NU Teaching and Learning Technologies team (who manages Canvas) has built a tool in Canvas that allows instructors to easily see which students are in different time zones from the instructor. NU Worldwide sorts students so that instructors can quickly view which time zones students have indicated in Canvas and use a time simulator to check out proposed times for meetings.
Activate NU Worldwide in your Canvas course
NU Worldwide is currently available in all Canvas courses and can be added to your left navigation in any course:
- Click on Settings in a course
- Click on the Navigation tab
- Scroll to the bottom of the page to find NUWorldwide listed under hidden items
- Drag NU Worldwide into the top section of the navigation
- Click on the blue Save button at the bottom of the page
Time Simulator
The interface also includes a time simulator that an instructor can use to decide on assignment or meeting times. To use the time simulator, click on the pencil icon in the Current or Set Time box. In the pop-up window, click on the hour and minute hands of the clock to enter your proposed time. Click Done to see that time reflected in the students’ time zone entries. Click on the red X in the Current or Set Time to return to the default time. Additionally, the tool detects mismatches between your computer and your Canvas Time Zone.
Student Action Item – set their time zone in Canvas
In order for NU Worldwide app to work correctly, students who are not in the Evanston or Chicago timezone should update their time zone settings in Canvas. Students see this notification in Canvas:
Instructions here: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/How-do-I-set-a-time-zone-in-my-user-account-as-a-student/ta-p/414.
