How to Enable Canvas Smart Search

How to Enable the Smart Search Feature in Canvas

To enable the Smart Search feature in your Canvas course, follow these steps:

  1. Access Course Settings:
    • Navigate to your course in Canvas.
    • In the course navigation menu, click on Settings at the bottom.
  2. Go to the Feature Options Tab:
    • In the course settings, you will see several tabs across the top of the page. Click on the Feature Options tab.
  3. Enable Smart Search:
    • Look for the Smart Search option in the list of available features.
    • To enable it, toggle the switch to the ON position.
  4. Confirm the Feature is Enabled:
    • Once the toggle is switched to ON, the Smart Search feature will be active in your course navigation menu.
    • Refreshing your browser may be necessary for the navigation link to appear.
    • You can now use the enhanced search functionality within your course content.

Important Notes:

  • This is not a Canvas App and does not require any additional installations. Simply enable it from the Feature Options as described above.
  • If you encounter any issues, refer to the detailed How to Enable Smart Search instructions on the Canvas Community site.

Canvas Assign To block interface change

Ever since Palomar College started using Canvas, the “Assign To block” has been present at the bottom of the edit screen for anything that gets a grade. This includes assignments, quizzes, graded discussions… anywhere that faculty can set due dates and availability dates.

The classic "Assign To block" with fields for who work is assigned to, and dates for availability and due dates.

Starting on Saturday, July 20th, this interface in Canvas is changing. The functions remain the same, but rather than having the classic block display on the edit page, now there is a link to set the assign functions.

Showing the link to "Manage Assign To".

Clicking the “Manage Assign To” link opens up a side-bar with a slightly modified set of controls.

Sidebar view with interfaces on who has the work assigned, the due date and time, and availability from and until dates and times. Below is an "Add" button to add extra assignment blocks.

This new interface should make it easier to set the dates and times. The field showing who the work is assigned to works the same as the classic Assign To block, so that is unchanged.

A filled out version of the new Assign To block, with dates and times specified but still assigned to Everyone in the course.

Keep in mind that if you need to modify the dates on multiple assignments, you can still do so all in one place. Just follow the instructions from “How do I bulk update due dates and availability dates as an instructor?

Canvas Course Navigation Menu: How to add a redirection

It is possible to create a custom course navigation menu in a Canvas course you teach, that will take students to whatever website you’d like. Just keep in mind that if you are redirecting students to another location within Canvas, you may need to update the redirection each semester, since internal Canvas course locations are different for each course site. If you’re redirecting to an external web site though, you should be good to keep reusing the link across semesters.

Here’s how you create a redirection:

  1. Go into your course, to the Settings area, and go to the Apps tab.
    screen capture showing the course Settings, with the Apps tab selected and the word "redirect" in the search box
  2. Click the “Redirect” app, then click the “+Add App ” button.
    shows the "Redirect" icon, a blue curved arrow, and the "+Add App" button
  3. Fill in the details that determine how the redirection will work.
    shows the details interface, but the actual text and what to fill out are detailed in the main text below

    1. In the Name field, put what text you want to display on the course navigation menu.
    2. In the URL Redirect field, put the exact address of the site to redirect to. For best results, browse to the website and copy the address, then paste it into this field. When possible, be sure you specify a “secured” location (i.e. the link will start with https:// and not just http://).
    3. Of the available checkboxes, be sure to select “Show in Course Navigation” to make your link appear in that location. If you are redirecting to a web site leave the “Force open in new tab” selected; only clear this if you are redirecting to another location within the Canvas course.
  4. Click the “Add App” button.

You may need to refresh the course before you’ll see the new Redirect link on your course navigation menu. Once you have the link, be sure to test it!

Getting Started with ATRC Help Documentation

Thank you for visiting the documentation site for the Palomar Academic Technology Resources Centers (ATRC). This is the home for guides for faculty and students using the products supported by the ATRC. We have tried to organize this material first based on the product (i.e. Canvas, Zoom, WordPress) and then by who might need the material (i.e. Students, Faculty). Often the material here will give a brief explanation and then refer you to official documentation by the makers of the various products, so keep in mind you may end up on a non-Palomar site eventually.

You may also want to visit the ATRC’s Frequently Asked Questions listing. Those questions are also organized by product, but sometimes the language used in the questions makes more sense than the labels on this documentation site. And if all else fails, you can always submit a ticket to the ATRC Help system if you can’t find the information you need on the sites.

Faculty Request for Zoom Webinar License

Palomar does not have a license for webinars on our Zoom sub-account. At one time the CCC TechConnect team had webinar licenses available to loan out, but at last check they had discontinued that option.

Faculty Setting Up Zoom Office Hours in Canvas

  1. Select the Canvas course in which you would like to schedule office hours.
  2. Select Zoom in the course navigation menu on the left.
  3. In Zoom, click Schedule a New Meeting.
  4. Enter a Topic and the date and time your office hours will be held.
  5. Click Recurring meeting to schedule office hours for the same time each week and select the end date and other details for your recurring office hours.
  6. In Meeting Options, click Enable waiting room and click Save.
  7. To see the list of your Zoom office hours, click on Zoom on the course navigation on the left.
  8. In the Upcoming Meetings tab, you and your students will see the link to your office hours for each week.

Zoom Faculty Account Setup

To set up your Zoom account you will need to log into the Palomar Portal and look for the Zoom tile and click on it. That will automatically set up your Palomar Zoom account.

If, however, you don’t have that tile, you’ll need to send a request to the Information Services Helpdesk (helpdesk@palomar.edu or X2140) so that they add that tile to your Portal screen. Once they have the tile established in the Portal for you, you’ll need to click it to get your account set up.