Canvas frequently asked questions for faculty: New Mexico Tech

How do I log into Canvas?

Go to learn.nmt.edu. Use your NM Tech ID (a.k.a. 900#) for your username and your date of birth (DOB) in YYYYMMDD format for your password. If that doesn’t work, click the “forgot password?” link on the Canvas sign-in page; enter your Tech ID and then check your email for password information. The email will go to the primary email account you have in Canvas, which should be your Tech email address. If that doesn’t work, email act@nmt.edu or call 575-835-6700 and ACT staff will verify your Canvas user account and reset your password manually.

I'm trying to upload documents into Canvas but I get a message saying I don't have enough file space.

How do I change my password (once logged in)?

In the User Dashboard (upper-right section of the Canvas window) under the “Settings” link, click the “Edit Settings” button in the right-hand column and then check the "Change Password" box under the "User’s Settings" column and the change password fields will appear.

How do I manage my ever-growing list of Canvas courses?

Under the “Courses” link in the upper-left-hand corner of the Canvas window, click “All Courses.” The stars appearing before each course title indicate “favorites” which will be seen on the drop-down course list. If you click a highlighted star, it will be deselected and no longer appear on the drop-down course list.

How do I configure my notification preferences in Canvas?

The first time you login to use Canvas, In the Dashboard (upper-left section of the Canvas window) under the “Settings” link, click the “Notifications” link on the left navigation column. To add an email address or SMS text option to your notification preferences, go back to “Settings” in your User Dashboard and choose “Add Email Address” or “Add Contact Method” to add an SMS text number. If you have used the service before, you will need to navigate to your account tab and select the settings link. This will take you to a new window where you can edit all of your account settings. Please note: Canvas requires your official school issued @nmt.edu or @student.nmt.edu account. Personal email addresses are not to be used.

Where do I find answers to questions that do not appear in this FAQ?

Go to https://community.canvaslms.com/ where instructors and students will find tutorials, videos and complete users’ manuals in addition to an active community forum, feature request section and the latest release notes. If possible please include any links to any help guides you have used to try and diagnose any problems you are having with Canvas when you email us. This is to help us better diagnose Canvas issues and understand problems that are not commonly encountered.

How do I publish my course in Canvas?

How do I set up a module in Canvas?

How do I create a discussion in Canvas?

How do I weight my course grades in Canvas?

How do I best resolve anomalous behavior in Canvas on my own?

Try another web browser. Generally Canvas is designed to work with Google Chrome; however, sometimes unexpected issues can occur, especially after large updates. Trying Internet Explorer or Firefox can often solve these problems. It’s uncanny—albeit a bit frustrating—how often this works. The latest two versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari all work well with Canvas, but sometimes browser setting changes, add-ons or toolbars, inexplicable glitches, and malicious code can cause problems with the way a given browser renders Canvas content. Trying another browser is an easy way to determine the source of the issue and resume your Canvas session.

How do I report anomalous behavior in Canvas or report an error message?

Ideally, you will report the issue while still on the page on which you encountered the problem. By submitting the ticket from the page on which you experienced the problem, your ticket will automatically include additional information that Canvas support technicians might use to solve the problem. Click the “Help” link on the left-hand side of the Canvas window and choose the “Report a Problem” link. Choose a “Subject” for your submission and describe the problem in as much detail as you are able. Choose a level of urgency and click “Submit Ticket”. If the problem isn’t described in adequate detail, it is likely your problem will not be solved quickly, so please be sure to provide as much information as possible.

Can I use my mobile device to access Canvas?

Yes. Download the free Canvas App and install it on your mobile device. The Canvas App has somewhat abbreviated functionality but users can perform most tasks. Flash-delivered video and other Flash objects cannot be viewed in the Canvas App using iOS mobile devices. Please note that our ability to diagnose issues with the Canvas app is limited; if you encounter any problems with it, notify us immediately. Download the Canvas Student app for iOS or the Canvas Student app for Android.

When are electronic evaluations open to students?

Electronic evaluations (through EvaluationKit) are available to students starting two weeks prior to the first day of final examinations. Students will receive and email from ACT instructing them on how to access their course evaluations through Canvas. Alternatively, links directed to the surveys themselves are contained in the first email notification from the service. Students should complete these surveys in a timely manner.

When are electronic evaluation results available to instructors?

How do I import data from one Canvas shell into another?

To begin, select the current course you are teaching and navigate to the settings tab on the left hand side of the page at the bottom. After clicking on settings, you will be greeted with the settings menu. On the right hand side of the page you will see a link entitled “Import Course Content.” Select this option to proceed to the next menu page. Under “Import Content”, select “copy a canvas course” from the drop down menu. From this point you will need to choose from the following options: “All Content” or “Select Specific Content.” Do not select adjust events and due dates. Finally you will click the “Import” button to start the process. If you selected “All Content” the import will begin automatically. If you selected “Specific Content” you will be presented with an option to select the content you wish to import from the old shell into the new shell.

How do I assign a quiz point value in Canvas to a paper quiz?

You must create one “placeholder” question in the quiz and assign the total quiz point value to that question in order for the quiz to have an assigned point value in the gradebook for manual grade entry of a paper quiz. Please note that Instructure is currently upgrading their quiz system. When the upgrade is completed (no current timeframe given) we will update this FAQ with the new procedures.

How do I combine multiple sections of a course so I only have to edit one Canvas course shell?

The Canvas administrator can cross-list your sections into one “parent” section of the course before grades are entered and/or before students submit assignments through Canvas. Students of all sections will appear in the “parent” course but will still be associated with the section to which they registered in terms of the gradebook, assignments, discussions, groups, communications, etc.

How do I create an extra credit assignment?

Are there any more resources to help me set up and manage my Canvas shells?

Why do my uploads to Canvas keep failing?

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Canvas FAQ for faculty