Canvas Credentials is a digital badging platform that awards badges based on predefined earning criteria. Badges are earned and awarded when specified requirements are met at the course, department, or school/college/unit level. Canvas Credentials is a stand-alone instance. Badges may be awarded within Canvas courses or externally.
Badges can be awarded for a variety of purposes, including:
- interest and engagement
- participation or attendance
- knowledge or dispositions
- certificates
- proficiency, competency, or skill
Access as a Participant
Within a Canvas Course
View the Student Flowchart for an overview of the digital badging process.
If your course is using digital badges (Credentials) these will be accessed in the Canvas course by clicking on “Credentials” on the course navigation menu.
From the Credentials menu in Canvas, students may see up to two tabs:
- Progress: To view the digital badges earned in the course, along with the digital badges that have not yet been earned. Students can click on a digital badge they've earned to download and/or share on social media.
- Leaderboard (optional): Students can view digital badge progress for all the students enrolled in the course (please note the leaderboard must be enabled in the course).
Outside of Canvas
Go to https://uab.badgr.com and enter your BlazerID and password to log in to Canvas Credentials.
Once in Canvas Credentials, you can:
- Click on “My Record” to view your history and achievements
- Click on “My Badges” to view your earned digital badges. On the “Other” tab, you can view digital badges earned through other organizations
- Click on “My Pathways” tab to view progress toward earning digital certificates and other pathway opportunities (if applicable)
- Click on “Resources” to view available resources for digital badges
Use Badges in Your Course
Instructors
View the Faculty Flowchart for an overview of the digital badging process.
To get started with issuing digital badges into your Canvas course, you must first request to utilize badging and receive approval. To do so, follow the steps below:
- Fill out the Canvas Digital Badge Request Form. A member of the eLearning team will be in touch regarding next steps.
Canvas Digital Badge Request Form - Start working on the digital badge information sheet (downloadable worksheet template). This will provide the eLearning team with the information needed to setup the badge.
- A member of the UAB eLearning team will schedule a meeting with you to discuss the badge proposal.
Once approval has been granted and eLearning has installed Canvas Credentials in your course, follow the steps below to enable Canvas Credentials in your Canvas course:
- On the course navigation menu in Canvas, select Credentials.
- Click “Accept” for the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to authorize Credentials.
- Once you have authorized Credentials, you will be asked to reload the page.
- Now you will be able to assign badges to desired modules. The badges will be awarded when module completion requirements are met.
Guides
Instructors
FAQ
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How are digital badges awarded in a course?
Digitals badges (Credentials) are awarded upon completion of instructor set requirements. More information on how to set Canvas module completion requirements can be found on the Setting Module completion requirements guide.
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Can I share a digital badge I’ve earned?
Yes, badges can be shared from within Canvas and on the Credentials website. For information on sharing badges, visit the Sharing Badges within Canvas guide and the Sharing Badges on the Canvas Credentials website guide.
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What should I do as an instructor if digital badges are not automatically awarded?
If students have completed the requirement(s), but have not yet received their digital badge(s), the instructor may need to trigger a badge check. For more information on triggering digital badges, visit the Triggering badge awards in Canvas courses guide.
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What are Canvas Credentials Pathways?
Canvas Credentials Pathways connect badges from any platform into meaningful pathways users can follow. Users can track their own progress and look ahead to plan the next steps in their learning journey. To view a sample of a pathway, visit the Pathway sample webpage. If you are interested in creating a pathway, contact eLearning.
Instructor Training
To request digital badges (Credentials) training, contact eLearning.
Technical Support
Support for Canvas Credentials is available for instructors and students Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Central Time). For assistance, email Canvas Credentials Support.
Privacy and Accessibility
Harmonize is a new Canvas-integrated discussion tool that allows students to communicate, interact, and engage via media-rich features that encourage and support frequent, thoughtful engagement with course content.
Some standout Harmonize features include:
- Multiple due dates for an assignment- requiring an initial post by one date and a specified number of comments and reactions by subsequent dates
- Single-student response viewing, as well as whole-group, across a post for easier grading
- SpeedGrader integration
- Canvas rubric integration
- Turnitin plagiarism detection integration
- Still-image and video annotation
- LaTeX equation editor
- In-depth engagement insights
- Real-time chat
- Supports videos, images, and audio files in the discussions
- Modern social-media-like interface and appearance
- Social annotation allows students to provide dynamic critiques of their peers’ work
- Polling features
- Auto-captioning of video content
- Ability to create smaller discussion groups within the class where discussions might feel more natural
Note for users of screen readers: letters in parentheses in the instructions below refer to corresponding areas on example images. If you have any questions about these instructions, contact eLearning for assistance.
How to Access Harmonize
Note for users of screen readers: letters in parentheses in the instructions below refer to corresponding areas on example images. If you have any questions about these instructions, contact eLearning for assistance.
Instructors
Instructors can access Harmonize within a Canvas course. To do so, go to your course list on the Canvas dashboard and select the course you would like to access Harmonize in.
Once you are in your desired course, select Harmonize (A) from the left-hand course navigation menu. You will arrive at the Harmonize Communication Center (B). From here you will be able to access and create discussions, review the course Q&A, connect with students via the Harmonize Chat, view student engagement, view pro tips, adjust course features and settings, and update your profile and notification settings for Harmonize in all your Canvas courses.
You may also customize your Harmonize notifications in Canvas by following these next steps:
- Login to Canvas, click Account (A), and then click Harmonize Settings (B) in the user navigation.
- This will take you to the Harmonize Global Settings page. From here you will be able to update your profile and notification settings.
You can review the Harmonize guides for assistance with your next steps.
Students
Students can access Harmonize within a Canvas course. To do so, go to your course list on the Canvas dashboard and select the course you would like to access Harmonize in.
Once you are in your desired course, select Harmonize (A) from the left-hand course navigation menu. You will arrive at the Harmonize Communication Center (B). From here you will be able to access the class discussion, review the course Q&A, connect with others via the Harmonize chat, view pro tips, and update your profile and notification settings for Harmonize.
You may also customize your Harmonize notifications in Canvas by following these next steps:
- Login to Canvas, click Account (A), and then click Harmonize Settings (B) in the user navigation.
- This will take you to the Harmonize Global Settings page. From here you will be able to update your profile and notification settings.
You can review the Harmonize guides for assistance with your next steps.
Guides/Tutorials
Instructors
Harmonize 101
- Anchoring Rich Content
- Setting Up Milestones (Multiple Due Dates)
- Enabling Auto-grading
- Viewing Student Engagement Insights
Harmonize 102
- Organizing Harmonize into Canvas Modules
- Integrating Video Introductions
- Using Auto-captioning
- Promoting Student-Student Interactions Using Chat and Groups
- Creating Harmonize Q&A Boards in Canvas
- Creating Harmonize Polls in Canvas
- Setting Up PDF Annotation Features
- Setting Up Graded PDF Annotation Features
- Supporting Inquiry-Based Learning and/or Subject-Specific Questions
- Bridging the Synchronous and Asynchronous Portions of Your Class
- Screen Recording in Harmonize
- Configuring Recording and Upload Limits for Video and Audio in Discussions
Harmonize 103
Students
- Getting Started with Harmonize
- Accessing Your Harmonize Profile
- Setting Your Preferred Name
- Sorting Posts
- Viewing Options
- Creating a Post
- Commenting on a Post
- Deleting a Post or Comment
- Adding Rich Text and Media to a Post
- Creating Image, Video, and PDF Annotations
- Using Closed Captioning
- Syncing Harmonize to your Canvas Calendar
- Using Harmonize Chat
- Managing Harmonize Notification Settings
Harmonize FAQs
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Is Harmonize able to recognize foreign characters?
Yes, Harmonize can recognize foreign characters. You will also be given the option to include closed captioning on videos in foreign languages if needed.
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When does Harmonize send the participation score to SpeedGrader?
Assuming the discussion has one or more Milestones and Auto-Grading enabled, Harmonize will send a student's score to SpeedGrader when one of the following occurs, whichever comes first:
- The student completes all requirements for all Milestones, or
- The dues dates for all Milestones on the assignment have passed
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When do students see the Harmonize grade in Canvas?
Students will see their score for the assignment on their Canvas Dashboard in "Recent Feedback" and in their individual grades as soon as the score generated by Harmonize Auto-Grading appears in the SpeedGrader score text box.
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What happens if a student completes only some of their Milestones?
If a student only completes one of the Milestones, they will receive points for only that milestone and none for the Milestones that were not met.
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What happens if a student submits work after the due date?
If students complete requirements after Milestone due dates, their content will still appear in the SpeedGrader view, but it will be marked as late. Likewise, their Milestone section will be highlighted in red to note that the milestones were completed after the due date.
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Can students edit their work after the due date?
No, once a grade has been given for a student, either manually by the instructor or by Harmonize via the Auto-Grading feature, the posts and comments present at the time of grading will become locked and cannot be edited by the student.
Students can, however, create new posts and comments after the due date has passed as long as the assignment is still available. In Canvas, assignments remain accessible by students until the "Available Until" date set on the assignment has passed.
When a student is late completing a Milestone, the requirements bar for the Milestone will be marked in red, both in the student's view and in SpeedGrader. A check mark will appear if they have completed the milestone, an exclamation point if they have not.
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Can instructors change the participation score created by Harmonize?
Yes, instructors can change the score in SpeedGrader as they see fit. This is done by editing the score in the SpeedGrader score text box.
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Can instructors hide the Auto-Grade score from students?
Yes, instructors can hide the Auto-Grade score from students by adjusting the Grading Policy on the assignment. Canvas assignments have a Grading Policy feature that allows for grades to be visible to students either automatically or manually. If the instructor would like to hide the score generated by Harmonize Auto-Grading, they can set that assignment's grade to "Hidden" either in the grade book or in SpeedGrader.
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How do I access and customize my Harmonize account notifications and settings?
Users may access and customize their Harmonize notifications and settings by logging into Canvas, selecting "Account" and then selecting "Harmonize Settings" from the menu. For more information, you can review the how to access Harmonize section.
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Can students sync milestones (multiple due dates) directly to their Canvas calendars?
Yes, students are able to sync all Harmonize discussion due dates, milestones, and to-do items to their Canvas calendar. More information on this process can be found on the Syncing Harmonize to your Canvas Calendar guide.
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How do I enable Harmonize Brainstorm with ChatGPT to create discussion prompts?
On the topic edit page, you'll see a banner at the top of the instruction's section. Click on the "Let's Brainstorm" button to get started. For more information, review the Using Harmonize Brainstorm with ChatGPT to Create Discussion Prompts guide.
Instructor Training
Harmonize Virtual Training Webinars, as well as archived webinars, are free and open to all instructors. Group, one-on-one, or virtual training sessions are available for instructors to schedule on the eLearning Training and Support page. Additionally, past Harmonize workshops are available on the eLearning Recorded Workshops page.
Technical Support
Harmonize is available for instructors and students Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST. Submit a ticket by emailing Harmonize at harmonize-support@42lines.net.
Harmonize Status Page: Check to see if there are any known system wide issues that would explain your issue.
Privacy & Accessibility
Want to create a unique, yet useful digital portfolio or presentation? Work smart, not hard. Sway is an easy-to-use app from Microsoft Office designed for creation, collaboration, and sharing interactive portfolios, personal stories, presentations, and more.
Features
- Embed documents, videos, audio, and more
- Use the built-in design engine or customize your own layout
- Change your Sway as often as you like
- Offer Accessibility View, Closed-Captions, and Autoplay
- Select your audience and choose their permissions
- Share via URL, embed, or social media
- Export to PDF or Word
- Protect your Sway with a password
Access Microsoft Sway
UAB faculty, staff, and students have access to Microsoft Office 365, which includes Sway — with cloud accessibility, where each user also has 1TB of storage in a OneDrive account. More information can be found on UAB IT's Microsoft Office page.
Access Web App
- Visit sway.office.com and click Sign in.
- Use your BlazerID@uab.edu (do not use an alias) and password, if asked.
- You will be taken to UAB’s Single Sign On page, or you may be directed to the Sway Homepage.
Guides/Tutorials
Guides
- Get Started with Sway
- Create in Sway
- Create in Seconds with QuickStarter
- Publish your Portfolio Tutorials
Tutorials
FAQ
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What are the system requirements for Sway?
For details about supported browsers and available Sway apps, see system requirements for Office.
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Who can I share my Sway with?
The Share menu in Sway allows you to share your Sway with specific people, UAB organization, or anyone with the link (public). Learn more about how to share your Sway.
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Can I download or print a Sway?
With Print and Export, you can take your Sway wherever you go. You can have an offline backup for unplanned moments without internet access, and you can physically share your Sway with others.
Print your Sway to create a paper copy. Export your Sway to Word or PDF document to have the convenience of a file for editing or offline viewing.
Print a Sway
To print your Sway, go to the … menu in the top right and select Print. Sway creates a PDF that you can print for paper viewing. Print is handy for presentation notes, as well as handouts for meetings and classrooms.
Export a Sway to Word or PDF
To export your Sway, go to the … menu in the top right and select Export. Sway gives you the option to export to a Word document or a PDF. You can open your document in Word or a PDF editor and modify or reformat the text and media.
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How can a Sway be submitted to Canvas?
Instructors can create a Canvas assignment and enable Website URL as an Online Entry option.
Students can then publish their Sway publicly and submit the URL to the Canvas assignment.
Technical Support
Microsoft Community
- View and post questions in the Sway Community forums to get free technical assistance from experienced Sway users and members of the Sway product team.
- Visit the Answer Desk for a list of additional Support options.
UAB IT
- Submit a Ticket
- (205) 996-5555
Privacy and Accessibility
Whether you want to showcase your work in a full portfolio website, or create a single-page website, Adobe has you covered. Don’t know HTML or CSS? No problem. With Adobe Portfolio, you can build your portfolio wih their easy-to-customize themes.
Features
- Elegant layouts
- Flexible custom and responsive design
- Custom domains (URLs)
- Live editing
- Sync with Behance
- Password protection
Adobe Portfolio Access
Access Adobe ePortfolio Web App
Instructors/Faculty/Staff
A limited number of licenses are available for faculty and staff for academic or business use only.
Request a Faculty/Staff License
Once you have an account, sign in using the following instructions:
- Visit portfolio.adobe.com and click sign in.
- Use your blazerID@uab.edu (do not use an alias) and password.
- Select Company or School Account. Then you will be taken to UAB’s Single Sign On page.
Students
Licenses for students using Creative Cloud are automatically granted while you are enrolled at UAB.
Once you have an account, sign in using the following instructions:
- Visit portfolio.adobe.com and click sign in.
- Use your blazerID@uab.edu (do not use an alias) and password.
- Select Company or School Account. Then you will be taken to UAB’s Single Sign On page.
FAQ
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What happens to my Adobe Portfolio when I leave UAB?
Users can migrate content to a personal Adobe account. See Adobe’s migration guide for more information.
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How can an Adobe Portfolio be submitted to Canvas?
Instructors can create a Canvas assignment and enable Website URL as an Online Entry option.
Students can then publish their Adobe Portfolio publicly and submit the URL to the Canvas assignment.
Privacy and Accessibility
The First Day Program, hosted by the UAB Bookstore, allows students to receive their digital course materials directly in their Canvas course on the first day of class for a reduced cost. Students do not need to come to the bookstore to order anything for courses that participate in First Day Access. Charges for first day courses are billed directly to the students’ account, with financial aid applied against those charges if appropriate.
Benefits:
- First Day materials are digitally accessible, so it goes where you go, on whichever device you want.
- The cost of First Day course materials has been negotiated to the lowest price available from the publisher.
- Students are prepared with their required course materials on the first day of class leading to greater student success.
How to Access First Day
Instructors
As an instructor using First Day (provided by the UAB Bookstore), you will need to add the “First Day Access” link in Canvas so that students can Opt-Out of the program if they wish, during the Opt-Out period only, and Courseware and eTextbook materials can be accessed by students through this link.
Learn more in the Instructor Guide: First Day Access (Course Materials) Guide.
Students
Once the course is opened by the faculty member, students will be able to access their digital course materials by clicking First Day Access in the Canvas course navigation if that course is participating. First-time users will need to create an account with the publisher providing the course material.
How to Access First Day Access (Course Materials)
How do Students Opt-Out (First Day Access)
Students can easily opt-out of First Day Access using the First Day Access link located within your course in Canvas.
Opting Out of Your First Day™ Courseware Material in Canvas from Barnes & Noble College on Vimeo.
FAQ
Instructors
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What is communicated to students from UAB Bookstore?
Students will receive a welcome email from the bookstore with instructions on how to access course materials, opt-out of the program if they so choose, and Customer Care information. If a student is enrolled in more than one First Day course, they may receive multiple emails.
Example of email to students:
Hello,
This email is to notify you that select courses for which you are enrolled will be participating in the First Day® inclusive access program. The materials for your course(s) are now available in digital format through the LMS, and the cost will be reflected on your student account.
To access your materials, use the “First Day Access” link within your course in the LMS.
Benefits of First Day:
- Lower price than traditional purchase
- Guaranteed to get the right materials for your course
- Seamless digital access
- Option to opt out before deadline
Need to access outside of your school’s learning management system?
Simply launch the content within the course for the first time and an account will automatically be created for you on Barnes & Noble College’s Yuzu platform. After your initial launch, you can navigate to the link below and select forgot password to access your account.
If you do not wish to participate in the program, you can choose to opt out within your LMS by the deadline. Opting out is not recommended, and you will be responsible for purchasing your materials and may have to work outside of the course. To opt out, use the “Course Materials” link in your LMS.
If you need assistance or have questions, please contact Customer Care or your Bookstore.
For FAQs or to open a support ticket, visit: customercare.bncollege.com
Email: firstdaysupport@bncservices.com or reply to this email
Phone: 844-9-EBOOKS (844-932-6657)
Thank you,
The Bookstore
2020, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC. 120 Mountainview Boulevard, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Note: If you are enrolled in courses with different schedules and opt-out deadlines, you may receive another email outlining your courses.
Access Your Course Materials!
You can access your materials by visiting the URLs below and entering your access code (if you haven’t already entered it). The following is an example:
- Term/Session Name: 202130 - 2021-01-19 - 2021-04-30
- Course: BY 116 1G
- Title: Modified Mastering A&P with Pearson eText -- Standalone Access Card -- for Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach
- Price: $104.49
- Access Length: Perpetual
- Opt-out Deadline: Jan 19, 2021
- Access Code: [your access code here]
- URL: Redeem your code via the Pearson link in your LMS course. If there is no link present redeem via MyLabs or Revel.
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What should I put in my syllabus?
Feel free to copy and paste the following sample messaging provided by the UAB Bookstore into your syllabus:
First Day Access (Course Materials)
To enhance your learning experience and provide affordable access to the right course material, this course is part of an inclusive access model called First Day Access (Course Materials). You can easily access the required materials for this course at a discounted price, and benefit from single sign-on access with no codes required all in Canvas.
UAB will bill you at the discounted price as a course charge for this course. The charge should show as Book – “dept and course number” on your student account in Banner.
It is NOT recommended that students Opt-Out, as these materials are required to complete the course. You can choose to Opt-Out on the first day of class, but you will be responsible for purchasing your course materials at the full retail price and access to your materials may be suspended.
For more information and FAQs go to customercare.bncollege.com.
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What if I am adding/merging sections?
If you need to add or change a section for your First Day @ UAB course, please let us the UAB Bookstore know as soon as possible. Once added, the section can take up to 3 business days for students to see materials in Canvas. If you plan to merge sections of your courses, please let the Bookstore know beforehand so they can follow-up provide the correct LMS Identification Number to ensure proper pairing of course materials.
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What if I use McGraw-Hill, Cengage, Wiley or other publishers in my course?
McGraw-Hill:
Instructors using First Day @ UAB delivery will set their Connect courses up and pair with Canvas the same way they always have. The only difference is on the delivery side. The student will not be asked to enter or purchase a code during their initial registration. For questions or concerns please contact Tori Sage at vsage@bncollege.com or via phone at (205) 996-2665.
- Student Video: First Day Connect registration via Canvas
Cengage:
Instructors using the eBook only should follow the UAB Bookstore’s directions for adding the eBook. Instructors using courseware like MindTap, CNOW, OWLv2, or SAM should deep link their course into Canvas. If you need help deep linking your course into Canvas, please reach out to Rachel Dunaway at rachel.dunaway@cengage.com. For questions or concerns please contact Tori Sage at vsage@bncollege.com or via phone at (205) 996-2665.
Wiley:
For students to access their Wiley Courseware, please follow the instructions below.
- Login to Canvas and select your course.
- Select Wiley Course Resources on the Navigation Bar.
- You will be taken to a Wiley Account Set-Up screen choose one of the three below options:
- If you have used Wiley PLUS in the past, click Existing account to sign in.
- If you are new to Wiley PLUS, click “Create new account,” and complete below form and you will get an email with a 4-digit code to activate your account.
- DO NOT choose to “Stay Anonymous” so that your account can be identified through First Day, otherwise you may lose access.
- Once Registered you will be taken directly into the Wiley PLUS content.
Other Publishers:
Other publishers such as Pearson and WW Norton do not provide any special instructions for First day Access.
Students
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Can I opt-out of the First Day course materials?
Students may opt-out of purchasing the First Day digital course materials, however, students are still responsible for completing all work assigned by their professor. To opt-out, follow these directions:
- Log into Canvas.
- Navigate to your course.
- Click on the Course Materials located in the left-hand course menu.
- After clicking First Day Access you will be redirected to the First Day Access page.
- Click the Opt-Out link on the right side of the window. On this page you will also see the opt-in price and the deadline to make a decision.
- A pop-up window will open asking you to confirm that you would like to opt-out. Select the check box and click Confirm to opt-out.
- You will then get the confirmation page that you have opted-out.
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What if I miss the opt-out deadline?
We at the bookstore understand that students may have a schedule change after the opt-out date and not wish to participate in the program. For any of these instances, the bookstore will do our best to accommodate these students with a refund of the Course Material fee. Please contact Tori Sage at vsage@bncollege.com.
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What are the benefits of First Day (Course Materials)?
- First Day materials are digitally accessible, so it goes where you go, on whichever device you want.
- The cost of First Day course materials has been negotiated to the lowest price available from the publisher.
- Students are prepared with their required course materials on the first day of class leading to greater student success.
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What if I want a physical copy of the textbook?
Some publishers give students the option of purchasing a very affordable loose-leaf copy of the book through the UAB Bookstore.
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What happens if I drop a First Day class?
If you drop a First Day course, you will be refunded according to Student Account’s refund policies. If you add the course back, you will be charged the First Cay Course Materials cost again.
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What about Title IV funds?
Title IV funds are federal student aid funds, which are from federal student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Title IV funds include: Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, Direct Graduate PLUS Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and Federal Perkins Loan. It does not include scholarships from the University or other private organizations, or State Grants.
Why does this matter?
In compliance with federal regulations, Student Accounts must obtain voluntary permission from the student to apply federal financial aid proceeds to pay for charges other than tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board contracted by the University. These fees might include but are not limited to: health insurance premiums, library fines, bookstore dollars, parking fines, prior term charges, health center charges, and FirstDay program charges(s).
What if I don’t grant the authorizations?
If you do not grant authorization, your federal financial aid and loans cannot be used to pay for charges other than tuition, fees, and University housing and meal plans. Any excess aid will be refunded to you. Therefore, you may receive a refund and may simultaneously still have unpaid charges. Receiving a refund does not indicate that your account is paid in full, and you will need to take action to make a payment for the unpaid charges.
Technical Support
Contact UAB Bookstore Technical Support.
Privacy & Accessibility