COD Tech Help

The COD Student Portal (login will be required) has help with accessing your Office 365 account, and much more. Bookmark that page.
Forgot your password?
- Student Passwords contact EDGE
- (760) 636-7970
- edge@collegeofthedesert.edu

Canvas Tech Help

If you are having canvas problems, a good place to start is with the help button, it is the question mark on the bottom far left global navigation bar.

Canvas 24 Hour Support (877) 930-1129
Canvas Student Guide.

Canvas Tips for Students

Use Firefox, Chrome, & Safari Browsers
Internet Explorer and Edge don’t “play well” with Canvas, particularly with the Submit button for Assignments and Quizzes. Have at least two browsers installed on your computer so if you run into an issue with one, you can easily switch to the other. (That often resolves the issue.) Keep your browsers, Adobe Flash, and Java updated.
Set Your Notification Preferences

Do you want a text notification when your Instructor grades your assignment? Do you want an email sent to your Gmail account when a due date changes? Do you want these notifications ASAP or only once a day? Canvas allows you to set things up exactly the way you want them so take advantage of it! Click on Account (your photo) in the Global Navigation, then select Notifications.

Learn more about setting your notification preferences.

Don’t Miss Assignment Feedback

Look for the feedback or speech icons next to assignments in the gradebook. Here you can see feedback and comments from your instructor. For a list of what these icons represent, read “How do I use the icons and colors in the Gradebook?”

Read more about how to view feedback comments from your instructors.

Check Out the “What If” Grades

As a student, you can view your grades based on “What If” scores which let you know how your overall grade will be affected by upcoming assignments. Go to your course and click on Grades, then enter a hypothetical grade for any ungraded items.

Read more about “What-If” scores.

Going Mobile?

Canvas has a FREE app for Android and iPhone that many students like better than accessing Canvas through the internet browser on your phone.

NOTE: Do NOT take quizzes using the mobile app. Not all quiz settings or question types are compatible with the mobile app yet which could affect your final score.

For more information on using Canvas on your mobile device, read “How can I use Canvas on my mobile device?”

Don’t Lose Your Discussion, Assignment or Quiz Response

It’s a good practice to first save longer discussion and assignment responses in a Word document (or Notepad) before pasting it into your Canvas assignment. This avoids losing your work in case of any kind of glitch during the submission process. If that happens, you’ll still have a back-up of all your hard work.

Embedding Images in a Discussion Reply

Copying and pasting an image into your discussion reply typically doesn’t work well. Use the “embed image” icon on the Rich Content Editor toolbar.

Read “how to embed an image in a discussion reply.”

Download and Save All Your Assignments at Once

There is a quick and easy way to download all the assignment files you've submitted to Canvas so you have a record of your work (which could be helpful in transferring to another school/program or even a job application).

Learn how to download your assignment submissions.

Where to Get Help

You have several options for getting help with using Canvas.

Use the Help icon (question mark in a circle) in the lower left of your Canvas global navigation bar. Here you’ll find access to the Canvas Student Guides and/or the Canvas support helpline. You can also submit a trouble ticket or ask questions via live chat.

NOTE: If you contact Canvas for support, include the following in your request:

Your Canvas username/ID
The course name and section
The browser you’re using (Firefox, Chrome, etc.)
The device you’re using (PC, Mac, iPad, etc.)
The specific error message, if applicable
A detailed description of the issue
Screenshot(s), if possible, or the URL of the Canvas page where you experienced the issue

Using your mobile device? Keep this in mind.

Keep your phone up to date.
Make sure to backup your assignments to the cloud or something similar.

Using your computer?

Make sure to clear your history, cookies, or caches.
Make sure you always save your assignments constantly.