Key Points:
- Canvas is the current learning management system (LMS) application that allows students to complete coursework for grading.
- Canvas access is granted to students based on enrollment information in the Student Information System (SIS).
- Instructors must publish their courses before enrolled students can access them.
- Faculty, staff, and students may have questions or concerns about using Canvas. This FAQ list is subject to change.
Common Canvas Questions: (click on a question to be taken to the appropriate answer)
- When will my class be available in Canvas?
- How do I submit an assignment to my instructor for grading?
- Why are my discussion board posts are not displaying on my screen?
- Where can students go to get immediate assistance with Canvas problems?
- I can access one VCCS application, but not another. How come?
- I can login to MyReynolds but not to Canvas. Why?
- Why did I get kicked out of my Canvas test?
- How can I get back in to finish a Canvas test?
- Are there any tutorial documents to learn about the different Canvas features?
- Why is my Canvas class unavailable?
Question #1: When will my class be available in Canvas?
Answer:
- Students: Classes are generally made available to students the first day of classes with the exception of distance learning (online) classes, which are available the week prior to classes beginning. This is based on official class roster information in SIS (Student Information System).
- Instructors: Classes appear in Canvas for instructors based on who the instructor is when they are pulled into Canvas from SIS, usually the month prior to the first week of classes. Once the classes appear, it is the instructor’s responsibility to publish them so that enrolled students can access them.
When an instructor goes into Canvas and does not see their class(es), they need to verify they are listed as the primary instructor in SIS. If not, they need to contact the program head of their school office (e.g., School of Humanities and Social Sciences), who will get with the designated class scheduler and have them put on the class as the primary instructor. Once on the class, the program head needs to notify the Canvas administrator.
Question #2: How do I submit an assignment to my instructor for grading?
Answer:
Generally speaking, students will submit their assignments as Office (e.g., Word, Excel, etc.) or PDF documents that are uploaded into the specific assignment module area in the Canvas course; however, there may be exceptions as designated by the instructor. Some assignments like tests and quizzes may require a student to enter information directly into Canvas or through an application such as the Respondus LockDown Browser.
The rule of thumb is that a student should contact their instructor to obtain explicit instructions on how an assignment should be submitted for grading.
Question #3: Why are my discussion board posts not displaying on my screen?
Answer:
Students should verify that they are using a modern browser (Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge) and that it is up-to-date. They can also try clearing their browser history by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Delete on the keyboard -- Mac users will press Command + Shift + Backspace -- and then follow the instructions as shown on the screen.
Question #4: Where can students go to get immediate assistance with Canvas problems?
Answer:
In Canvas, students can click on the Help icon on the left pane of the course. From there, they will have various links such as the Canvas Support Hotline, Ask the Librarian, and Report a Problem.
Question #5: I can access one VCCS application, but not another. How come?
Answer:
Through MyReynolds, students have access to Canvas, SIS, and student email – among other applications. When a password is reset for one application, the password is updated to all other applications.
Issues with clicking on one application and not being able to access another is usually because the student did not wait the 10 minutes after they reset their password -- ultimately, the password between the applications is unsynchronized.
Question #6: I can login to MyReynolds but cannot login to Canvas. Why?
Answer:
If you are a first-time student at any Virginia community college, it can take up to 24 hours after you enroll in classes in SIS to be granted access to Canvas. This is because it is an automated process that will run every four (4) hours; the class rosters in Canvas will update from the official class roster information in SIS.
When a student drops or withdraws from a course in SIS, the course will become unavailable to the student immediately after the next roster update.
Question #7: Why did I get kicked out of my Canvas test?
Answer:
A student may be kicked out of a Canvas test when they are not actively doing anything in the test for a long period of time (e.g., clicking on a button or a test option).
A student can also be kicked out of Canvas tests if they accidentally hit their Internet browser’s Back (or Previous Page) button. In this case, the student must be careful to not to leave the test that they are currently taking.
Unanticipated power outages or Internet service interruptions can also kick a student out of a Canvas test through no fault of their own. It is highly recommended that the student contact their instructor, or if on-campus, a library staff member immediately to report the problem.
Question #8: How can I get back in to finish a Canvas test?
Answer:
If the instructor has not set up multiple attempts to take the test or has not allowed students to save the test to finish later, then the instructor (at their discretion) will have to reset the test. Unfortunately, this will clear out all answered questions from the previous attempt and you will have to start from the beginning.
Some tests may be set up with an option to automatically save progress after each question answered and allow for it to be resumed later. If this is the case, you can get back in to the test and resume your progress from the last successful save attempt. However, keep in mind, that if your test has a time restriction, you may be penalized for going over the allotted time if you don't resume the test as soon as possible.
Question #9: Are there any tutorial documents to learn about the different Canvas features?
Answer:
Question #10: Why is my Canvas class unavailable?
Answer:
Students enrolled in a class can only access it in Canvas if the instructor has published it.
Classes can also be unavailable to students if they just recently enrolled in them within SIS (usually within the past 24 hours); in this case, Canvas will automatically update class enrollment information from the official class rosters in SIS every four (4) hours.
Students may also be unable to access a Canvas class if it has been more than 45 days since the class ended.