Canvas Crew offering one-on-one support to faculty this summer

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Preparing to use Canvas in the classroom just got a little easier for faculty.

The U-M Canvas Crew is providing in-person, one-on-one support to faculty. The Canvas Crew consists of students and staff from the College of Engineering, Information and Technology Services, LSA and University Libraries.

Canvas is the new learning management system that university officials have chosen as the successor to CTools. All course sites will be moved from CTools into Canvas by the fall 2016 semester.

“We want to help faculty who are pressed for time. While we can’t eliminate all the effort it takes to move to Canvas, we can decrease the administrative burden,” said Victoria Green, Canvas Crew manager and business systems analyst with ITS.

“The Canvas Crew will get you up and running in as little time as possible with the maximum flexibility. We can answer specific questions or walk you through your first introduction to Canvas.”

The Canvas Crew includes, from left, Brandon Staarmaan, Victoria Green, Jennifer Love, Dave Nassar, Erin Donahue, Chris Seeman, Jennifer Swaney, Marcus Mangel, Melinda Kraft and Steve Cederquis. Team members not pictured are Sam Ozminkowski, Jeff Ziegler, Cathy Crouch, John Johnston and John Diehl (Photo by Joel Iverson, ITS)

Canvas Crew members hold drop-in hours at Hatcher Library and the Duderstadt Center, and are available by appointment. They also offer an ITS service that converts CTools course materials for Canvas.

drop-in hours
  • Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Hatcher Library Scholarspace
  • Tuesdays, 10a.m.-4 p.m., Duderstadt Center, 2nd floor
  • Email  canvascrew
    ​@umich.edu
    to schedule an in-office appointment between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday

“I was motivated to apply for the position because I want to learn how U-M and its faculty leverage course management systems to create impactful learning experiences,” said Steven Cederquist, School of Education graduate student and member of the Canvas Crew. “I hope to meet a lot of new people and learn how technology is shaping the future of postsecondary education.”

U-M offers a wide range of Canvas training opportunities, including e-learning, step-by-step guides, videos and face-to-face support. Faculty members can choose the path that best meets their needs, or benefit from a combination of multiple tracks:

• Self-guided learning: Prefer to learn at your own pace? Use a self-guided Canvas Quick Start Tutorial, which can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.

• Learn in a group setting: Workshops provide demonstrations of a wide variety of Canvas tools and step-by-step instructions for incorporating functionality into existing lessons and curriculum. See a full schedule of Canvas workshops.

• One-on-one consultation: Canvas Crew consultants help faculty set up their Canvas courses. Drop-in sessions are available throughout the summer on Central and North campuses, as well as by appointment.

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