📧 Canvas Support Email Templates

Hi [Faculty Name], Thanks for reaching out about the gradebook calculations. This is usually related to assignment group weights or missing assignments. Let's troubleshoot: 1. First, check your assignment group weights: - Go to Assignments - Click the three dots (⋮) in the upper right - Select "Assignment Groups Weight" - Ensure weights total 100% 2. Verify individual assignment points: - Missing or ungraded assignments default to 0 - Check if "Muted" assignments are affecting the total 3. Check gradebook settings: - Click the Settings gear in Gradebook - Ensure "Calculate based only on graded assignments" matches your preference I'm happy to hop on a quick call to walk through this together if needed. When works for you this week? Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], I can help you locate those missing assignments in your gradebook. Here are the most common causes: **Assignment not published:** - Go to Assignments and check if there's an "Unpublished" icon next to the assignment - Click the cloud icon to publish it **Assignment not graded:** - Assignments with submission type "No Submission" won't appear in the gradebook - Change the submission type to "Online" with appropriate options **Filtered view:** - In the gradebook, check if you have filters applied (look for the filter icon at the top) - Clear any active filters to see all assignments Let me know if you'd like me to take a look at your course directly - I can screen share or jump into your course to investigate. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Great question about quiz randomization! Question banks are perfect for this. Here's how to set them up effectively: **Creating a Question Bank:** 1. Go to your course and click "Quizzes" in the left menu 2. Click the three dots (⋮) and select "Manage Question Banks" 3. Create a new bank and add questions **Using Banks in Quizzes:** 1. Create or edit your quiz 2. Click "Questions" tab 3. Click "New Question Group" 4. Link to your question bank 5. Set how many questions to pull (e.g., 10 questions from a bank of 50) **Pro Tips:** - Keep question banks organized by topic/module - Add more questions than needed (aim for 1.5-2x what you'll use) - Use consistent point values within a bank for easier grading Would you like me to help you set up your first question bank? I can meet you in your course or create a tutorial video specific to your quiz. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], I'll walk you through setting quiz time limits and attempt restrictions: **Time Limits:** 1. Edit your quiz 2. Scroll to "Time Limit" field 3. Enter duration in minutes 4. Save **Important:** Students get a 1-minute grace period to submit after time expires. **Attempt Limits:** 1. In quiz settings, find "Allowed Attempts" 2. Options: Unlimited, 1, 2, 3, or specify custom number 3. Choose "Keep Highest" under "Multiple Attempts Quiz Score" **Access Restrictions:** - Set availability dates under "Assign" section - Use "Until" date to automatically close quiz access - Consider IP restrictions for in-class quizzes (under "More Options") Need to set different time limits for students with accommodations? Let me know and I'll show you how to use Quiz Moderation for that. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Group assignments in Canvas are straightforward once you know the workflow. Here's the step-by-step: **1. Create Groups First:** - Go to People → Groups tab - Create a Group Set (e.g., "Project Teams") - Choose: Manual assignment OR let Canvas auto-assign students **2. Set Up the Assignment:** - Create your assignment as normal - Check the box "This is a Group Assignment" - Select your Group Set from the dropdown - Choose grading approach: * Grade individually (each student can get different grade) * Grade as a group (one grade for all members) **3. What Students See:** - Only ONE group member submits - All group members see the submission - All get the same grade (if graded as group) **Common Gotcha:** If you forget to check "This is a Group Assignment," every student will submit individually. Double-check that box! Want me to help you set up your first group assignment? Happy to walk through it together. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], There are two approaches to extra credit in Canvas, depending on your preference: **Option 1: Extra Credit Assignment (Recommended)** 1. Create a new assignment 2. Click "More Options" 3. Assign to appropriate Assignment Group 4. Check the box "Do not count this assignment towards final grade" 5. Enter point value (e.g., 10 points) Students earn points that boost their grade without being required. **Option 2: Bonus Points on Existing Assignment** - Let's say assignment is worth 20 points - A student can earn up to 25 points (5 bonus points) - Just grade out of 25 instead of 20 - Canvas automatically calculates the bonus **Option 3: Extra Credit Assignment Group** 1. Create an Assignment Group called "Extra Credit" 2. Set weight to 0% 3. Add all extra credit assignments there 4. Canvas adds these points to the final grade Which approach fits your grading structure best? I can help you implement any of these. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Peer reviews in Canvas require a specific sequence - here's the complete workflow: **Before You Begin:** - Create your assignment first - Set the due date for SUBMISSION - Decide: Manual or automatic peer assignment? **Setting Up Peer Review:** 1. Go to your assignment 2. Edit assignment settings 3. Check "Require Peer Reviews" 4. Choose: - **Manual:** You assign which students review whom - **Automatic:** Canvas randomly assigns (specify how many reviews per student) 5. Set the peer review due date (should be AFTER submission deadline) **Timeline Example:** - Assignment Due: Friday 11:59 PM - Peer Reviews Assigned: Saturday 12:00 AM (automatic after due date passes) - Peer Reviews Due: Following Wednesday 11:59 PM **Pro Tip:** Give students at least 3-5 days between submission and peer review deadlines. Want to use a rubric for peer reviews? Let me know - that requires one additional step! Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], I can help fix those broken links! This happens because Canvas links are course-specific. When you copy/paste, the links still point to the old course. **The Right Way to Copy Content:** 1. Open the page in the original course 2. Click "Edit" 3. Click the "<>" (HTML Editor) button in the toolbar 4. Copy ALL the HTML code 5. In your new course, create a new page 6. Click "<>" and paste the HTML code 7. Save Canvas will automatically update internal links to match the new course. **Quick Fix for Existing Broken Links:** 1. Edit the page with broken links 2. Highlight the broken link text 3. Click the link icon in the editor 4. Re-select the correct course file/page from your current course 5. Save **Even Better: Use Canvas Import** Instead of copy/paste, use Course Import: - Settings → Import Course Content - Select your previous course - Choose specific content to import - Canvas updates all links automatically Would you like me to help you set up a proper import? It'll save you tons of time troubleshooting links! Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Thanks for being proactive about accessibility! You're right to be concerned about PDFs - they're often the biggest accessibility barrier for students using screen readers or other assistive technology. **The Challenge with PDFs:** - Scanned documents (images of text) are completely inaccessible - Even native PDFs often lack proper tagging - Students can't resize text or adjust colors for readability - Mobile viewing is difficult **Better Alternatives:** 1. **Canvas Pages** - Best option! Copy text into a Canvas page - Fully accessible - Mobile-friendly - Easy to update - Students can use browser tools (translate, text-to-speech, etc.) 2. **Word Documents** (.docx) - If layout is important - More accessible than PDFs - Use Heading styles (not just bold/large text) - Add alt text to images 3. **If PDF is Required:** - Ensure it's a native PDF (not scanned) - Run Adobe Accessibility Checker - Add tags and alt text - Provide alternative text version **I Can Help:** - Convert your PDFs to Canvas pages (I have tools that make this quick) - Review your documents for accessibility - Create accessible versions of key materials Want to send me 2-3 of your most-used PDFs? I'll convert them as examples and show you the process. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Adding alt text to images is one of the quickest accessibility wins - it takes about 15 seconds per image and makes a huge difference for students using screen readers. **How to Add Alt Text in Canvas:** 1. Edit your page/assignment 2. Click on the image 3. Click the image icon in the toolbar (or right-click the image) 4. Find the "Alt Text" field 5. Add a brief description 6. Save **Writing Good Alt Text:** - Describe what's important about the image - Keep it concise (usually 1-2 sentences) - Don't start with "Image of..." or "Picture of..." **Examples:** ❌ Bad: "graph.png" ✅ Good: "Bar graph showing 65% increase in student engagement from 2023 to 2024" ❌ Bad: "Image of a classroom" ✅ Good: "Students collaborating in small groups around tables" **Decorative Images:** If an image is purely decorative (doesn't convey info), mark it as decorative by leaving alt text blank or checking the "Decorative" option. **Pro Tip:** Canvas has an Accessibility Checker built in! Look for the green icon when editing pages - it'll flag missing alt text automatically. Want to do an alt text review session? I can show you shortcuts that make this super fast. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Formatting gremlins are frustrating! This usually happens when copying from Word or other sources - hidden formatting code comes along for the ride. **Quick Fix:** 1. Edit your page 2. Highlight ALL the content (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A) 3. Click the "Clear Formatting" button (looks like an eraser or Tx icon) 4. Reapply formatting using Canvas tools (headings, bold, etc.) 5. Save **Prevention for Future:** When copying from Word/Google Docs: 1. Copy your content 2. Paste into Notepad/TextEdit first (removes formatting) 3. Copy from Notepad 4. Paste into Canvas 5. Format using Canvas editor **Alternative:** Use Canvas's "Paste as Text" option: - Edit → Paste → Paste as text (or Ctrl+Shift+V) - This strips formatting automatically **Still Having Issues?** Sometimes it's easier to just recreate the page from scratch in Canvas. I can help you convert your content if needed! Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Great idea to use collapsible sections! They reduce scrolling and help students focus on one thing at a time. Canvas doesn't have a built-in button, but we can do this with a little HTML magic. **I can help you in two ways:** **Option 1: I Do It For You** Send me the page link and tell me which sections should collapse. I'll add the code - takes me about 5 minutes per page. **Option 2: I Teach You (For Future Use)** I can show you the simple HTML code snippet to create accordion-style sections. It's copy/paste friendly once you learn the pattern. **Alternative: Use the Canvas Accordion Tool (if we have CidiLabs)** If our institution has CidiLabs DesignPLUS, there's a visual tool that creates accordions with no coding needed! Which option appeals to you? Happy to hop on a quick call to demonstrate. Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], Setting up Zoom in Canvas makes it easier for students to find your meetings and ensures attendance is tracked. Here's how: **Adding Zoom to Your Canvas Course:** 1. Go to Settings 2. Click the "Navigation" tab 3. Find "Zoom" in the hidden items 4. Drag it to the visible course menu 5. Save **Creating Zoom Meetings in Canvas:** 1. Click "Zoom" in your course menu 2. Click "Schedule a New Meeting" 3. Fill in meeting details: - Topic - Date and time - Duration - Meeting options (waiting room, recording, etc.) 4. Save **Benefits:** - Students access meeting directly from Canvas - Attendance automatically recorded - Recordings auto-posted to Canvas (if enabled) - Calendar integration **Creating Recurring Meetings:** Use this for weekly class sessions - students use the same link all semester. **Pro Tip:** Create a "Zoom Office Hours" page in Canvas with your recurring meeting link embedded so students can always find it. Need help setting this up? I can walk you through it or do it for you! Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], There are two ways to share Zoom recordings with students: **Option 1: Automatic (If Zoom is integrated with Canvas)** 1. Enable cloud recording in your Zoom settings 2. After meeting ends, recording processes automatically 3. Zoom posts recording to Canvas within 24 hours 4. Look in "Cloud Recordings" section in Zoom tab **Option 2: Manual Sharing** 1. Go to your Zoom account (zoom.us) 2. Find your recording in "Recordings" 3. Click "Share" 4. Copy the shareable link 5. In Canvas, create a page or module item 6. Click "Link" and paste your Zoom link **Best Practice:** - Name recordings clearly (e.g., "Week 3 Lecture - Topic Name") - Add them to the corresponding module - Consider adding a brief text summary for accessibility **Accessibility Note:** Zoom auto-generates captions, but they're not always accurate. For key lectures, consider reviewing/editing captions in Zoom before sharing. Want me to help you set up automatic posting? It's a one-time setup that saves tons of time! Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], The Comment Library is a game-changer for grading efficiency! You can save common feedback and insert it with just a few clicks. **Setting Up Your Comment Library:** 1. Open any assignment in SpeedGrader 2. In the comment box, look for the "folder" icon 3. Click "Add comment to library" 4. Type your commonly-used feedback (e.g., "Great thesis statement! Consider adding more evidence to support your argument.") 5. Save **Using Saved Comments:** 1. While grading, click the comment library icon 2. Browse or search your saved comments 3. Click to insert - edit as needed 4. Submit feedback **Pro Tips:** - Create categories (e.g., "Writing Issues," "Citations," "Strong Work") - Use [STUDENT NAME] placeholder - SpeedGrader auto-replaces it - Start with 5-10 most common comments, add more as you go - Review and update your library each semester **Example Comments to Save:** - "Your analysis is strong here! To take it further, consider..." - "This section needs more specific evidence. Can you add..." - "Excellent connection to [course concept]. Well done!" - "Please review the assignment rubric - this section is missing..." This can easily cut your grading time by 30-40%. Want to brainstorm comment library ideas specific to your assignments? Best, [Your Name]

Hi [Faculty Name], I can help you set up TurnItIn for originality checking. Here's the process: **Creating a TurnItIn Assignment:** 1. Go to Assignments → Create Assignment 2. Name your assignment 3. Under "Submission Type," select "External Tool" 4. Click "Find" and select "TurnItIn" 5. Configure TurnItIn settings: - Similarity report options - Allow student access to report (yes/no) - Grammar checking (optional) 6. Set due dates and points 7. Save and publish **TurnItIn Settings to Consider:** - **Store papers:** Usually "Standard repository" (prevents students from reusing work) - **Exclude small matches:** Set minimum word count (e.g., 5 words) - **Exclude quotes:** Yes (prevents inflated similarity scores) - **Exclude bibliography:** Yes **When Students Get Similarity Reports:** - Immediately after submission (recommended for first drafts) - After due date (recommended for final submissions) - Never visible to students (you decide) **Important Note:** TurnItIn similarity scores don't indicate plagiarism automatically - they show text matching. You still need to review and interpret the report. Need help interpreting similarity reports or want to review settings for your specific assignment? Let me know! Best, [Your Name]