When accessing Canvas for anything that is critical (such as an online exam), there are a few tips that the Learning Design and Technologies team recommends. First, you should use a wired Internet connection due to problems inherent with wireless Internet services. Wireless services are prone to drops and data loss from environmental factors (for example, interfering microwaves) but wired connections are not affected by those factors. Two, our recommended browsers with Canvas are Chrome or Firefox. Lastly, check the Global Announcements on your dashboard in Canvas for any outages or planned maintenance news.
Oh no! I lost my internet connection during an online exam, what should I do?
First, “Don’t Panic.” Your answers should auto-save as you navigate through your exam. If you encounter an essay question, write in another program (say, in Microsoft Word, saving the file as plain text) and paste plain text back into your Canvas exam session. This way, if you lose your Canvas connection and written work, your written responses are available in a backup file. If you lose your internet connection, contact your instructor right away.
I can’t see my courses
There are two potential reasons for this.
The first, could be you have the course currently hidden. To unhide a course:
- Click on Courses on the left-hand side.
- Scroll down and click All Courses.
- Those courses where the “star” is shaded in on the left-hand side will show on your dashboard; those that are outlined will remain in Courses > All Courses.
The second reason could be that your instructor isn’t using Canvas for your class, or the site is being used but hasn’t been Published (brought online) yet. Send your instructor a friendly email and ask if they plan to use Canvas and state that you cannot see the course site. They should respond quickly. You can find email addresses for instructors through the Bradley Directory.
