Overview
Canvas LMS (learning management system) is the primary location where students can access their online course syllabi, assignments, exams, class discussion forums, and course content. All students and faculty can access their current and previous Canvas course sites by logging into Canvas using their Wheaton credentials.
Please note that some courses started using Canvas in Spring 2023, but many courses were still using onCourse at that time. Beginning with Summer 2023 all new courses are in Canvas. onCourse is accessible for reference purposes only.
Using Canvas
Web browser support
Please visit Canvas’s browser and computer requirements page and check your device and browser for compatibility with Canvas. For best performance use the current or previous major release of Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari. Keeping your browser up to date (every 6 months or less) is one of the easiest ways of ensuring that you’ll be able to use all the available features in Canvas and avoid any unnecessary technical issues. Cookies and JavaScript need to be enabled for Canvas. Please be aware that some browser plugins and extensions may conflict with Canvas. If you have trouble viewing or participating in a Canvas page, please disable any extensions or plugins that interact with your browser.
Logging into Canvas
There are a few ways to access Canvas:
If you log into InsideWheaton you’ll find a link to Canvas on the Campus Life page in the Academic Services section
Alternately, select this link to access the Canvas login page or in your browser go directly to canvas.wheatoncollege.edu
Please note that instructure.com or canvas.com are commercial sites for Canvas, but not where you will be able to log into our Wheaton instance of Canvas.
Log in with your Wheaton email, password, and Duo security prompt. You should land on your Canvas dashboard and see a course card for each of your courses. If your enrolled courses are not visible:
Students: By default, courses are not available until the start of the term. Once the term has started check with your professors for each of your courses to confirm that they have published their course sites in Canvas.
Faculty and staff: Contact Wheaton’s Canvas Admins if you do not have access to your course(s)
Course site enrollments, drop/add and auditing courses
Students enroll in their course sites when they select courses in April, November or incoming orientation. Students are enrolled in those courses unless wait-listed
If students enroll in a course during drop/add week, faculty need to fill out the Faculty Override Form.
Auditing students sometimes need to be manually enrolled in a course site. These students’ enrollments can be requested from the professor teaching the course, through the Registrar, or from Wheaton’s Canvas Admins.
Geographic timezone setting in your Canvas account
By default, all student and faculty Canvas accounts are initially configured for local Norton Massachusetts time. If you are taking online Wheaton College courses from a different geographic location you can temporarily adjust your account so that Canvas time will reflect your local time. See: How do I set a time zone in my user account as a student?
Canvas Support
Canvas provides excellent help resources to users. From the Global Navigation Bar (blue bar in the Canvas screen) click on the Help button. Search the Canvas Student Guide or refer to the Student Videos.
If you are unable to find an answer to your question, please submit your Canvas questions and requests through our online system.
How can I take a required placement test?
Placement tests help to provide students and faculty with guidance about which courses to take at Wheaton. Online placement tests as of August 2023 are still hosted in onCourse and can be taken anytime. They are accessed by going to oncourse.wheatoncollege.edu, selecting the placement tests tab located in the main navigation bar at the top of every onCourse page, then scrolling down the list of placement tests and selecting the one of interest.
Currently there are online six placement tests: Chemistry 153, French, German, Italian, Music Theory and Spanish. (Greek and Latin tests can be requested from the faculty in those departments.) Each test provides detailed information which should be reviewed before beginning the test.
Questions about placement test results and course selection based on the results can be directed to the faculty of the corresponding department. Other languages and academic subjects do not have a placement tests in the LMS, and students interested in those areas can contact the faculty of those departments for course selection guidance.