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  • Using Canvas
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   Using Canvas

  • Help with your gradebook
  • Add a teaching assistant
  • Plagiarism checking on assignments

more Canvas resources ...

  Using Media

  • Install Kaltura Capture
  • Share media in Canvas
  • Upload media

more Media resources ...

  Using Student Response

  • Poll Everywhere Overview
  • Poll Everywhere FAQ

more Student Response resources...

New to OSU or Teaching?

  • Get Started Guides for Tools
  • Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Employee Training in Bridge

Training Opportunities

  • Learn@OregonState Webinars
  • Canvas Academy
  • Faculty Development Resources

Contact Us!

Other Tools in Canvas

  • Publisher Tools
  • Gradescope
  • Turnitin

other tool resources ...

News + Updates

  Summer 2025 Updates - see what's new in Canvas, Perusall, Poll Everywhere, and more

 

Calendar of Events

...more Calendar events

Issues, Outages and Updates

  • Current and Past Issues
    • Canvas Status
    • Kaltura Status
  • Canvas Changes and Updates
  • Top Hat Changes and Updates
  • Kaltura Changes and Updates

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I contact students through Canvas based on their current grade in the course??

Yes, Canvas has built a Canvas Analytics tool that will allow an instructor to message students based on their current course grade. Be certain that you have entered zeros for any missing work and posted scores for any assignments that have been completed. This ensures that the current grade for the course is most accurate.

Read the article How do I send a message to all students based on specific course criteria in New Analytics?

Can I contact students through Canvas based on their current grade in the course??
Why did OSU select Canvas?

From 2012-2014 OSU investigated our options and needs for instructional innovation and technology. Over the course of our campus-wide inquiry, Canvas was preferred by students and instructors alike as the system and technology partner that is in the best position to help us meet our goals. Learn more about the decision for Canvas at OSU.

Why did OSU select Canvas?
I'm having trouble with Kaltura. How can I get help?

The OSU Service Desk can help resolve a majority of Kaltura issues. Give them a call, submit a ticket, or get help in person!

I'm having trouble with Kaltura. How can I get help?
Top Hat: Is it possible to prevent students from responding to questions outside of class?

It is possible to determine if a student is physically located within the classroom for attendance purposes with Top Hat, but it is not possible to completely prevent students from responding to questions asked in class with Top Hat.  However, Top Hat does have two features that will help to minimize students' ability to respond remotely.

Method 1: Secure Attendance

Top Hat offers a feature called Secure Attendance which enables a faculty member to determine who is physically located in the classroom when using the Attendance feature of Top Hat. Faculty have the option of using geolocation only or geolocation and proximity to determine student attendance. Secure Attendance does NOT prevent students from responding remotely to questions asked in class.

Method 2: Minimize Remote Responses to Questions

To minimize the ability of students to respond remotely to questions asked in the classroom, faculty can enable the option to prevent students from seeing question details on their mobile devices. To enable this feature:

  • From within Top Hat, click your name in the top right corner.
  • Select Course Settings 
  • Select Advanced Options
  • Check the box next to the option "Students cannot view the details of a presented question, they can only see the response options (students will need to see the question projected on a screen)"
  • Click Save Changes
Top Hat: Is it possible to prevent students from responding to questions outside of class?
What is the difference between playlists, channels and categories?

Playlists allow a content owner to group content together for embedding on an external web page. Every time you add a new or remove an item to a Playlist, your embedded player automatically updates to reflect this change.

Channels allow a content owner to group media together in MediaSpace. Additionally, the content owner can restrict access to that channel to a defined list of users (based on ONID usernames).

What is the difference between playlists, channels and categories?
Can I add someone to my Canvas course?

Instructors can add an OSU individual to their Canvas course as a Canvas teaching assistant (TA), Grader, Designer, or Observer via the Add TA...* link on the course navigation menu. Instructors cannot add students to their Canvas courses. Learn how to use the Add TA... tool and the permissions of each role.

Can I add someone to my Canvas course?
In analyzing an originality report, I believe I have uncovered plagiarism in a student paper. What are the next steps?

Please refer to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards . You may also wish to consult with your department head. 

In analyzing an originality report, I believe I have uncovered plagiarism in a student paper. What are the next steps?
What is the best way to use Turnitin?
Turnitin originality reports are especially effective in helping students diagnose problematic passages in their own papers and in helping guide revision of early drafts. By providing clearly marked reports that identify passages that match other sources, originality reports guide students through a careful step by step analysis of their own work.
What is the best way to use Turnitin?
How can I get help with Canvas?

All OSU Canvas users may get technical support 24 x 7, 365 days a year by phone, live chat, or email. Log into Canvas and click the “Help” button in the Canvas Global Menu (leftmost menu) to access any of these general Canvas support options. If you are an instructor, TA, or staff member and would like to learn more please contact the OSU Canvas team. Alternatively, check out the excellent online help resources in the Canvas Community.

How can I get help with Canvas?
Can I adjust the due date on an assignment for one or a subset of students?

Yes, Canvas refers to this as creating a differentiated assignment and these assignments allow an instructor to provide an alternative due date for one or more student or assign a graded activity in Canvas to a subset of students, e.g. a graduate student-only assignment.

Read more about adjusting the due dates on a Canvas assignment for a subset of students.

Can I adjust the due date on an assignment for one or a subset of students?
Is Turnitin compliant with FERPA?

Yes. Data is kept secure at all times and is only used for purposes of assisting the instructor in assessing the assignment. Students always maintain ownership of any work submitted to Turnitin.

Is Turnitin compliant with FERPA?
Top Hat: Can I sync Top Hat grades to Canvas?

Before you can sync grades from Top Hat to Canvas, you must first pair your Top Hat course with your Canvas course.

Pair Top Hat Course with Canvas Course

If you are using a combined, crosslisted, or merged Canvas course, please connect with our Classroom Response team before pairing Top Hat with Canvas.

  1. In Top Hat, open the course you want to pair with Canvas
  2. Click on your name in the upper right corner of the screen
  3. Select Course Settings from the menu that appears
  4. Click the LMS Setup & Sync tab
  5. Click the blue Enable LMS Sync button
  6. Click the Authorize Top Hat with your LMS button
    • You may be prompted to log in to Canvas. Use your ONID credentials to login.
  7. Select the appropriate Canvas course from the list of courses
  8. Click Next
  9. You will be prompted to select the appropriate Canvas course section(s) to pair with the Top Hat course.
    • At this time, we generally recommend that only one Canvas section be paired with a Top Hat course. Please connect with our Classroom Response team to talk about the impacts of selecting one vs. more sections in a combined, crosslisted, or merged Canvas course. We can help you determine the best approach for your specific course(s).
  10. Click Connect. You should see a LMS Sync Configured success screen once the courses are paired.

Review the full pairing instructions with images in Top Hat's support documentation.

Sync Top Hat Grades to Canvas

  1. In Top Hat, open the course in which you want to sync grades
  2. Click on your name in the upper right corner of the screen
  3. Select Course Settings from the menu that appears
  4. Click the LMS Setup & Sync tab
  5. Select whether you want a General Sync or a Roster Sync
    • A general sync allows you to sync folders, i.e. folder grade totals, and the roster
  6. Review sync options by clicking Edit to the right of the various options listed in the bottom box.
    • Grade Export Options:
      • Course: Export an aggregated Top Hat 'course' grade - will create one Canvas assignment
      • All top-level folders: Export top-level folder subtotals - will create a Canvas assignment for each top-level folder
      • Specified (top-level) folders only: Export selected (top-level) folder subtotals - will create a Canvas assignment for each selected folder
    • Attendance Options: Select whether to include or exclude Attendance in the sync
    • Points or Percentage Options: Select whether to send scores to Canvas as points or percentages
    • Roster Options: Select whether to keep or remove students who are no longer enrolled in the Canvas course
    • Grade Availability Options: Select whether Canvas assignments should be muted (grades unavailable to students) or unmuted (grades available) upon sync
  7. Click Run LMS sync
    • If "Course" or "All top-level folders" was selected for Grade Export Options, the sync will begin immediately
    • If "Specified folders only" was selected for Grade Export Options, you will be prompted to select the folder(s) to sync prior to the sync beginning.
Top Hat: Can I sync Top Hat grades to Canvas?
Why don't I see my course in Canvas?

On a student's Canvas Dashboard, by default, current term, published courses should display. On an instructor's Canvas Dashboard, by default, current or future term, published or unpublished courses should display.

Read the article Course Not Showing in Canvas on oregonstate.teamdynamix.com

Why don't I see my course in Canvas?
How long does a Turnitin check take?
Originality Reports should usually be ready within 15 minutes. However it may take up to 24 hours during peak times such as the middle or the end of semesters when many papers are being submitted to Turnitin. Plan accordingly when working on a deadline. If an instructor allows multiple submissions on a Turnitin assignment there is a 24-hour waiting period between the each submission. This delay allows resubmissions to correctly generate without matching to a student's previous draft.
How long does a Turnitin check take?
What is Gradescope?

Gradescope is a suite of tools designed to make grading more consistent, fair, and efficient. Teams can grade scanned exams asynchronously, with or without rubrics; an instructor can grade the same question in all exams (and modify grades for multiple exams simultaneously); a faculty member may review all grading by a single TA and quickly make adjustments; graders can re-use comments/feedback in multiple exams (or modify for individual students). Gradescope also allows instructors to incorporate auto-graded bubble-sheet questions in their exams and assignments; the analytics provide both summary statistics and detailed item analysis.

Read the article Use Gradescope in a Canvas course on oregonstate.teamdynamix.com

What is Gradescope?

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