Fall 2015

Important Canvas Notices

Course Deletion

Spring 2014 and older SIS courses (courses with a designated section number) will begin being deleted the third week in September. All course materials and student information associated with those courses will be deleted. These courses will also no longer appear in your course menu, inbox or calendar list.

What does this mean for you?
Please create archives of the courses if you think you want to keep/reuse any of the content. The archive (export file) can be imported into another Canvas course at a later time. Note: A course export does not include student records.

Canvas Community

Canvas launched an updated Community feature for users in April. The Community is a resource for students and instructors to find helpful guides on how to use Canvas, as well as to participate in feature discussions, find best practices and more.

What does this mean for you?
All the links to old Canvas Guides will remain functional, however, we recommend moving any support links you provide to students to the new community guides as the old guides will no longer be updated.

Is Your Canvas Ready? Top Tips

Make sure you are ready for a smooth start this Fall 2015!

Customize You Course List

Access your courses quickly and easily by customizing your Course Menu in Canvas. Remove Spring 2015 and older classes from your list so that you can focus just on the current semester.

Is your course missing? follow these troubleshooting steps:

  1. Check your All Course List in Canvas.
  2. Verify that you have been officially scheduled as the ‘instructor on record’ in SIS (My.Maricopa). Instructors assigned to courses in SIS will have access to a Canvas shell.
  3. Is your course non-credit? Only credit courses are provided Canvas shells. To request a Canvas shell for a non-credit course, contact the MCC CTL at (480) 461-7331.
  4. If your course is still is not listed (after following the steps above), contact the MCC CTL at (480) 461-7331 for assistance.

Import (Copy) Content

You don’t have to start from scratch! Copy an entire course or select items that you want to copy from a previous course into your Fall course shell. Don’t forget to use the Adjust Events and Due Dates option to save yourself time. Please note it can take up to 2 hours for copies of courses from one semester to another to be completed (size and traffic determine speed).

Feel free to leave the copy page or logout of Canvas while the copy is being made. Additionally, pay close attention to any error notices at the end of the copy process. Review any alerts reported (posted notice in the import history) and take corrective action. Errors will most often be related to broken links or empty pages. Please review the import (copy) guidelines to get started.

​Publish Course Items

Publish any quizzes, assignments, discussions, content pages or modules that should be visible to students prior to publishing your course. Publishing the course will not publish items within the course that are still in ‘draft state’.  Learn more about Draft State in this short video.

Publish the Course

Don’t forget to publish your course to make it available to students. Once a course is published you can continue to make changes and updates as needed. Courses cannot be unpublished once students have submitted work to the course.

Cross-List (Combine) Sections

Do you want to combine two or more sections of the same class? Combining sections can be a great option for more easily managing courses of the same prefix/# and type (in-person, hybrid or online). When you cross-list all the students will be have access to and participate in a single Canvas course. This does not change the SIS enrollment. Learn more about cross-listing sections in Canvas.

Update Cycle Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The next beta (preview) release is on 8/17, production notes will follow on 8/24 with the release and documentation to follow on 8/29. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.

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What’s New in Canvas?

If you did not teach this summer you may notice that there have been many new and exciting additions and changes to Canvas. Here’s a list of highlights:

Assignments, Discussions & Peer Review

Excuse Me! Using Excused Assignments

As needed, you can use the Gradebook to excuse a student from an assignment, discussion, or quiz. You can also excuse a student from a group assignment.

When an assignment is excused, the assignment page and the student grade page will show the student that he or she has been excused from the assignment. Students cannot submit excused assignments and they are not calculated as part of a student’s total grade.

Canvas Excused Assignment FeatureLearn more about Excused Assignments.

A Big Difference! Differentiated Assignments

Using Differentiated Assignments you can create Assignments, Graded Discussions, and Quizzes for certain only a individual student(s), sections, or vary due dates for students in your courses.

How can this feature be used?

  • Honor’s & Special Projects – Assign special projects to only the students that need to complete this work.
  • Make-Up Work – When a student misses a class you can assign them an individual alternative assignment.
  • Varied Due Dates – Creating assignments for different users also allows for different due dates and availability date options for the same assignment. Great for cross-listing (combining) sections that meet on different days of the week.

What will it look like?
When using differentiated assignments with the Gradebook, the assignment appears as a column for all students, but grade cells are grayed out for students who have not been included in the assignment. On the student grades page, students can only view assignments that have been assigned to them.

Grades cannot be assigned for students who have not been included in the assignment, and assignments that are assigned to them, either individually or as part of a course or section, are not factored into overall grades. 

Canvas Differentiated Assignment FeatureLearn more about Differentiated Assignments.

The Easy Button! Assignment Submission Overhaul

The student Submit Assignment link has been moved out of the sidebar and placed more prominently as a (blue) button. The Re-submit Assignment link has also been re-purposed as a button.

Canvas Assignment Submission

What’s Not to ‘Like’? New Discussion Feature

Instructors can allow students to indicate ‘liked’ discussion replies within Canvas Discussions (graded and ungraded types) on a per-discussion basis.
When a discussion has liking enabled, students and instructors will see a gray Like icon within each discussion reply. When clicked, the icon will turn blued indicating that the discussion reply is ‘liked’. A total number of likes will appear next to the link and optionally instructors can elect to have replies with the most ‘likes’ appear at the top of the board.

The ‘like’ feature may also be limited to instructor use.

Canvas Discussion Like FeatureLearn more about the Like feature in discussions.

Peer Review Goes Undercover

Just in case you missed it in late April Canvas released the first iteration of Anonymous Peer Review.  Instructors can now choose to create peer reviews (for Assignments and Discussions) with anonymous responses.  This hides the name of the student reviewer from the student with the submission. Note: Instructors will always be able to see the name of the reviewer. Canvas plans on adding more functionality to the peer review feature in the future. Stay-tuned!

Canvas Anonymous Peer Review FeatureLearn more about Anonymous Peer Review.

Other Changes

Custom Calendar Colors

Canvas now allows users to set their own colors for each calendar in their account. Users can select from one of 15 default colors or insert a Hex code to create any color of their choice. Colors selected by instructors for a course calendar do not effect the student view of the calendar. Learn more about the calendar.

Etherpad Collaborations

Etherpad is no longer available as an option for class collaboration within Canvas. All existing Etherpad collaborations have been deleted. If you are interested in using collaborative documents in Canvas you have the option to use Google Docs or Pages.

Incomplete Quiz Score Icon

A new Quiz icon will display in the Gradebook when students complete a quiz that includes a manually graded question. When students hover over the icon, students can view a message indicating that grading is in progress. Learn more about Gradebook icons.

Module Tracking

A new Module Requirement feature option allows instructors to assign ‘Mark as Done’ for students to progress through course assignments and pages. When this is enabled, students are responsible for marking the module item as done before they can move on to the next module item. Learn more about Module Requirements.

New Files

The Canvas File cabinet has been completely overhauled making it easier to upload, organize and view files. The new interface for files includes creation and modification dates, file sizes, publishing options and more. Learn more about using Course Files.

Persistent Gradebook Customization

When rearranging and resizing columns in the Gradebook for ease of grading, the changes will now persist or remain in place across computers and browsers. Note: changes to the Gradebook in the instructor view does not change the student view. Learn more about customizing Gradebook.

Want even more?

Join Us for a Session

What’s New in Canvas? Personalized & Social Learning!
Explore the new features and updates to our learning management system, Canvas. From Differentiated Assignments to the New Community and “Liking” Discussions to Anonymous Peer Review, join us for a session dedicated to all things new in Canvas! Great for current Canvas users or new users looking to review Canvas features. (Note: Not a getting started session). Pick from the following sessions:

Tuesday, August 11, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0008; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Thursday, August 13, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0010; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Monday, August 17, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0009; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Review the Release Notes.

Did You Know?

Question Mark IconHelp is Just a Click or Call Away!

Contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning for all your Canvas questions at ctl@mesacc.edu OR (480) 461-7331. We are here to help!
Be specific.
When sending emails, please be as specific as possible about your request. Include your name (first and last), the course section number (if applicable) and a brief description of the issue within your inquiry. This will help us address your question faster!

How do students get help with Canvas?
Students seeking assistance with Canvas should contact the MCC HelpCenter at: (480) 461-7217 OR HelpCenter@mesacc.edu. Outside normal business hours students should contact the 24X7 assistance line at 1-888-994-4433.

Software BoxOut of the Box! MCC’s Getting Started Module for Canvas

Get a jump on your course design with the MCC Getting Started Module. This “Start Here” module includes everything you need to get students going in Canvas and in your course. The duplicative and customizable template includes a home page, welcome letter, syllabus sample, links to important student resources, Canvas tutorials, sample introductory activities and much, much more. This module was designed by the MCC eLearning Committee (according to Quality Matters standards) and can be used with any course format.

Preview & Download the MCC Getting Started Module Template into your course today!

Working with Publisher Resources

Many textbook companies offer a variety of instructor resources that can be can be used outside or within Canvas to supplement your content. Resources range from presentations and test banks to fully integrated applications with assignments and grade books.

Get represented!
Talk to your publisher representative to find out what types of materials are available and get an access account. Cartridges are the most convenient option for loading large amounts of publisher resources into Canvas. If your publisher offers an integration with Canvas, ask for a demo course so you can see how the integration might work for your course and decide whether you would rather keep the systems separate. Note: Security and privacy issues may have to be addressed for any integration of publisher systems with Canvas. Contact the MCC CTL for details.

How can the MCC CTL help?

The MCC Center for Teaching & Learning does not have direct access to publisher information and resources for textbooks. We can act as a consultant to help you in finding your publisher representative, reviewing the resource options available to you and your students, helping you download and upload course materials, and assisting you in integrating special publisher tools.

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Canvas Training

Canvas Logo

MCC Center for Teaching & Learning Appointments, Workshops and Customized Sessions

The CTL is your partner as you implement innovative teaching, learning and workplace strategies. From general support, to consultation services, and/or tailored workshops, we are here to help you, your department, program or team reach your goals for student success. The CTL provides day-to-day support for faculty and staff on technology, teaching and productivity issues including Canvas. Stop by our offices, send us an email or give us a call for support or to set-up an appointment. We are here for you!

View our learning opportunity calendar.
Visit us on the web at ctl.mesacc.edu.
Email us at ctl@mesacc.edu
Call us at (480) 461-7331

Online Resources, Tutorials & Guides

Canvas Instructor Orientation is an open enrollment course that will walk you through the basics of setting up a new course in Canvas. To enroll, simply click on the “Join this course” button on the Course Home Page. There is no facilitator, but it is a good series of self-paced exercises.

Canvas Instructor Video Guides contain quick and informative video tutorials to get you started with Canvas.

Canvas Guides are available that cover all major features of Canvas. They can be searched by topic (e.g. Assignments, Discussions, etc.) or by user/type (e.g. Instructor, Mobile, etc.) and are formatted as easy to navigate and mostly image-based walk thru demonstrations of how to use a particular feature. Best practice tip? Share relevant Student Guides in your Canvas course to help students be more successful in using Canvas.

Canvas Live provides free webinar trainings on a variety of best practices with teaching and learning on Canvas topics.  Join a live session or if you can’t make it sessions are archived for later viewing.

MCC Center for Teaching & Learning How-To Documents include a variety of helpful how-to guides such as the Getting Started with Canvas in 10 Steps resource.

[Student Resource] MCC Canvas101 is an open enrollment, self-paced course that introduces students to Canvas and walks them through the basics of setting user preferences, submitting assignments, replying to discussions, taking quizzes, viewing grades and more! Recommended for all students.

Fall 2015 Start-Up Learning Opportunities Logo

Inspire Learning this Fall

Fall is Almost Here! Are you ready to Inspire Learning?

The Mesa Community College Center for Teaching & Learning  is offering a variety of learning opportunities this fall. Attend these informative and hands-on sessions that will help you discover the best in teaching and learning through Canvas, build a foundation for success from day one and engage students in a vibrant and universal classroom community. Get ready to inspire learning this fall at MCC!

View the full Fall 2015 Start-Up Guide Book.

Check our calendar for updates.

A Registration System Designed to Track Your Growth:

CTL sessions use HRMS (Time & Labor) for our registration system. The system allows for an up-to-date attendance system that integrates with your employee record and allows for wait-lists for busy sessions. Each opportunity has a unique course and session number to make it easy to identify and register for. Please feel free to contact us, ctl@mesacc.edu, if you have any questions or concerns about how to register with this system.

Register through HCM (formerly HRMS)

Registration Instructions HRMS (formerly HRMS)

Session Opportunities August 10 – August 21

Inspired by Teaching & Learning in Canvas

10 Steps to Getting Started in Canvas
Canvas is the Learning Management System of choice at the Maricopa Community College District. Did you know that Canvas can benefit any course format – face-to-face, hybrid and online? Learn how to communicate with your students, post course materials/ syllabus, set-up assignments and grades within Canvas in just 10 easy steps. Great for anyone interested in teaching and learning with Canvas.

Pick from the following sessions:
Monday, August 10, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001839, Session #0016; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Tuesday, August 11, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
HCM Course #001839, Session #0017; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Thursday, August 13, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001839, Session #0018; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Assessing Learning & Giving Effective Feedback in Canvas

In this hands-on session participants will get a brief introduction to Grades (SpeedGrader and Crocodoc), Rubrics, Discussions, Quizzes, and the Assignments features in Canvas including strategies on how to use them effectively to assess and provide feedback on student work. Review the options available in Canvas to help you know how well your students are learning in your courses. Great for new Canvas users or those interested in learning more about the assessment features.

Tuesday, August 11, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001699, Session #0010; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

What’s New in Canvas? Personalized & Social Learning!

Explore the new features and updates to our learning management system, Canvas. From Differentiated Assignments to the New Community and “Liking” Discussions to Anonymous Peer Review, join us for a session dedicated to all things new in Canvas! Great for current Canvas users or new users looking to review Canvas features. (Note: Not a getting started session).

Pick from the following sessions:
Tuesday, August 11, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0008; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Thursday, August 13, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0010; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Monday, August 17, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001826, Session #0009; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Becoming a Canvas Genius! Supporting Learners in Canvas

“Have you tried turning it on and off again? Have you switched browsers? Are you sure it is plugged-in?” If you have found yourself asking any of these questions then you know that one of the many roles we play as faculty is that of technical support. In this session we will explore ways to acclimate students to the Canvas LMS through orchestrated activities, relevant resources and clear/salient instructions. Walk away with tools, tips and tricks to be a Canvas Genius! Great for current Canvas users or new users looking to review Canvas features. (Note: Not a getting started session).

Wednesday, August 12, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
HCM Course #002360, Session #0001; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Let’s Talk! Communicating Effectively in Canvas

Communicating with students can be a challenge. In this session participants will learn how leverage Canvas as powerful tool for more effective and streamlined communication. First, learn how to send, receive and manage messages in Canvas using the Conversation Inbox & Notifications. Then widen your scope by incorporating Announcements, Discussion, Chat and more! There are just so many ways to say “good communication” in Canvas. Great for new users or those looking to review the communication tools in Canvas.

Thursday, August 13, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
HCM Course #002359, Session #0001; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

The A, B & 4Cs of Learning Outcomes in Canvas

Ready to start measuring the MCC 4Cs or learning objectives in general? Discover how Canvas Outcomes allows faculty to enter institutional outcomes, course competencies and learning objectives to monitor student academic progress. Participants will learn to enter Outcomes and then align and grade Assessments (Quizzes, Assignments and graded Discussions) using rubrics. The session will also review the MCC’s 4C’s Scoring Guidelines and discuss effective practice for connecting and monitoring these outcomes. Great for current Canvas users or new users looking to review Canvas features. (Note: Not a getting started session).

Thursday, August 20, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
HCM Course #002358, Session #0001; Library – Room 144; Register Now

Inspired Productivity

Getting Started with Google – Mail a& Calendar

Attend this session to have hands-on assistance in using the MCCCD Google Mail and Calendar systems. Learn the basics to effectively communicate and organize your work schedule! Great for new employees and those looking for a refresher on the MCCCD Mail & Calendar systems.

Pick from the following sessions:
Monday, August 10, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001718, Session #0014; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Wednesday, August 12, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
HCM Course #001718, Session #0015; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Inspired Design

Easy Accessibility Check-Up with the CTL

Make your course more accessible with just a few simple best practices. In this session participants will view our accessibility resource for faculty and the WAVE Tool for checking online resources. Discover ways to make your course user friendly for all your students using universal design techniques. Great for all faculty.

Pick from the following sessions:
Wednesday, August 12, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001798, Session #0007; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Friday, August 21, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001798, Session #0008; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Inspired from Day One

Building a Learning-Centered and Interactive Syllabus

In this session we will explore how to construct a syllabus that not only conveys the required MCCCD/MCC policies and procedures of the class, but introduces students to the goals of the learning process in an engaging way. Discover how to build an interactive syllabus that focuses on meaningful expectations, learning objectives and provides students with the resources to be successful from day one. Great for all faculty.

Pick from the following sessions:
Friday, August 14, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
HCM Course #001201, Session #0015; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Friday, August 21, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
HCM Course #001201, Session #0016; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Humanizing Your Course with Presence, Empathy & Awareness

Online learning systems and education technology tools have made it easier for us to be efficient in teaching and learning. Using auto-feedback features, and systematic announcements we can manage our classes and our learners to maximize our output. But what is the net effect of this efficiency model? In this session we will discuss facilitation and design practices that can re-humanize our courses to both strengthen the learning community and increase student success and retention. Great for all faculty.

Monday, August 17, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
HCM Course #002306, Session #0002; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

3D Retention Strategies

The first few weeks of class can be rough for students. In this session we will explore a simple model that will help reveal dropout warning signs while learning proactive intervention strategies. Discover how you can collect and review key Data indicators, Develop an engaging community and use Dialog (communication/feedback) to keep all your students on the path to completion. Great for all faculty.

Friday, August 21, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
HCM Course #002118, Session #0002; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Inspired Resources

Out of the Box! MCC’s Getting Started Module

The MCC Getting Started Module is designed to provide Mesa Community College faculty with the basic elements necessary to effectively welcome students to a course and connect them with valuable resources. Based on the Quality Matters rubric and the work of the MCC eLearning Committee, this module is a duplicative template that contains best practice ideas, resources and activities for a variety of course formats and needs. Come to this informative session to review the module and learn how to modify it for your course(s). Great for all faculty.

Pick from the following sessions:
Friday, August 14, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
HCM Course #002255, Session #0002; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Monday, August 17, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
HRMS Course #002255, Session #0003; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

MCC’s Video Toolbox

Looking for assistance with video? Look no further. Come to this session to see our new MCC Video Toolbox, carefully packed with everything you need to create stunning and content rich videos that will help your learners reach their educational goals. Great for all faculty interested in video production.

Monday, August 17, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
HCM Course #002313, Session #0002; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Behavior Assessment & Disability Resources at MCC

Join MCC’s Dean of Student Services, Meredith Warner, as she discusses behavior assessment inside (and outside) the classroom and Disability Resource Services at the college. Through real-MCC examples participants will learn about the diversity of student concerns and needs on our campus. Walk away with hands on tools to more effectively manage your classroom and ensure the safety of all learners while helping them reach their educational goals. Great for all faculty.

Monday, August 17, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
HCM Course #002257, Session #0002; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Introducing Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect is the premier resource for online live classroom and web conferencing solutions for eLearning and business applications and it is now available at MCC! Adobe Connect’s comprehensive product provides a safe platform for virtual real-time instructional and non-instructional presentations with features such as: screen and file sharing, video/audio capture, mobile device support, session recording, live polling and more! Learn more about Adobe Connect features, best use cases and how to request a session. Great for faculty and staff interested in live conferencing.

Friday, August 21, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
HCM Course #002361, Session #0001; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

Inspired Support

New Adjunct Orientation

New Adjunct Faculty Orientation is designed to welcome new Adjunct Faculty to teaching at Mesa Community College. Orientation includes a welcome by President Dr. Pan and Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Yohe. This session will cover all the little and big things you need to know about being an Adjunct Faculty Member. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet fellow faculty members, discover success strategies for starting the semester off right (including syllabi creation), and learn about the crucial support systems available to you and your students at MCC.

Saturday, August 15, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
HCM Course #001830, Session #0005; CTL AS Building – Room 175; Register Now

It’s Your CTL – Personal PD Information Session

A new space and a new face for Professional Development opportunities at the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning. Stop by to learn about our services including the new Professional Development request process where we help connect you to learning opportunities that will meet your needs. Discover how we can create tailor-made self-help materials/references, custom sessions/workshops and provide consultation services for your program or project. It’s all here! It’s your CTL!

Friday, August 21, 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m., AS Building – Room 175
No registration required!

CTL Open Labs

Drop in during any time of the open lab to access resources and help with Canvas or building/planning your course! CTL Staff will be available to answer questions as you work on your classes to get started for the semester. Handouts and computers are available so that you can come in and work and ask questions as you go.

Southern & Dobson CTL, AS Building
Saturday, August 15, 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Monday, August 17, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, August 21, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Red Mountain, Palo Verde Building, Instructional Support Office
Monday, August 31, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 3, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

View the full Guide Book


Questions? Call the CTL 1-7331.
For a full description of the sessions visit the CTL Calendarctl.mesacc.edu/events/calendar.

Camp Innovate Banner

It’s almost time campers!

Reminders & Pre-Camp Activities
MCC’s 6th Annual Camp Innovate

Thank you for registering for the Mesa Community College Center for Teaching & Learning 6th Annual CampInnovate event. The event is just a few days away. We are looking forward to seeing you at your respective sessions Tuesday, May 26 – May 28 at the MCC Southern and Dobson Campus. So air out your tent and grab your gear to participate around the campfire of innovative teaching and learning!

Your Camping Sessions

You will receive individual email reminders for each of your sessions, but you can also review your requested sessions by visiting the HRMS Time & Labor System. After you log-in with your MEID and MEID Password, follow this path, Main Menu > Self-Service > Learning & Development > Training Summary to review your sessions.

See the Full Week Guide for a day-to-day listing and description of all events.

Pre-Camp Activities & Camp Participant Canvas Course

We have created a special campsite (Canvas Self-Enroll Course) just for you! In this course you will find general information about camp, pre-camp activities, session information/resources, session evaluations, online campactivities and more! Presenters will place all session resources and content into this guide throughout the week. We hope that you utilize this course to find resource, interact with fellow participants!

Self-Enroll Now to Access the Campsite

Don’t Forget to Complete the Pre-Camp Activities!

Camping Area, Tent Locations & Camper Parking

All Camping Sessions will be hosted in the AS Building; Southern & Dobson Campus in the Center for Teaching & Learning (Room AS175). We recommend that you leave your camper in the Northwest Parking Lot (Lot A) which is closest to the AS Building.

Is Camping Gear Required?

No! We won’t actually be camping. Just bring you and maybe a friend or two to enjoy the learning and community. Light provisions will be provided each day and at the Celebration Event Celebration on Thursday, May 28, 4:00 – 5:00pm. RSVP for the celebration.

Bring a Friend to Camp!

All MCCCD faculty and staff are welcome. Please encourage a friend to join us at camp! Space is limited, so tell them to register soon.

Note: Registration is through HRMS Time & Labor. 
Registration Instructions.

Earn a Digital Badge for Participation and More

“Campers” can earn digital badges for participating in sessions, bringing guests, submitting ideas/projects and evaluating the event. These digital badges can be added to your professional portfolio, Linked-In profile and more. Learn more about using digital badges in education. The MCC Center for Teaching & Learning will track and award badges based on the individual badge criteria.

1st Time Camper Badge – Camp Innovate Digital Badge

Attend 1 Session

Avid Camper Badge  –
Attend 3 or More Sessions

Camp Inspector –
Submit an Event Evaluation

Happy Camper –
Bring a Friend to Camp

Camp Crafts –
Share a “Craft” (Lesson, Strategy or Activity)

Campfire Chat – 
Tell the World about Camp (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

Additional Badges may be awarded throughout the campfor submitting camp assignments, participating in campfire chats and more. These activities are located in the special camping site (Canvas Self-Enroll Course).

Say Cheese!

Please note, pictures will be taken throughout the week and by attending the event you authorize the Maricopa Community Colleges to photograph or video you and to use the photographs or videos for educational or promotional purposes.