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Academic Continuity Resources

Canvas, Zoom, and Respondus are three fantastic ways to continue managing instruction for most classes during a campus disruption. If you need them, here are some resources to help you get up to speed quickly with these tools:

Additional Resources

Canvas and Zoom will meet many of your Academic Continuity needs. If you’re looking for a more robust option with editing features for recording lecture materials, we recommend Camtasia, which can be downloaded and installed for free. Mediasite is also an option.

You can find more information about the various software options available to you in IRT’s Instructional Technology Matrix.You can also view the Teaching On Action Item List..

If you need any additional support, the Academic Technology Services stands ready to assist you virtually at this time. Please feel free to contact us by phone at (916) 278-2450 during support hours or via email at servicedesk@csus.edu, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Library Resources

In response to COVID-19, many publishers are providing enhanced online access to their research and teaching material. Work with your subject librarian or refer to this guide for access to media and full-text materials.

Canvas

To continue managing your classes during a campus disruption, Sacramento State recommends that you log into Canvas Web App and publish unpublished classes, whether or not you have used Canvas in the past.

Publishing your courses in Canvas enables built-in communication with students. As part of preparing your courses to continue during a campus disruption, we also recommend that you ask your students to access their Canvas courses and review a short tutorial on how to use Canvas.

When you first log in to Canvas, you will see any classes for which you are the instructor of record in your Dashboard or Course List. All of your students are automatically entered into these classes, but classes must be published to be available to students so you can begin communicating with them.

Publishing your class in Canvas allows you to do things like post files, upload assignments, offer quizzes, and most importantly, communicate with your students during the campus disruption.

If you haven’t used Canvas before and don’t know where to begin, please view the following 5-minute video entitled, “Canvas Quick Start” produced by the Sacramento State Academic Technology Services:

Canvas Quick Start Video

Even if you haven’t used Canvas before, rest assured that the vast majority of your students are most likely familiar with the platform. The number of student users in Canvas is virtually equal to the number of students enrolled, which means that almost all students on campus have at least one other class that leverages Canvas.

Zoom

Zoom is a video-conferencing application where many individuals can join the same meeting or class and share audio and video. It also allows for screen sharing and presentation mode. If it works for you to continue to hold class sessions via an online webinar meeting tool, you can use Zoom Web App. There is also the option to record the teaching session on your computer or upload it to the cloud so you can link to it within Canvas for students to view on demand. If you want, you can even set up and manage Zoom meeting sessions within Canvas itself, as long as you have logged into Sacramento State’s version of Zoom at least once before. To learn how to do that, please view the following 3-minute video entitled “Zoom and Canvas Together,” also produced by the Sacramento State Academic Technology Services:

Zoom And Canvas Together Video

More Zoom Resources:

Using Zoom recordings is a simple way to record your voice and computer screen and upload your video to a place where students can view it in Canvas. It also has a digital whiteboard feature that can be used by you and your students.

Using Zoom with Canvas

In order for Zoom to work within or outside of Canvas, you first need to create a CSUS-specific Zoom account at https://csus.zoom.us. It’s very simple to do – just go to the website, log in, and you have established account.

If you want to use Zoom outside of Canvas, you can do so from this website, but the ATS recommends the use of the Zoom and Canvas integration to make things easier for yourself and your students.

Once you’ve logged in to https://csus.zoom.us once, you can re-login to Canvas and start using Zoom directly within Canvas to schedule, launch, and record class meetings.

Acrobat Sign

Acrobat Sign is a cloud-based e-signature service that allows you to easily send, sign, track, and manage signature processes using a browser or mobile device. Documents can be tracked and managed efficiently, which will help ensure a quick turnaround on required signatures.

Learn more about Acrobat Sign

Respondus LockDown Browser

LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Canvas.

Faculty Laptop, Webcam & Hotspot Requests

  • If remote devices (laptops), webcams and/or headphones are needed, we recommend that faculty request these items through their Department Chairs and Deans.
  • Software Access Note: Student devices will not necessarily include access to specialized software used in courses. Adobe Creative Cloud has been licensed for all campus users through 5/31/2020. Additional software may require individual user licenses to be provisioned, which faculty can request through the IRT Service Desk by providing course number and student names.
  • IRT Service Desk assistance is available to help faculty should they choose to deliver classes from campus.

Laptop Checkout

LinkedIn Learning resources

Sacramento State Faculty and Staff have free access to LinkedIn Learning, accessed through My Sac State. Below are some essential training topics, and feel free to explore the full range of LinkedIn Learning’s professional development resources!