New To Canvas? - A Penn LPS Student Guide

Modified on Wed, Nov 12 at 1:21 PM

Welcome to Penn LPS Online!

In our online programs, we use a few main tools to deliver course materials to you. Below, we will cover what each system is, what takes place inside that system, and what it is normally used for, as well as tips to get you confidently navigating these spaces for your online course.

Canvas

This is the main system where most of the interaction with your course and course materials will take place. You can log into Canvas after you have successfully registered for a course and have set up your PennKey and PennKey password. Navigate to canvas.upenn.edu to log in.

Please watch the video below for tips on how to navigate Canvas and where to find key items. Each course in the BAAS Online program has a similar layout. Below, we cover some tips on essential first steps to make sure you do not miss any important course notifications or assignments.

Update your Canvas Profile and User Settings - Some settings are based on your student record and cannot be edited in Canvas.
Set up your Canvas Notifications - Do this as soon as possible so you don't miss any important course updates!
Canvas Dashboard (Home screen) Guide

Penn Email

If you are a Penn Employee, please continue to use your already established Penn email for your classes.

If you are not a Penn Employee, you should set up your Penn Student email as soon as possible.

Important messages from Penn administration will be sent to your Penn email. Your instructor may also choose to contact you via your Penn email.

It is important to set your Penn email up as soon as possible and then complete the next two steps:

Connect this email to your Canvas account as your default email
Add your Penn email to the Penn Online Directory.

Zoom

Zoom is used for synchronous conversations with your classmates and instructor. Not all courses have a synchronous component, but instructors may request a one-on-one meeting to get to know you or offer voluntary office hours where students can ask questions about the course content.

We recommend setting up Penn Zoom as soon as possible, so it is ready for the start of the session.

Penn Zoom allows students to access more Zoom features than a free personal account does, such as no time limits to meetings. Please set up your Penn Zoom account as soon as possible by following the Penn Zoom Set Up Guide.

IMPORTANT - Zoom for Penn Medicine Staff & Affiliates

If you have a Penn Medicine Zoom account, you will not be able to access Zoom through the Zoom button in Canvas. Please contact your instructor ASAP to let them know you will need a link to any Zoom meetings because you cannot use the Canvas Zoom button. Please email online-learning-help@sas.upenn.edu if you have questions or need help accessing a Zoom meeting for your course.

Webcam Policy

Students are required to have a working laptop with both audio and video capabilities in order to participate in a wide range of online activities for our program. Please see the technology requirements for online learning. Please contact your advisor if you have additional questions.

Additional Course Technologies

Each instructor has a small suite of additional tools they may ask you to learn to complete assignments in their courses. These additional tools have undergone rigorous safety and testing protocols before being included in your course.

When in doubt about how a technology works, look for a guide in the Canvas site's Introductory Module, or this Student knowledge base to learn more. If you do not find anything, we recommend reaching out to your instructor or the LPS Support team at online-learning-help@sas.upenn.edu for additional help.