CourseWorks Support
What is CourseWorks?
Columbia’s learning management system, CourseWorks, is at the center of many instructional technology activities. CourseWorks is supplemented and enhanced by tools that support a range of instructional objectives, such as tools for collaboration, presentations, lecture capture, audience response, media annotation, and electronic portfolios. The CTL researches and experiments with new digital and media tools, expanding the opportunities for instructional activities that can be enhanced by technology.
Get Started with CourseWorks
The CTL has developed the videos below to help instructors get started using CourseWorks. For further guidance on how to set up discussions, take attendance, create and grade assignments, and create online exams and quizzes using CourseWorks, visit our webpage Teaching with CourseWorks. For further one-on-one support, read below.
Teaching with CourseWorks: Introduction
Looking to get started using CourseWorks, or need guidance on which of our videos best meet your needs? This video will guide you through our video series and support offerings.
Tools for Community Building in CourseWorks
How do I foster community in addition to face-to-face engagement with students? This video focuses on some strategies to foster community using CourseWorks tools. We cover syllabi, announcements, the mail tool, Zoom class sessions, and the calendar.
Tools for Promoting Engagement in CourseWorks
How do I engage my students? This video looks at student engagement with course material, peers and instructors and covers essential CourseWorks tools you can use to support engagement: files, modules, discussions, Panopto recordings, and how to modify your course site navigation.
Tools for Assessment in CourseWorks
How can I assess student learning using CourseWorks? This video looks at the tools CourseWorks provides to assess student learning and provide grades: the gradebook, speedgrader, assignments and quizzes.
Best Practices for Online Discussions in CourseWorks
How can I foster discussion among my students? This video looks at the integrated discussion tool in CourseWorks. Learn how to set up interactive communication, focused discussions, and graded assignments.
Additional Support
Do you need assistance with CourseWorks? Would you like to learn more about how CourseWorks can support your teaching?
See below how to get help with content creation issues and technical support:
The CTL supports faculty and administrators with learning how to navigate CourseWorks; add tests, quizzes, content, announcements and assignments; design modules; and discuss ways in which CourseWorks can best serve teaching and learning needs.
Get started. Review the videos at the top of this page for an overview of the most important features of CourseWorks and to learn how to get started working on your course site.
Explore resources. Access the CTL’s CourseWorks Knowledge Base where you can find online resources and documentation.
Talk to an expert. Set up a one on one consultation with the CTL Learning Designer to discuss the purposeful integration of educational technologies into your class.
Learn at your pace. Explore the self-paced “Introduction to CourseWorks (Canvas) 2.0” online course.
Create assignments and grade. Explore the self-paced “Assessment and Grading in CourseWorks (Canvas) 2.0” online course. You can also watch this screencast for a brief overview of the CourseWorks grade book.
The CourseWorks platform is powered and maintained by CUIT. If you or your students have technical or access issues, email CUIT directly at courseworks@columbia.edu.
You can also visit the CourseWorks tips and tricks resource.
Office Hours Schedule
View our office hours. Contact the CTL during office hours for help with CourseWorks and other educational technologies.
Receive an In-Person Consultation
Email ColumbiaCTL@columbia.edu to set up a consultation or contact a CTL Learning Designer for the CTL Learning Designer assigned to your school or department. Our Learning Designers help promote the purposeful use of educational technologies for in-person, hybrid, and online education.
Teach with CourseWorks
Your CourseWorks site makes it easy to post your syllabus, course objectives, and textbooks, communicate with students, and more. A CourseWorks site is a good way to make course material accessible to students at any time — in many cases eliminating paper handouts. Instructors can easily revise course materials as the semester progresses or migrate the materials to a course in the future. CourseWorks also offers tools for scheduling meetings, assignments and online testing, and student collaboration.
The CTL researches and experiments.
The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning provides an array of resources and tools for instructional activities.