Do you get frustrated when you click on a link and no content appears?
If you don’t hide inactive links on your Canvas courses, your course visitors could be clicking on links that have no content.
Your course navigation bar in Canvas should only include links to active items.
Hiding unused navigation links in a navigation bar has several benefits:
User Clarity: When showing only inactive navigation items, users might mistakenly click on items with no content. Hiding non-active items prevents confusion and frustration when no content appears.
Cleanliness: By hiding unused links, you declutter the navigation bar, creating a cleaner and more visually appealing menu.
Canvas Mobile App: As all links are displayed in the Canvas App, by including only active items, you will improve the usability of your course navigation.
Accessibility: Hidden links are less distracting for screen readers and visually impaired users. It ensures that the focus remains on relevant content.
The Rich Content Editor in Canvas offers a straightforward and efficient method for building content in your Canvas courses.
The Rich Content Editor is available in:
Announcements
Assignments
Discussions
Pages
Quizzes
Calendar
The Rich Content Editor allows for the embedding of various elements such as videos, images, other types of media files, course files. Additionally, it enables the creation of tables and lists. You are also able to link to content within your courses and to materials outside your course via hyperlinks.
The Rich Content Editor allows you to bring all your content together in one place.
In this blog post, we will show you examples of how to can use this in Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Pages and Quizzes.
This short video from Instructure, you can see how to use the RCE in Canvas:
An example of using the RCE in Announcements
Links can be incorporated into your announcements to guide students towards specific resources you wish to highlight.
In the example provided, we prompt students to review a pre-lecture task located on a Canvas page. By including a direct link (highlighted as 1 below), students are navigated straight to the resource, eliminating any potential confusion. This ensures that all necessary resources are conveniently provided within the announcement message itself.
An example of using the RCE in Assignments
Essential resources for the assessment can be made readily accessible to students by providing pertinent links. These may include links to guidelines, policies, and additional support such as discussion boards.
In the following example, we have incorporated a link to a discussion board (1), enabling students to anonymously pose questions about the assessment. Additionally, we have included an email link (2) for direct communication with the module leader. Links to school policies and university regulations, such as student progress and plagiarism, are also provided.
By consolidating all necessary information for the assessment in one place, we eliminate the need for students to search elsewhere.
This approach promotes clarity and guidance, ensuring that students fully comprehend the expectations and requirements of their assessment
An example of using the RCE in Quizzes
In the Quizzes section, you have the option to include links that can assist students with their assessments. These could be links to the content that will be evaluated or to technical guidance.
In the given example, we are notifying students that the assessment will be based on the Week 1 Lecture (highlighted as 1). Additionally, a link for technical support (highlighted as 2) is provided for their convenience.
An example of using the RCE in Discussions
Links to the discussion topic and technical guidance on utilising Canvas Discussion boards can be incorporated. This approach is beneficial as it equips students with all the necessary resources for active participation in the discussion, while also providing context to the discussion topic.
In this instance, we are offering a link to the module corresponding to the current teaching week (highlighted as 1). This serves to give students a prompt for the discussion and context for the topic under discussion. Additionally, we provide technical guidance for utilising discussions (highlighted as 2).
An example of using the RCE in Pages
Using the RCE in Canvas Pages
Leveraging the Rich Content Editor (RCE) in Canvas Pages, you have the flexibility to enrich your teaching materials with a diverse range of content items. This includes not only links to course-specific content and videos, but also resources like PowerPoint presentations and external webpages.
Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment is constantly evolving to enhance user experience and functionality. Each month we inform you via this blog what changes are taking place, how they will impact users and how to make the best out of this new functionality.
In this blog, we will look at the new Find and Replace tool in the Rich Content Editor.
Rich Content Editor – Find and Replace
What is this new feature?
A find and replace tool has been added to the Rich Content Editor (RCE). This will be similar in functionality to Find and Replace your would find in Word Processing applications like Microsoft Word.
As this is a Rich Content Editor enhancement, you will be able to use this in the following areas of Canvas:
Announcements
Assignments
Discussions
New Quizzes
Pages
Quizzes
How do I use this Find and Replace Tool?
Access the Rich Content Editor:
When editing a Canvas page, discussion post, or any other content, click the Tools drop-down menu in the Rich Content Editor.
Select Find and Replace from the options.
Search and Replace:
In the modal that appears, enter the text you want to find in the Find field.
Enter the replacement text in the Replace field.
Click Replace to replace the first occurrence, or Replace All to replace all occurrences.
Users can addlabels to individual questions to help with general organising and for locating questions with specific content.
Inspera have created the option to filteron labels that have been added to questions. Until now, if filtering on more than one label, the result has been to show all content with any of these labels. We know there is a need to search for all content that has all the selected labels. It is now possible to be able to filter on more than one label simultaneously.
Using labels in practice…
You can add labels to questionsin your question set. For example, you may wish to label your questions with the topic (e.g. Topic X, Y OR Z) but you may also want to add another filter, such as the year the question is from. When searching the question bank of all your questions in Inspera, it is now be possible to filter so that you can find questions that are say from ‘2023/24’ and from ‘topic X’, rather than all questions coming up with either of those filters.
How to filter using labels
Go to Author, and then select Questions
You will then select ‘filter’.
Select the ‘labels’ drop down and search for the labels you wish to find via the search box. You can then select these via the tickboxes.
Use the ‘any’ button if you would like to find any questions using any of the label(s) selected, or use the ‘all’ button if you wish to find questions that have all of the labels you have selected. This will exclude questions that only have one of the selected filters.
Markers can release a ‘common feedback’ statement to all students once all submissions have been graded. This common feedback should relate to the full exam. Feedback about specific questions can be addressed using Page Notes (you can also view a demo page note functionality).
Important note: Assessment Feedback must be created before confirming marks. Once marks are confirmed, the option in Inspera will be greyed out.
To use this feature, the candidate report must be enabled, for further details on Inspera feedback release and how to enable the candidate report please see our feedback releasewebpage.
Instructions for use of Assessment Feedback:
Within the Inspera Grade tool, to the left hand side you have workspaces. Go to the Planner workspace
Select ‘Assessment Feedback’
This allows you to provide feedback to all students using the following methods:
a. Text
b. Audio
c. Attach a file
The example below is a Text feedback box. There is a rich text editor option for the general feedback.
Once you’ve created your feedback, click Save
For students to view this feedback on Inspera, you must enable the candidate report and select the appropriate the feedback release settings in Deliver options under ‘After Test’:
‘Enable general feedback for assessment’
‘Share assessment feedback with candidates’
Important note: Assessment Feedback cannot be edited after the Candidate Report has been released to students.
New Feature: Grading of Candidate Selected Questions (CSQs)
If you are marking an Inspera exam where students have been given an option to answer certain questions from a range of question options (i.e. students answer one out of three possible questions), this is known as Candidate Selected Questions (CSQs). When in use, the grading per student function (where markers would move to the next student awaiting grading using the downward direction arrow), meant that markers were shown the next student in the list, even if they had answered an alternate option.
Now, markers who move to the next student using the direction arrow next to the student information (as shown below), will find clicking the down arrow will take them to the next student who answered the same question option. This means that marking of a particular question can be achieved.
More information about the candidate selected questions feature can be found on the Inspera Help Centre.
New Feature: Deleting Multiple Questions
It’s now possible to select more than one question and delete in bulk. Previously, the deletion was only possible per question. Deletions should only occur if you no longer wish to use the question, for example, if you found errors or will no longer use the question in future.
Deleting questions can be done via the Author Tab.
To delete multiple, select the tick boxes on the left hand side of the questions you wish to delete.
Multiple questions can be deleted simultaneously by using ‘move to trash’ – a pop up which will appear on the bottom panel.
New Resources
The Digital Exams Team have created some new resources for colleagues. We have a brand-new website dedicated to the use of Grading Committees in Inspera. This website provides users information about what these committees are, how to use them and Frequently Asked Questions area.
As we enter the assessment marking period, the Digital Exams Team want to share some marking ‘hints and tips’ for Inspera Digital Exams. Check out some of our hints and tips listed below.
Hints and Tips
To attach yourself to an exam as a grader, make sure you click the link from the Inspera assignment point in Canvas. This takes you into the ‘Deliver’ area of the exam and you can click the ‘Open in Grade’ button to enter the ‘Grade area’.
If you need to search for a specific student, within the ‘Overview’ section of the Grader area, you can search for a student number to locate their submission. In the screenshot below, ‘stutestX’ is a placeholder for a student ID. In your exams you will see student numbers listed instead.
If you are in the Grade area and need to go back to the Deliver area (for example, to set the feedback settings), there is a shortcut available. Click the ‘Options’ button at the top of the screen and navigate to ‘Shortcuts’. Select ‘Deliver’ and click ‘Open test in Deliver’,
It is possible to download raw marks from Inspera as an Excel file. Click the ‘Options’ button at the top of the screen and navigate to ‘Downloads’. Select ‘Marks as Excel file’,
As standard the Digital Exams team will set up the Canvas assignment associated with your Inspera exam as 100 points. This means (once released) students will view their Canvas Gradebook mark as a proportion. If you’d like students to see raw marks, please edit the Canvas assignment points area to match that of your total Inspera marks.
For manually marked questions, Graders can add Annotations to student submissions. Within student submitted text, click the left mouse button and move the mouse across the text you want to annotate. Click Annotate:
Within the Grade ‘marking’ area there is a search icon for students now for all graders. When marking, use the bottom panel to navigate to specific students using their ID. For example:
Further Support
Webinars
The Digital Exams Team run two dedicated marking webinars which colleagues can book onto:
These training webinars cover a range of marking workflows, including how to amend auto-marked questions and adding annotations to manually marked questions such as essays.
Videos
There are a range of marking videos available on the Inspera L&T website which provide on-screen demonstrations of grading tasks.
Feedback Release
If you would like to release feedback to your students on your auto or manually marked Inspera questions, check out our dedicated webpage on Inspera Feedback Release for further information.
Further questions?
If you have any questions about marking an Inspera exam, please contact the Digital Exams Team via Digital.Exams@newcastle.ac.uk.
If you have any hints or tips that you think we could add to the above list, please do share them with the Digital Exams Team.
Whatever our role, creating documents and other content that can be accessed and used by everybody is an essential professional skill.
The good news is that creating content that’s inclusive and user-friendly is actually quite simple, and the bulk of it can be done by creating good working document templates and making minor adjustments to work flows.
This is the first in a series of blog posts looking at specific tools and aspects of Canvas and how they can be used to further improve our students digital learning journey.
The Importance of Interactivity
Developing interactive educational content is crucial for creating an engaging online learning experience. This approach enhances students’ effectiveness, engagement, and motivation by facilitating active learning instead of merely receiving information passively. Furthermore, the ability to include small self assessment activities within such content promotes self reflection allowing students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. According to Yung-Ming (2013), interactivity plays a huge role in
“the perception of the ease of use of the learning system, as well as the consideration of the usefulness and the interest that stimulates.” Theodosis Karageorgakis
Why use H5P?
As a busy academic, it can be challenging to find the time and resources to enhance your teaching methods. However, H5P is a powerful tool that can significantly benefit your teaching, even amidst a busy schedule. Here’s why:
Interactive and Engaging Content Creation: H5P simplifies the process of crafting interactive and engaging content. This feature boosts student attention, engagement, and overall enjoyment of the learning experience.
Time Efficiency: H5P offers a user-friendly interface along with a diverse range of pre-designed templates, facilitating the swift creation of interactive content. Once you grasp the tool, time savings are achievable through template reuse and the modification of existing content—whether created by you or shared with colleagues—to suit various topics or courses.
Versatility in Activity Types: H5P provides a multitude of activity types, such as interactive videos, presentations, quizzes, games, timelines, and more. This versatility enables you to accommodate different learning styles and adapt your teaching methods to the diverse needs of student groups. Whether your aim is knowledge assessment, concept reinforcement, or fostering critical thinking, H5P offers a broad spectrum of options.
Seamless Integration with Learning Management Systems: H5P seamlessly integrates with our learning management systems, including Canvas. This integration streamlines the content creation process, allowing you to stay within your Canvas page. Consequently, it minimizes the need for students to navigate between multiple tools.
Accessible Help and Support: H5P includes built-in tutorials for all content types, providing readily available assistance. Additionally, we offer further support through workshops dedicated to using H5P, fostering a collaborative environment for sharing knowledge and skills among colleagues.
How to build a simple resource
The video below shows how you can quickly build a simple H5P resource and/or import the Christmas advent calendar to add to your Canvas course.
Examples of H5P in practice
Click on any of the content types below to see an example of some of the excellent resources being created across the University.
Course Presentation
Interactive bookFlash CardsInteractive Video
Branching Scenario
Getting started – Next steps
The H5P website https://h5p.org/ has a wide range of examples of content to get you started thinking about how you can use this amazing tool within your own teaching practice.
Alternatively if you are interested in booking an in person workshop for colleagues within your school then please contact ltds@newcastle.ac.uk
Finally if you are looking for some festive content for your students you can find the Newcastle University H5P Advent Calendar below, click the reuse button to export it. There are instructions in the video above.
The content of these videos is designed to more briefly cover the 1-hour webinar available on the Learning Management System (LMS) ‘Creating and managing exam questions in Inspera’. These short videos group the content into more manageable self-help guides.
Video title
Content covered
Getting started with Authoring Questions on Inspera
How to access the Author tool via Canvas Navigating the Author tab Filtering and Labels The difference between questions and question sets
Creating Questions sets on Inspera
Create and edit question sets Adding /amended marks awarded per question Previewing your question/question set Adding previously created questions into a question set
Basic Question set functionality
Sharing a question set with colleagues Printing a question set The Design tab
Advanced Question set functionality
Using sections in your question set Question randomisation Candidate selected questions Using stimulus Adding allowed resources
For all Inspera Digital Exams running in the standard Semester 1 assessment period, the deadline for the finalisation of Questions Sets within Inspera is November 17th.
We do still have some spaces left on our 1-hour webinar ‘Creating and managing exam questions in Inspera’ which is taking place on October 23rd virtually. Book your space on the Newcastle University LMS.
