No one expects you to be a technical expert but there are some basics things that you will need to know in order to function efficiently in Canvas. Please review the information on the tabs below to make sure you are up to speed regarding technology and teaching online.
Canvas is a cloud-based system run by Instructure Canvas. So there is no software that you need to install on your computer to run your online course.Canvas supports all modern web browsers, though it is recommended that you use either Chrome, Firefox, or Safari (on a Mac). Canvas supports the latest two versions of any given browser. Review the latest browser requirements in the Canvas Guides for the latest information. It is important to keep the browser up-to-date on any computer you will be using to teach your class. We do recommend that you have at least two different browsers installed on your computer in case there are technical issues.
*While Canvas does support Internet Explorer/Edge,this browser does not work well with Canvas! You may experience many problems, such as issues with content displaying properly or issues with student submission of assignments and quizzes, if you use this browser.
Firefox Chrome Safari
Mobile Support
Canvas does not have the resources to support all mobile devices that are available to instructors and students. While Canvas works fairly well on mobile devices (phones and tablets), there may be some things that do not work as well as they do on desktop web browser so we recommend that you do most of your instructing on a laptop or desktop. Canvas is built for web standards and with accessibility in mind and is accessible via an App or mobile browser. The SpeedGrader app allows instructors to grade assignments submitted online. For details about using this app, view the Canvas Guide.
Canvas by Instructure - New 3.0 mobile app for Apple and Android devices. The new app works on phones and tablets with iOS 7.0+ and Android 4.0+ or later. Search the Apple App store or Google play Store on your device for Canvas by Instructure.
Canvas Guides
Note: These guides are provided by the Canvas and are available on the Canvas Community siteLinks to an external site.. Some of the information in these guides may not apply to the Webster University instance of Canvas.
You are not responsible for all of the technical issues that students encounter. The general rule of thumb is this: If everyone in the class is having a technical issue with, say a video, then the issue is probably on your server side and you should contact your district's IT Service desk to see if you can remedy the problem by checking the link on the page or if the video is still operational. If only individual students are having issues, then you should probably send them to the IT Service desk, where there are people training to troubleshoot technical issues on individual computers.