Getting Help During this Course

Have a Question?

When you need help, we know your frustration level rises. Here is a handy reminder of where you can go to get the help you need.

Do you have a personal question or emergency? Contact your instructor.

If you have a time-sensitive, personal question, your best bet may be to contact your instructor via email. The easiest way to get an email message to your instructor is to use the Canvas Inbox. From the Canvas Navigation Pane, click on "Inbox" to access your Canvas conversations. Or, simply click on the "Help" icon. A dialogue box with a series of help options will open. Contacting your instructor is the top choice. Most emails are returned within 48 hours, Monday through Saturday.

Do you have a course question? Post to the Q&A discussion.

If you have a time-sensitive question about the course--especially a question your peers might be pondering, as well--please post it to the Q&A discussion. Like crowdsourcing, a peer may jump in and answer your question!

Do you have a technology question? Check the module resources.

In this course, and in your day-to-day learning in a virtual classroom, you are going to be asked to work with technology, and, well, technology doesn't always work the way we think it should! To stay sane, and keep your friends, family, and colleagues sane, you will need to develop a balanced approach to technology frustration. Balanced. Here is the two-pronged approach to balancing technical woes:

1. Have grit. Google it, watch YouTube videos, and get to know your Canvas Guides Links to an external site.. Learning how to find and use tech resources will save you so much time and frustration.
2. Ask for help. Don't try so hard to figure it out yourself that you end up frustrated. 

A Quick Reminder

We have a lot of terrific tools for supporting interaction with your instructor, but there are some important steps you can take to keep the communication lines open and healthy.

Set your notifications. Canvas allows you to customize when and where you receive announcements and other messages sent to you from the facilitator. Be sure you set your notifications Links to an external site. so that you have timely updates from the course.

Read the Announcements. Announcements contain important information about the course, but they also have content tailored to the unit, and often to the needs of this particular cohort. Take the announcements seriously--they really help! Announcements are located on the left-hand side of your screen in the Navigation bar and for many courses the most recent Announcement(s) is/are on your homepage at the top of the screen.

Remember the human. The golden rule of communication is to remember that we are all human. Your peers will make mistakes, the facilitator will make mistakes, and you will make a mistake. Follow the Core Rules of Netiquette to ensure you are contributing to a communication climate that is respectful and supportive of learning.