Communication tools

Inbox (Conversations)

Conversations is the messaging tool used through WebCampus (similar to email) to communicate with a course, a group, an individual student, or a group of students. Conversations are accessible through the Inbox icon in the Global Navigation.

Conversations overview

The following video provides a brief overview of the WebCampus Conversations:

Conversation overview video

Using Inbox messages

Use the messaging tool to:

• Send a message to individual students in your course.
• Send a message to your entire class.
• Send a message to members of a group.
• Reply to messages from others in your course.
• Filter conversations by course or type.
• View and reply to assignment submission comments.

Step-by-step tutorials and additional information

• How do I send a message to a user in a course in Conversations?
• How do I send a message to all course users in Conversations?
• How do I send a message to a user in a group in Conversations?
• How do I filter conversations?
• How do I reply to submission comments in Conversations?

External communication

One of the aspects of the Conversations tool is the ability to have messages sent to the Inbox (Conversations tool messaging center) and retrieved via alternative e-mail, text message or social media. Depending upon how a user sets up their settings, messages sent via Conversations can be retrieved via e-mail, text message and/or social media. The default setting is to have messages sent to the email a student has listed in their MyNevada account. Additional e-mail accounts, mobile numbers and social media accounts can be added as well.

When one receives an e-mail from someone who sent it via the Inbox in WebCampus, one can respond to the message via their e-mail account without having to log into WebCampus to respond. For example, if a student sends a message via the WebCampus Inbox, the instructor may receive the message via e-mail they have set up their notifications to forward messages to a secondary e-mail account. An instructor can view the message and send a response, which is delivered to the student’s WebCampus Inbox.

The message sent to the student will end up in their Inbox and depending upon how they have set up their user settings, the e-mail sent in response will be delivered to their user setting specifications. It’s important to note that messages must originate in Conversations (Inbox) for users to respond via their secondary e-mail and/or text message accounts. You can adjust your notification preferences to receive conversations using external channels.

Calendar

The calendar tool in Canvas collects events and assignments across all your courses into a single view, providing a useful overview of upcoming events and tasks. Information about Calendar items also will be shown on the Dashboard, making upcoming activities even more apparent.

Calendar overview

The following video provides a brief overview of the WebCampus Calendar tool:

Watch the Calendar overview video

Assignments

Assignments are automatically integrated into the Calendar tool when they are created within a class. You won't need to recreate these on the Calendar. You can also create an assignment shell directly from the Calendar tool, which can then be edited with additional information as necessary. It's also possible to easily change assignment due dates within the Calendar, by dragging and dropping the assignment on the desired date. Step-by-step tutorials and additional information:

Step-by-step tutorials and additional information

• How do I edit an event or assignment in the Calendar?

Events

The Calendar also makes it possible to alert your students to non-assignment events related to your class. This might be a cancelled class, a study group, a guest speaker, or an extra credit opportunity. You can also list specific class sessions' topics or preparation (such as readings that should be completed before a group project work session).

Step-by-step tutorials and additional information

• How do I add an event to a course calendar?
• How do I add and duplicate an event in the Calendar as an instructor?
• How do I add an event to my calendar as an instructor?

Calendar scheduler tool

The Scheduler tool creates appointment groups within a course. Students can sign up for a time slot within the appointment group. This can be set up to allow one student to sign up at a time, or entire group to sign up. This tool may be helpful in organizing student appointments or conferences, or group presentation dates.

Step-by-step tutorials and additional information

• How do I add a Scheduler appointment group in a course calendar?
• How do I view or edit a Scheduler appointment group in a course calendar?
• How do I remove students from a Scheduler appointment in a course calendar?