Category: Featured

MiraCosta Course Design Tool Updates

Dear MiraCosta faculty,

As you create and update spring classes in Canvas, there are some important updates that happened in the last month which you should be aware of!

  1. We’ve added DesignPLUS to Canvas. This is a powerful tool to make it way easier to design your classes with visual style and consistency. DesignPLUS gives you editing tools that used to require diving into HTML, as well as templating tools to make it easy to create a visual identity and structure that you can repeat across your course elements. Check out our TIC page on DesignPLUS to learn more. We also have FLEX workshops (via Zoom) on DesignPLUS on Monday and Tuesday (both days 11-12).
  2. Turnitin users: the Turnitin 1.1 Canvas integration is no longer available. We already had Turnitin 1.3 integration available and most of our Turnitin users were already using either that (if you like using Turnitin’s grading/feedback tools) or the Turnitin Plagiarism Framework (which uses Turnitin for similarity checking but Canvas grading and feedback tools). If you were still using the Turnitin 1.1 tools, you will need to update your courses. For more info, see our Turnitin overview as well as our Turnitin 1.3 and Turnitin Canvas Plagiarism framework guides.
  3. PlayPosit users (or anyone interested in a tool to create engaging assessments and interactions embedded in video): PlayPosit has been renamed WeVideo and now includes the ability for instructors to directly record instructional videos rather than having to import videos created elsewhere. Existing PlayPosit videos and activities should continue to work seamlessly in Canvas. We are still learning more about this upgrade and will soon have more updated information on our PlayPosit/WeVideo TIC page. If you’d like to learn more about this powerful tool for instructional video and interaction, you can register for a one hour TechConnect webinar: 1/20 at 11:30 am or 1/27 at 11:30 am.
  4. Canvas tutorial links were updated. This is the second time Canvas has done this in the last several years. If you include Canvas tutorial links in your courses to help your students (a great practice!) and those links predated the last time Canvas did this, they may no longer work. Using the Canvas link checker tool (see below) can help you catch this.

Also keep in mind these tools as you build, reuse, update, and polish courses:

  • Adjust-All enables bulk updates of course due dates, announcement timing, etc.
  • TidyUP helps strip out unneeded, outdated files and content from Canvas courses.
  • the Canvas link checker is always an important tool to use when copying forward old courses for reuse – it will quickly help you identify links which are no longer working
  • the PopeTech Dashboard is a great way to make sure your course content is fully accessible – and remember that this is an absolute requirement for all Canvas classes based on federal regulations that take effect this spring.

I’ll send out more general reminders with my comprehensive start-of-term email soon, but wanted to get this to folks who may benefit from this info now.

Jim Julius, Ed.D.
Faculty Coordinator, Online Education

WeVideo (formerly PlayPosit) in Canvas

WeVideo Flex Workshop Recordings & Updates

WeVideo (formerly PlayPosit) is an interactive video learning tool that is fully integrated with MiraCosta College’s Canvas. WeVideo allows instructors to create activities using videos from Canvas Studio, 3C Media, YouTube, Vimeo, or other video sources. WeVideo now includes access for instructors to the WeVideo’s Multimedia tool to create instructional videos, podcasts or set up assignments for learners to demonstrate learning through media.

Create an Assignment in Canvas with WeVideo interactivity?

  1. In your Canvas course, click on Assignments
  2. Then + Assignment
1. Assignment, then 2. + Assignment

3. Enter the information for the assignment, change the submission type to External Tool, and click Find.

External Tool, then click Find button

4. Select the WeVideo (formerly PlayPosit) Interactivity tool from the list.

Click WeVideo (formerly PlayPosit)

5. Click the Set Link button on the gray screen.

Set Content Link page - Click Set Link

6. Click on the Canvas icon in front of the desired interactive video or playlist and click Link to assign it.

  • If you do not have an interactive video in your account yet, please follow the steps in this article to create your first interactive video.
WeVideo page - Click the Canvas Icon

7. Select the learner experience to be Self Paced or Live Broadcast, then click Set Link.

Click the Set Link button

8. Click Select to complete the process.

Click the Select button

Adjust the grading and due date for the assignment in Canvas. Please note that if you would like to have the grades synced, the points for the assignment in Canvas must be greater than 0.

After the content is linked, you will see the following window when launching the assignment as an instructor. There will be three options:

  • Unlink: unlink the content from this assignment so you can assign it to another assignment in this class if needed. Once the content is unlinked, the learners’ grades will be archived and not visible from the monitor page. They will need to complete the activity again in the new assignment to gain their grades.
  • Preview: Preview the content that is linked to this assignment.
  • Monitor: Open the monitor page for this assignment for you to review and adjust learners’ grades. Please see the next section for more information.
Manage Link page within WeVideo

Monitor Learners’ Grades from Canvas

Click the Monitor button on the gray window to launch the monitor page.

Click the Monitor button

On the monitor page, you can see learners’ names, responses to each question, and their grades.

The monitor page within WeVideo

If you need to update learners’ grades or provide points to manually graded questions, click the response and assign points to it.

Points page within WeVideo

After grading, please ensure that you click the Sync Grades button at the top to sync the most updated grades to the Canvas grade book.

Sync All Grades button within WeVideo

For additional information refer to the WeVideo – ‘How do I assign Interactivity content to Canvas?’ guide

New RCE

WeVideo Support and Help

WeVideo has support services for your questions or problems.

Turnitin for Canvas LTI 1.3

MiraCosta College has an unlimited license to Turnitin, GradeMark, and Peer Review, and Turnitin is available within Canvas. No separate login or password is required for faculty or students. You have two options for how to use Turnitin with Canvas.

The primary difference between the two is that the Turnitin LTI 1.3 integration is best used if faculty prefer to use Turnitin for grading and feedback; the Turnitin Plagiarism Framework is preferred by faculty who want Turnitin for plagiarism prevention but like to use the Canvas grading and feedback tools.

Create a Turnitin LTI 1.3 Assignment in MCC Canvas:

  1. Click on Assignments from the course navigation menu.
  2. Click on the 3 Dots Assignment Settings button.
  3. Click on Turnitin in the menu.
Turnitin LTI 1.3 in MiraCosta College Canvas

Turnitin Canvas LTI 1.3 Resources

Testing a Turnitin Assignment with your MCC Sample Student

Turnitin is an LTI tool that is globally installed on our Canvas system. LTI tools are not native to Canvas so they will not work in the internal Canvas Student View. You must log off of Canvas, as an instructor, then log on with your MCC Sample Student account. Now you will be able to experience a Turnitin assignment within your Canvas course as a student.

Additional information

Turnitin Canvas Plagiarism Framework

Turnitin Plagiarism Framework is available within Canvas and offers a tighter integration between a Canvas assignment and Turnitin than the Turnitin 1.3 LTI Canvas integration. No separate login or password is required for faculty or students.

The primary difference between the two tools is that the Turnitin LTI 1.3 integration is best used if faculty prefer to use Turnitin for grading and feedback; the Turnitin Plagiarism Framework is preferred by faculty who want Turnitin for plagiarism prevention but like to use the Canvas grading and feedback tools.

MiraCosta College has an unlimited license to Turnitin, GradeMark, and Peer Review.

Turnitin Canvas Plagiarism Framework Guides

Turnitin Integration Canvas Resources

Testing a Turnitin Assignment with your MCC Sample Student

Turnitin is an LTI tool that is globally installed on our Canvas system. LTI tools are not native to Canvas so they will not work in the internal Canvas Student View. You must log off of Canvas, as an instructor, then log on with your MCC Sample Student account. Now you will be able to experience a Turnitin assignment within your Canvas course as a student.

Additional information

MiraCosta Online Ed Tips & Reminders: 2025 Year-end

Dear MiraCosta Faculty, 

Here are a few reminders, resources, and opportunities as 2025 comes to a close!

Canvas End of Term Support and Reminders

After Dec. 31, your fall Canvas classes go into read-only mode for you and your students, and move from the Canvas Dashboard to the Past Enrollments area of Canvas (select Courses at left in Canvas, then All Courses to see Past Enrollment courses). If you wish to remove access to any of your course materials for your current students beyond this semester, you need to do so by Dec. 31. Review our Canvas end-of-term guide for details. It also discusses what you need to do if you have any students who will receive Incomplete grades, as well as what to do if you wish to close course access sooner than Dec. 31. If you’d like help with any semester wrap-up tasks, and/or as you begin working on spring classes, you can consult with our Instructional Designer, Nadia Khan (click the link to schedule a time). 

ZTC/OER Support and Reminders

For those teaching spring classes that are Zero- or Low-Textbook Cost, if you haven’t yet done so, please update your course section ZTC/LTC designations in SURF. For folks looking for support building spring ZTC classes or just exploring the use of OER, you can book a consult with our ZTC/OER Instructional Designer, Stephanie Kelley (click the link to schedule a time).

If You’re Already Thinking About Spring

  • Stop! Chill out. Rest.
  • Ok, if you insist … remember that in 2025 we added two nifty tools to streamline your Canvas course copy and reuse processes:
    • Adjust-All – makes copying previous Canvas courses for reuse a lot easier. It enables you to change all course item due dates and announcement publication dates in one place, rather than having to access each item individually.
    • TidyUP – makes it quick and simple to identify and delete files, folders, pages, and assignments that are no longer in use, making your Canvas course less cumbersome and easier for you and your students to use. Do this before copying current courses forward!
  • An exciting new tool is coming very soon to our Canvas – DesignPlus. If you love visually engaging, beautifully designed Canvas courses but despise the technical challenges, accessibility concerns, and time required to do that, this tool will be an option worth exploring. See the DesignPlus website for a preview! More info to come once we have it set up in our Canvas system.
  • @ONE online teaching courses are open to all California Community College faculty. Some are self-paced and available anytime. Facilitated spring courses are open for enrollment now, and are completely free. They’ll fill, so sign up now if you’re interested!
  • Submit a proposal (due Jan. 31) for the Online Teaching Conference (June 23-25, Anaheim). MiraCosta faculty who present can have all travel expenses covered from the Online Ed budget!

Happy break!

– Jim

Jim Julius, Ed.D.
Faculty Coordinator, Online Education

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