#TechItUpTuesday
Canvas
Canvas is the University of Hull’s virtual learning environment (VLE) and it is used to support you in completing your course. The site provides you with access to your grades, module materials, resources and files as well as allowing you to send messages. It is also where you will submit the majority of your assignments. Canvas is also available as an app and if you need help with anything just email help@hull.ac.uk with your problem.
Accessing Canvas
On-campus PCs
Log on to an open access PC anywhere on campus. Next, open the browser and select Canvas VLE from the homepage, it will automatically log you into Canvas and your dashboard will be displayed.
Laptops and off-campus PCs
Open a browser and go to canvas.hull.ac.uk. After this, you will then be asked to sign in using your 6-digit University of Hull username and password.
Mobile Devices
Simply search for Canvas in your app store and select the Canvas Student app. It will then ask for your school where you will type the University of Hull and it will take you to the Single Sign-On Service. Login here with your 6-digit username and password.
Using Canvas
Canvas provides its own Student Guide which will tell you almost everything you need to know. The University has also created guides on using Canvas which you can view as part of the Skills Guides but I will briefly go over some aspects of Canvas now.
Assignments
Probably the most important aspect of Canvas is for submitting assignments. When starting a new module you can view your assignments using the Assignments tab. This will take you to the page listing all of the assignments for your module. You can see when they are due and all of the information required for the assignment. The Canvas Student Guide and the University Skills Guides provide you with full instructions on submitting your assignments.
Profile and Notifications
You can adjust your Notification Preferences via the Settings link. This will ensure that you are kept up to date on everything happening in your courses. It’s also possible to add more information to your profile such as an image or other contact details. This isn’t necessary but it is a useful way to recognise other students and academic staff,
Navigation
When logging in you will first see The Dashboard which will help you see what is happening in all your courses. You can also control the courses you see on your dashboard by:
- Clicking Courses on the Canvas navigation panel
- Clicking All courses at the bottom
- Clicking the star beside the name of a course to add or remove it from your Dashboard
The Global Navigation Menu (pictured to the left) is also useful for navigating and is located on the left side of every page in Canvas. The Global Navigation links provide quick access to frequently used Canvas features.
University email
All students and staff have a University email account and it is important to regularly check this account as your tutors, the University, and sometimes other students will use it to contact you. If you are a new student and do not have an account for some reason you can go to the university help desk on-site at the university and they should be able to help. Alternatively, you could also let the university know of your issue via the support portal.
Accessing your university email
On-campus PCs
Log on to an open access PC anywhere on campus. Open the Chrome browser and select email from the homepage. The sign-in page will open and then you can use your 6-digit username and password to sign in. It should remember this after the first time.
Laptops and off-campus PCs
Open a browser and go to mail.hull.ac.uk. Then simply sign in as before and again it should remember you.
Mobile devices
If you want, you can add your university email account to your mobile phone or Tablet. The Email User Guides on the ICT SharePoint will provide you with instructions based on your operating systems.
Email etiquette
Both as a student and in the workplace email etiquette is very important, so you should take care with how you write and use your email. Here are some useful tips:
- Add a subject name and ensure it is meaningful.
- Be concise and to the point no one wants to read an endless email
- Don’t type in all capitals
- If you receive an email sent to a group, don’t use Reply All unless you really need everyone to see your reply.
- Include a signature of your name with a contact number.
I hope this has been helpful especially for you first-year students. Be sure to check out next week’s article on the JISC digital capabilities tool.