Fall 2015 Student Focus Group

The notes below summarize the two student focus groups held during Fall Quarter 2015. 12 students participated during this week of focus groups.

Agenda

  • ~5 minutes: Moderator introductions
  • ~5 minutes: UCI Canvas Pilot Overview & Focus Group Presentation
  • ~2 minutes: Group introductions (name, major, year)
  • ~50 minutes: Questions/discussion

Notes

What are 1 or 2 things you like about Canvas?

  • All the due dates are listed on one page, even if they’re different types of assignments (the first page when you open up). The “Assignments” page.
  • Calendar, all the events/midterms/finals/assignments are posted there, for all classes (that are using Canvas)
  • Grades: all the grades are detailed on one page, so he knows his standing on one class
  • Canvas seems very accessible for students and professors, but some additional help would be nice
  • Had Writing last quarter, creating the portfolio was really easy, worked well, liked that tool
  • Upcoming right-hand column, past assignments, and upcoming assignments – when viewing the course, knows what she needs to look at next
  • Turn in assignments online. For Lab, has to turn it in on the Pilot and Turnitin.com, but if Canvas sticks, could probably eliminate the use of Turnitin.com. Has to log in separately to submit her assignments there.
  • Chemistry lab; instructor is only using the Canvas Pilot, so hasn’t had to use a separate website.
  • Canvas often opens files inline without having to download things first (PDF, images, etc.)
  • Likes the what-if scores to calculate what your score would be depending on certain grades on assignments. Very convenient.
  • Print button on every page is also nice
  • Easy; all the information is on one page
  • More organized than EEE—”There can be a lot on one page, so it can be confusing, but after you get used to it you get the hang of it.”
  • Can calculate your own grades/expectations, depending on what the TA does (grades need to be on time, assignments inputted); TAs need to stay on top of things
  • “Individually, its just more organized than EEE is.”
  • Likes the discussion features
  • Likes that you can click to test out different scores in grades, help you figure out what you need
  • Can search for what you need, professor & TA might post things so they can use their laptop anywhere to access information
  • Easy to use (using it for Academic English). Can see assignments clearly, every assignment, can submit directly to Canvas. Easy for instructors to communicate to students
  • Grades, especially as compared to EEE; can see exact percentage earned, clearer to figure out GPA for cost
  • The Conference feature (was supposed to be 60 minutes, but lasted 5 minutes then bugged out) was really cool and useful

What are 1 or 2 things you dislike about Canvas?

  • Dislikes how sometimes she has to go to multiple places — EEE, instructor’s website, and Canvas, just to find everything
  • Due dates — some assignments have due dates, and some don’t have due dates, which can be confusing
  • Canvas menu for classes (left-side)—there are too many options over there, would be nice if they didn’t always appear. For example, didn’t really use collaborations or chat; usually use assignments, files, grades, and home, but ignored the rest
  • Too many places to see instructor content; Emails, updates on EEE, Canvas, instructor website, and more
  • Can’t tell the difference between some of the columns/options, such as Files vs. Pages. This can be confusing. Also not sure what is used and what isn’t (such as Conferences or Collaborations)
  • Have to scroll a lot to find information; some TAs put everything on one page
  • Doesn’t like how past courses show up; wishes just current courses appeared. Has to click on the one you’re active with now, rather than just jumping straight into the course
  • The grade that’s on their isn’t her actual grade; it says she has a 100%, but the class isn’t done yet. The professors haven’t put in all the assignments/grades/scores yet, so the score you’ve earned so far isn’t always accurate
  • Files; every time he sorted by name or date, then opened file, the sort wasn’t remembered, so had to go and re-sort again
  • Instructors upload files to different modules and organize in their way, but students can’t organize things on their own. Not all instructors organize files in the same way.
  • On the assignments tab, shows her overdue assignments above the upcoming assignments; would rather have the assignments close up top.
  • Group work, if not submitted by the member (but by somebody else), shows up as not submitted and pops up above all the other assignments.
  • Instructor couldn’t see uploaded assignment. Also used Turnitin.com (uploaded directly, rather than through Canvas)
  • EEE has a mobile version, but doesn’t think that Canvas has a mobile site.
  • Doesn’t like EEE mobile version, but at least there is one available.

Do you think Canvas is easy to use? Why or why not?

  • Turning in assignments is very easy to do
  • Canvas is more organized, you know exactly where you want to go (but it really depends on the TAs)
  • Each particular area in a course space has information, so it can be confusing
  • Personally likes EEE, possibly due to having used it for a full academic year. The Canvas layout is so different from EEE, but Canvas isn’t hard to use at all (everything is there, all the tabs are there).
  • Canvas is pretty good, compared to EEE. Has different classes using EEE and Canvas. Canvas seems newer and more up-to-date. Some EEE pages for classes are too similar and hard to focus on (only words), no pictures or anything.
  • EEE has lots of words, hard to read/focus on details. Canvas is simpler.

How would you compare EEE to Canvas? If you had to choose, which would you choose? Why?

  • EEE is where you see all your classes, lots of different tools, tells you your schedule. Canvas, for each class specifically, you can view content, but can see everything on EEE. Prefers that everybody uses one system; would like to have just one thing integrated, and not keep having two systems.
  • EEE has an integrated page where you can see everything; for Canvas, some classes don’t use it, so has to use two systems. Would like it if only 1 system.
  • Professor prefers to post grades on EEE, because EEE shows charts and statistics to students. For that class, still uses Canvas, but he wishes that they had those features in Canvas.
  • Likes that Canvas makes it very clear that he knows his own grades, but not his relative standing in the class.
  • Finds that seeing average score is disturbing
  • Canvas has a box-and-squares chart for each assignment; but she’s used to the EEE bar graph, rather than the Canvas presentation
  • Goes on EEE to view grades and class websites; hasn’t turned anything in on EEE yet. Uses different functions of the different sites.
  • Sometimes has to use Dropbox, Turnitin.com, Canvas Pilot, would be really nice if she would just have to use one
  • Canvas is new, and has a learning curve, but he likes Canvas more than EEE. If Canvas has better integration with EEE, that’d be good.
  • Don’t have to go to as many places to search on Canvas; all the information is right there. On EEE, you have to click on each website, and then dig around to find what you need.
  • Only has one class on Canvas right now, so it just looks like Canvas for one class.
  • Likes that the file submission (drop-box) is in the Canvas course space, rather than having to go to another tool
  • Likes that the past classes are easily accessible without having to try to search and/or figure it out (he might not realize that EEE has access to all that stuff; he referenced Google to find information)

Have you used the mobile apps?

  • If yes, what do you like/dislike about them?
    • Uses an iPad, goes through EEE over to Canvas, but still doesn’t use the app
  • If no, why not?
    • Didn’t know it existed
    • Laptop/browser is more comfortable than using an app
    • Since most classes are on EEE, just more used to it
    • Knew, but didn’t try. Doesn’t go onto Canvas very much on her phone, usually just pulls up her computer

Have you used Turnitin.com within Canvas?

  • Likes the integrated method; easier, makes sure she doesn’t forget to turn it in later
  • Likes the integration, doesn’t want to have to submit multiple times (everybody agreed with this)
  • Has only interacted with Turnitin.com through Canvas; didn’t even know that it was a separate third-party service, just assumed that it was integrated into Canvas
  • Doesn’t like having to log in to Turnitin.com separately, since he has to remember yet another account
  • For Writing, turned in to Canvas and Turnitin.com; for Lab (F15), just turned in to Turnitin.com, doesn’t do anything on Canvas
  • Would rather submit all work through Canvas; Turnitin.com isn’t hard, but has an issue where replacing an existing file would take up to 24 hours to work (may have used Turnitin.com within Canvas, wasn’t clear)

Do you feel that communication with you about the UCI Canvas Pilot has been clear?

  • No; it just kind of happened
  • Writing teacher told her about it, and that it may or may not be permanent
  • Other than surveys, they don’t recall having any communications about the Canvas Pilot
  • Communication from instructors has mostly been: “We’re using Canvas.” (without a reason why)
  • Just assumed that it is something that certain classes are doing/required to do
  • Instructors didn’t tell how to use it; they had to figure out how to use it on their own
  • Is there information you wished you had had before starting your Pilot class this quarter?
    • Thought that Canvas would just be another module, rather than a system separate from EEE. Inbox on Canvas is another thing that he has to keep in mind. Wishes that he had known that it was an individual system; his friends were similarly confused  about that.
    • Thought it was only for certain classes; didn’t realize that it was professors wanting to try it out
    • Would like to have known more about how Turnitin.com and Canvas are related; thought it was preference of the instructor
    • Found out about the testing-a-grade feature a week ago (focus group was during week 8)
    • Didn’t know about Canvas Inbox; made it easier to send a message to his professor, but it took him a lot of time to figure it out until he found the Inbox feature and used that.

How can/should we communicate with students like you?

  • Have more instructors use it instead of EEE. Wishes that all of her classes for the quarter would use Canvas.
  • Have professors communicate more with their students about Canvas and what it may entail.
  • Email, would expect it to come from the instructors, rather than OIT/administration
  • No reason to read an email if it is not sent by your instructor
  • Doesn’t matter; long emails take too long to time. Would prefer videos or pictures to show how Canvas works

(As time allows) Additional discussion topics: communications, calendar

Canvas Inbox feature

  • Instructors tend to use email, rather than inbox
  • 2 of her 4 instructors use Inbox, but messages are still usually emailed, even though the messages appear in Canvas.
  • Preference for both, inbox & Canvas Inbox, if possible
  • Prefers email
  • Uses Piazza, but still mostly done through emails
  • Had Canvas for management class over summer, he would send out an email and post an announcement on Canvas

Notifications in Canvas

  • Most didn’t know that the feature to tweak notifications existed
  • Some didn’t recall ever getting a notification

Accessing via EEE

  • Bookmarked the course space or access Canvas directly (although the first time they went through EEE first)
  • Always go through MyEEE to get over to their Canvas course space, has been straightforward and convenient
  • Thought that the link was the professor’s specific website

Calendar

  • Uses it, has everything there (due dates), so if you need a quick look
  • Same information is on the right sidebar on the main page
  • Would like calendar more if they had more than one class in a given term
  • Liked the timeslot/appointment ; instructor scheduled a block of time for 1-on-1 meetings, then students were able to log in and reserve a timeslot