In a day when technology plays a vital role in our society, it has become fundamental to have a phone or tablet performs a variety of daily functions. For students, those daily functions include reading announcements, checking grades, messaging instructors, and completing assignments.
At Salt Lake Community College, students can complete these academic tasks on their handheld devices by simply downloading Canvas Student, a free mobile app, and signing in with their BruinMail credentials.
The app currently has five tabs located across the bottom that each serve a specific purpose to students.
The dashboard displays a student’s current classes and allows them to interact with each one. The calendar goes day by day, showing announcements and assignments as they are due. The to-do list lays out every upcoming assignment for the week with the ability to tap each one and submit directly from the app.
Students can view the notifications section to stay informed of what’s happening in each class and can configure their phones to notify them even when they don’t have the app open.
“Push notifications being sent to my phone would have to be my favorite feature,” said Nathan Olmedo, SLCC student and Canvas app user. He enjoys being able to configure the settings to ping his phone when it matters most.
Finally, the inbox is a great resource which enables students to message their professors.
Once logged in, students can add a profile picture and customize the homepage to their preferences. Each class may be given a name, along with color and picture overlays, and can also be arranged in whichever format is preferred.
Olmedo said that while he loves doing most assignments on his computer, he enjoys having the app on his phone because it is convenient for quick updates and serves as a good reminder.
“It serves its purpose. Use it! Have it on your phone. It helps with preparation,” Olemdo said.
Canvas has essentially done away with the days of organizing stacks of loose paper and coming up with excuses for losing homework. Through this app, SLCC continues its mission of helping students succeed, providing students with the ability to complete essential tasks for their classes, all without pencil and paper.
For additional help and resources, contact Canvas support by calling 801-957-5125, or visit the Center for eLearning located at Taylorsville Redwood Campus, Technology Building, Suite 207.
An earlier version of this story originally appeared in the 2020 back to school issue.
