LMS and learning technology guides and resources
Staff guides: Canvas LMS
LMS checklist
Building and launching your LMS subject.
FAQs
A collection of common questions relating to the introduction of Canvas and the University of Melbourne.
Webinar recordings
For staff unable to attend our live Zoom sessions, we also offer a series of recorded webinars available online 24/7. These include a quick start to Canvas, an overview of assessment and feedback tools, as well as an introduction to the communication and collaboration tools available in your subject.
User guides
| Guide title | Guide link |
|---|---|
| Administration | |
| Blackboard to Canvas terminology quick-reference guide | Unimelb guide |
| Announcements | |
| How do I add an announcement? | Canvas Community guide |
| Assignments | |
| Anonymous grading | Unimelb guide |
| Turnitin in Canvas Assignments | Unimelb guide |
| Video assignments | Unimelb guide |
| How do I create an assignment? | Canvas Community guide |
| What assignment types can I create? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use SpeedGrader? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add an assignment group? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I weight the final grade based on assignment groups? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I create rules for an assignment group? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I create a peer review assignment? | Canvas Community guide |
| FeedbackFruits in the LMS | Unimelb guide |
| Calendar | |
| How do I use the Calendar? | Canvas Community guide |
| Communication and Collaboration | |
| Blogs in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| Journals in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| Wikis in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| Zoom in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| How do I use the Inbox? | Canvas Community guide |
| Discussion | |
| How do I create a discussion? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I assign a graded discussion? | Canvas Community guide |
| Editing and managing content | |
| Banner tool user guide | Unimelb guide |
| H5P in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| SCORM in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| How do I add and modify text? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use the HTML view? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I create hyperlinks to course content? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I manage alt text and display options for images embedded? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I upload a document? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use the Math Editor? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use the Accessibility Checker? | Canvas Community guide |
| Global navigation | |
| How do I use the Dashboard? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use the To Do list and sidebar in the Dashboard? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view all my subjects? | Canvas Community guide |
| Home page | |
| Banner tool user guide | Unimelb guide |
| How do I use the subject home page? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I manage subject navigation links? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I show recent announcements in the subject home page? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I publish a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I use the subject Activity Stream? | Canvas Community guide |
| Gradebook | |
| Gradebook - Preparing and exporting results for StudentOne | Unimelb guide |
| Grade Posting Policy in the Gradebook | Unimelb guide |
| How do I use the Gradebook? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view assignments or students individually in the Gradebook? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I enter and edit grades in the Gradebook? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I hide or display grades for a Subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| Groups | |
| Bulk Group Membership tool user guide | Unimelb guide |
| How do I add a group set in a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I allow students to create their own student groups? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I automatically assign students to groups? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I manually assign students to groups? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I move a student into a different group? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view content and student activity within a group? | Canvas Community guide |
| Modules | |
| Office 365 resources within Modules | Unimelb guide |
| Modules guides | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add a module? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add assignment types, pages, and files as module items? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add prerequisites to a module? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add requirements to a module? | Canvas Community guide |
| Quizzes | |
| What quiz types can I create in a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I create a quiz by finding questions in a question bank? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I create a question bank in a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| Once I publish a quiz, how do I make additional changes? | Canvas Community guide |
| Once I publish a quiz, what kinds of quiz statistics are available? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view student results in a quiz? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view a quiz log for a student? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view practice quiz results in a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| Rubrics | |
| How do I add a rubric to an assignment? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I manage rubrics in a subject? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add a rubric to a graded discussion? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I add a rubric to a quiz? | Canvas Community guide |
| SpeedGrader | |
| How do I use SpeedGrader? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I grade group assignments in SpeedGrader? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I view the details of a submission for a student in SpeedGrader? | Canvas Community guide |
| How do I enter and edit grades in SpeedGrader? | Canvas Community guide |
| Subject overview | |
| How do I use the Subject Overview (Syllabus)? | Canvas Community guide |
| User management | |
| Bulk Group Membership tool user guide | Unimelb guide |
| College tutors and LMS access | Unimelb guide |
| External User Tool: Managing external users in Canvas | Unimelb guide |
| External User Tool: Information for External Users | Unimelb guide |
| People in Canvas - Staff roles and permissions | Unimelb guide |
| Sections | Unimelb guide |
| Mobile app | |
| How can I use Canvas on my mobile device? | Canvas Community guide |
| New analytics | |
| Using student activity data to check in and support learning | Unimelb guide |
Staff guides: Banner tool
What is the Banner Tool?
Our purpose-built Banner Tool is an easy way to generate an eye-catching banner and card specific to your LMS subject with an image of your choosing.
Find out more about the Banner Tool
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Banner tool user guide | This purpose-built tool provides an easy way for staff to create branded banners and cards for use in their Canvas LMS subjects and communities. | Go |
Staff guides: Gradescope
What is Gradescope?
Gradescope is an assessment tool that supports online submission of both paper-based and digital assessments, as well as grading and feedback. It is particularly relevant for STEM subjects and other disciplines that require handwritten and hand-drawn responses from students.
Find out more about Gradescope
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with Gradescope | Gradescope assignments can be created in any Canvas subject or community. To use Gradescope assignments, you must link and sync Gradescope with Canvas. | Go |
| Online open book exams with Gradescope | How to create and link a Gradescope assignment that presents exam questions to students and allows students to submit responses, within a controlled time period. | Go |
Staff guides: Kaltura
What is Kaltura?
Kaltura is a Video Management System (VMS) which can be used by staff to create videos and share with students directly through the LMS. Upload, manage, embed, and curate libraries of videos all within your Canvas subject site.
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Embedding videos in Canvas LMS | Kaltura video files can be displayed within pages in Canvas. | Go |
| Managing media in Canvas LMS | My Media stores all your videos in Canvas and is only available to you. These files can then be shared with members of a subject through adding files to the Media Gallery or embedding in Canvas pages. | Go |
| Kaltura – MediaSpace | MediaSpace is a media hosting and sharing platform internal to the University that enables staff to upload, create/curate media content. Collaborate with colleagues, create playlists, share and distribute your media across the entire University. | Go |
Staff guides: Lecture Capture
What is Lecture Capture?
The Lecture Capture system records lectures and events in supported venues. Recordings are made available to students as streaming video, via the LMS. Staff can also use Lecture Capture to record their own presentations to be made available to students, supported with slides and other media.
A quick list of staff user guides is available below. For all other support and resources, please visit the Lecture Capture website where you will find a wealth of information for staff and students.
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture Capture basics | ||
| Getting started with Lecture Capture | Guide to logging on and general navigation of the Lecture Capture system as well as viewing and downloading recordings. | Go |
| Booking and accessing public seminars and events | This guide outlines the process for requesting and accessing ad hoc recordings such as public seminars, departmental meetings, conferences and guest presentations in enabled venues. | Go |
| Lecture Capture in Canvas LMS | Change the location of the default Lecture Capture link, create a link directly to individual recordings or create Lecture Capture links to recordings in other subjects. | Go |
| Managing recordings | This guide details how to use some of the extended functionality of Lecture Capture, including managing, editing and copying recordings. | Go |
| Edit a video in Lecture Capture | This guide details how to edit a video recorded with Lecture Capture. | Go |
| Embed a Lecture Capture recording in your LMS page | This guide details how to embed Lecture Capture recordings on specific pages in your subject on the LMS, along with text and resources to provide context for your students. | Go |
| Recording live and remote lectures | ||
| Pause and stop recordings | You should pause Lecture Capture recordings whenever you present copyright material or confidential information, and stop recordings whenever you finish a lecture early or hold personal discussions at the end of a lecture. | Go |
| Universal Capture | Echo360 Universal Capture (previously known as Personal Capture) lets you record content anywhere, any time, using a personal computer. Students can stream or download your recordings at their convenience using the LMS. | Go |
| Record and edit a 'digital whiteboard' video using Microsoft Surface | Digital whiteboard, digital blackboard, digital annotations or 'Khan Academy' style videos are a common genre of educational video, particularly in STEM subjects that rely on a lot of long-form problem solving using formulae. | Go |
| Record a video interview using Zoom and upload to Lecture Capture | Zoom can be used to record interactive sessions such as interviews or other activities with more than one participant. The recording can capture video of each/all participant/s on the screen at the same time. | Go |
| Reusing essential guest Lecture Capture recordings | If you have recordings of a guest lectures from a previous teaching period you can add them to your current LMS subject. | Go |
| Features and tools | ||
| Analytics | This guide provides an overview of the Lecture Capture systems' Analytics section, as well as best practice for viewing and using the information provided. | Go |
| Confusion Flags | The Confusion Flag feature allows students to anonymously mark a segment of the recording or presentation. Staff can review analytics to see where students have flagged confusing content. | Go |
| Presentations, interactive activities and embedded media | This guide outlines how to use the Presentations feature of the Lecture Capture system, including polls, quizzes and embedded media. | Go |
| Q&A discussions | The Lecture Capture Q&A feature allows staff and students to engage in discussions relating to your recordings and presentations | Go |
Staff guides: Microsoft Teams
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a software application that can be used to communicate and collaborate with others on a shared project or assignment.
Find out more about Microsoft Teams
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams allows both staff and students work with others on a project with a shared workspace. Create a team or use a template to get started. | Go |
| Microsoft Teams in the LMS | An integration is available allowing staff to create Teams meetings in Canvas and share these with students as an alternative to Zoom for one-on-one or small consultations. | Go |
Staff guides: Poll Everywhere
What is Poll Everywhere?
The University of Melbourne provides staff premium access to Poll Everywhere, an online tool that allows users to create and collect responses to poll questions or activities. Polls can be activated and distributed in a live session and through the LMS.
Find out more about Poll Everywhere
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with Poll Everywhere | Poll Everywhere is an online tool that allows users to create and collect responses to poll questions or activities. | Go |
| Poll Everywhere in Canvas LMS | Staff can utilise various options to share and display activities and results created in Poll Everywhere with students in Canvas. Additionally, activity reports can be imported to the Canvas Gradebook for marking. | Go |
Staff guides: Qualtrics
What is Qualtrics?
The University of Melbourne provides all staff and research students with access to Qualtrics Research Core, a powerful survey engine that allows users to easily create, design and distribute surveys for a variety of teaching, learning and research needs.
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with Qualtrics | Tips for using Qualtrics and resources to help staff create, distribute and analyse survey results. | Go |
| Qualtrics and the LMS | Staff can utilise the LMS to distribute identified and anonymous surveys to students, and record results in the Grade Centre. | Go |
Staff guides: Zoom
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a high quality video and audio online conferencing tool for desktops and smartphones. It’s ideal for online classes, meetings, special events, webinars, remote working and job interviews.
Unimelb user guides
| Guide title | Description | View guide |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in Canvas LMS | Staff can enable Zoom and manage online collaboration with students directly from their Canvas LMS subject. | Go |
| Tracking attendance in Zoom | Staff can generate reports showing detailed information (including attendee lists) about meetings and webinars they create and host. | Go |
Online learning advice and resources
Learning Environments has expanded our range of advice and resources to support staff in the transition to online teaching and learning. The following resources are available from our related support websites.
Resources for moving online
Guidance on moving tutorials and lectures online, creating videos for online learning, and how to establish a sense of community online.
- How do I deliver my lecture online?
- How do I deliver my tutorial online?
- How do I check in with my students to see how they are going?
- How do I record, edit and upload video and audio?
Implementing online learning quality
Guides with some straightforward options to implement or improve online learning quality including weekly videos, discussions, synchronous events and embedded quizzes.
- View the 10 options
- Fundamentals of online learning
- Seven ways to improve students’ online learning experiences in your subject
- Seven practices to avoid in online teaching and learning
- Learning Environments TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) framework
Digital assessment options for end of semester
Step-by-step guides on how to set up each of the end of semester assessment options in the LMS. Staff login required to access these guides.
Digital assessment options during semester
Practice-based advice about a range of assessment and feedback options supported by a suite of digital tools.
Video production
Guides to assist staff when self-producing video content.