Introduction
Here is a list of some of the most common questions that we've received from students. You may find this useful whether you are taking your first online course or want a refresher on some of the topics below. You may also be interested in Getting Started with Online Learning at UC San Diego Extended Studies.
Table of Contents
- Accessing Courses in Canvas
- When will I have access to Canvas?
- When will I have access to a specific course in Canvas?
- How can I view my pending enrollments in Canvas?
- How long will I have access to Canvas after my class is over?
- Why can’t I view my course from previous quarters?
- Will I be notified when my class starts?
- How can I contact my instructor?
- Completing/Submitting course work in Canvas
- Viewing/Accessing Content within a Course
- Zoom
Accessing Courses in Canvas
When will I have access to Canvas?
When you enroll in a UCSD Extended Studies account that uses Canvas for the first time, your Canvas account is created the following morning at 7:30am PST. When you login to MyExtension, you can access Canvas using your MyExtension login+password.
-
Before the course start date, you will see a Canvas Orientation Course.
-
On the start date for each course you are enrolled in, the course will appear in your dashboard and you can begin accessing the course content.
When will I have access to a specific course in Canvas?
Students have access to the course in Canvas on the published start date at 7:30am PST if enrolled 48 hours before the course start date or more. There is a 24-48 hour processing time between registration and enrollment to Canvas. If you registered for a course within 48 hours we may still be processing your enrollment.
How can I view my pending enrollments in Canvas?
By default, your Canvas dashboard limits the amount of courses that are displayed at a given time. Any future enrollments (courses listed in your MyExtension > My Courses with a start date after the current day or in a future quarter) may not appear on your dashboard. automatically.
To view these courses within Canvas, click on Courses, then scroll down and click on All Courses. Please note, while you check to see that you're enrolled in this course, you will not have access to the content within this course until the start date.
How long will I have access to Canvas after my class is over?
Students have 30 days after the published end date of the course (see MyExtension) to access the course in Canvas. Please note that your instructor will likely NOT be monitoring the discussions or any submissions you make after the class end date. Please check the course syllabus for due dates and submission acceptance policies.
Why can’t I view my course from previous quarters?
Students cannot access their Extended Studies courses from previous quarters if more than 30 days has passed since the end date of the course.
Will I be notified when my class starts?
When you enroll in the course, you will receive a message from Student Services directing you to your MyExtension account for details on that enrollment, including the course start date and Canvas login information if the course is Online, Hybrid or Live Online. Please note the course start date in your personal calendar with a reminder so that you don’t miss the start date. Please note that there is no separate login information for students about Zoom meetings in MyExtension. All Zoom meeting information (meeting times and access links) will come from your instructor.
Many Extended Studies instructors (or their program managers) send welcome emails with a syllabus a few days before the class start date. These messages are sent at the instructor’s discretion. If you need information before the class start date, please reach out to the department contact associated with the course on the Extended Studies Contacts.
How can I contact my instructor?
- If you are enrolled in an Online, Hybrid, or Live Online course at Extended Studies, you can use the Inbox feature in Canvas (Global Navigation Menu on the Left of the homepage) to reach out to your instructor (on or after the published start date of the course) (How to Contact Your Instructor).
- If you are enrolled in an In-Class course (which has no presence in Canvas), use the email address provided on the course syllabus or contact the Program Manager for the instructor’s contact information.
Completing/Submitting course work in Canvas
How do I post on Discussions and How do I put an image or attachment to my Discussion post?
How to respond or post to a Discussion
How do I upload an assignment?
Can I resubmit an assignment if I had issues uploading it into Canvas?
This depends upon the settings your instructor has used in the course. When in doubt, send a message to your instructor through the Inbox and attach the assignment as soon as possible. Be sure to explain exactly why you are submitting your assignment through an Inbox message.
How do I upload a zipped file?
The same way you would upload any type of file in Canvas. Please see How to attach a file in Canvas.
Viewing/Accessing Content within a Course
What do I do if I can’t view a lesson in Canvas?
- Contact your instructor using the Inbox feature (How to Contact Your Instructor) explaining what you can’t see and what the date is.
- What you can see depends upon what the instructor has published. Often times, an instructor has published individual items but hasn’t published the module where the items have been provided for you.
- It is also possible that the instructor has set a prerequisite that you haven’t completed. In other words, if you don’t see Lesson 2, you haven’t completed Lesson 1.
- It is also possible that your instructor has used adaptive release settings to “publish” lessons only during the week you are to work on the lesson, preventing you from getting ahead or going back.
How do I save lectures?
You can download and save PDF files of the lecture slides if the instructor has provided them in the course. You cannot download or save the MP4 files that contain audio/video lectures that are provided in Canvas.
Can I get a PDF of my discussion posts (for Portfolio)?
How to save a copy of my course Discussion post
Zoom
Why haven’t I haven’t received the Zoom information for my class?
Please note that there is no separate login information for Zoom meetings in MyExtension. All Zoom meeting information (meeting times and access links) will come from your instructor.
How do I get the information about a Zoom meeting/session that I couldn’t attend?
- Check the course in Canvas for information about a missed Zoom session. If you don’t find what you are looking for in the course in Canvas (Live Online, Hybrid, Online), then use the Canvas Inbox feature to contact your instructor.
- If your course in In-Class, email your instructor about missed Zoom sessions.