Faculty Update — Zoom Web Conferencing Software in Canvas

Dear Faculty –

The Center for eLearning and CETL are working hard to ensure that all Rockhurst faculty have access to the resources they need in the event that we must cancel face-to-face courses due a coronavirus outbreak or other emergency.  

Today, we are happy to announce that we have integrated Zoom web conferencing software in Canvas. This means that in the event that you should need to meet with your students online instead of in-person, you can now easily do so through your Canvas course. You will notice a new link to Zoom has been added to each Canvas course navigation menu. As the instructor, you simply click on the Zoom link to either automatically authenticate into your existing (rockhurst.edu) Zoom account or automatically provision a new Zoom Pro account. Faculty no longer need to contact computer services to request Zoom Pro accounts. This Zoom integration not only allows you to easily schedule online meetings with the students in your course, a Canvas conversation (inbox message) is sent and the meeting is automatically added to the Canvas course calendar.

If you have ever hosted a Zoom meeting and shared your screen, used the Zoom chat, polling, or whiteboard features, you likely won’t need any training on how to use Zoom. You will simply click on the Zoom link in your Canvas course to access your account and to begin hosting and scheduling meetings.

However, if you have never attended or only attended a Zoom meeting as an attendee but never scheduled or hosted a Zoom meeting we strongly recommend that you engage in some training. While Zoom is an easy-to-use technology, we want to ensure that you every instructor feels confident about hosting Zoom online meetings with their students. Several resources are available to assist you in learning how to use the technology to meet with your students online.  

Zoom Training Resources

• Canvas web page with information about using Zoom in Canvas, Hosting Web Conferences via Canvas.
• Introductory video created by Philip Colombo demonstrating how to use Zoom embedded within the web page.
• “Hosting Virtual Class Sessions via Zoom,” a one-hour training — sign up via the eLearning Training Calendar (strongly encouraged).
• One-on-one or group trainings are also available by appointment — contact eLearning@rockhurst.edu to set up a time (weekend and after-hour appointments are available for adjuncts).
• Zoom has a host of other features that can be explored at the Zoom Video Tutorials and the Zoom Help Center (Links to an external site.) pages.

In addition to web conferencing with your students, the following technological and pedagogical resources are being developed to assist faculty with ensuring instructional continuity in the event of an emergency.

Other Instructional Continuity Resources

• Instructional Continuity and Contingency Planning Canvas page
• Tips and Tricks for Transitioning from Face-to-Face to Online teaching on the CETL page
• Canvas discussion boards web page (resource page for Canvas discussions)
• Canvas electronic submission and grading of assignments (resource page for Canvas online assignments)
• Canvas online quizzes (resource page for creating Canvas online quizzes)
• Canvas Studio screen capture to record and share lectures (resource page for Creating Desktop Video)

Thank you in advance for taking the time to prepare for the possibility of online-only class meetings. Rest assured we are here to assist you in any way possible. Should you require any additional information or personalized technological assistance, email eLearning@rockhurst.edu. For an online pedagogical consultation, email kirsten.potter@rockhurst.edu.