Remote Learning Resources

We offer an array of resources to support remote learners and to ensure a combination of rigor and flexibility across our educational offerings.

Welcome to the world of remote learning! To help you adjust to your new classroom, we’ve designed a series of resources and guides to get you up to speed. These materials will help you access courses in the liberal arts from the following program areas: Basic Program, Open Enrollment, Writer’s Studio, Visual Arts Education, and free events.

Canvas information

Canvas is the learning platform we use to host our remote classrooms. Once you register for a class, you will access the course by logging in through the Canvas page

A few notes on Canvas access:

  • Our administrative team will add you to your remote course Canvas site. The Canvas site goes live 1-2 weeks before the start of the class.
  • The first time you register for a remote class with us, you will receive an email invitation when the site goes live, asking you to join Canvas and set up your login information. If you already have a Canvas login, clicking the “Get Started” button in the email invitation will go to the Canvas login page. You can also access the login 
  • Most of our open enrollment students do not have CNET IDs. Select “Login without a CNET ID” when prompted if this applies to you. 

View our Canvas learning guides to learn more

Please be aware that the recommended browsers to use for accessing Canvas are Firefox and Chrome. There are many known issues with Safari and so it is not recommended. 

1. You will receive an email Invitation from UChicago Canvas that looks like the one below, inviting you to participate in the Canvas site for your course. Please click the Get Started button.


Screenshot of email invitation from UChicago Canvas that is inviting you to participate in the Canvas site. It shows your name and email and asks you to register with Canvas by clicking "Get Started."

2. The next screen should look like this:


A Canvas screenshot saying "Welcome Aboard!" and that you've been invited to join the Canvas program. You must click either "I Have a Canvas Account" or "Create My Account".

If you have never taken an online course before, click the "Create My Account" button, and follow 3A below.

If you HAVE taken an online course before, click the "I Have a Canvas Account" button, and follow 3B below.

3A (Create my Account): You should see the screen below.

Your email address is already in the form. Please create a password, and write it down so you don’t lose it. Please be aware that both the email field and the password field are case sensitive. Select your Time Zone. Click on the “I agree to the Acceptable Use Policy box”, and then click Register.


A Canvas screenshot saying "Welcome Aboard!" and asking that you put in your login, password, and time zone in order to register.

You should now see the home page for your course.


A screenshot of the Canvas homepage for a basic class. It shows a welcome message and recent announcements.

You are now registered for Canvas, and can access all the information you need for your course. To login to Canvas in the future, go to https://canvas.uchicago.edu and follow the login instructions below in 3B.

3B (I Have a Canvas Account): When you get the email invitation to the course, click the Get Started button. You will get a message that says “You must log in before you accept the course registration”. You will see the following screen:


Screenshot saying "Please Login to Canvas at UChicago" either with or without a CNet ID.

Click on the "Login without a CNetID" button. You will see the following screen:


A Canvas screenshot of a username and password being used to log in.

If your username and password are not automatically populated, enter your username, (which is the email address you used to register with) and the password you created. Both these fields are case sensitive, so be careful about capitalization. Click the “stay signed in” box so you don’t have to log in again. (If you forgot your password, click the “Forgot Password” link to reset your password and try again.)

Click the log in button.

You will see the home page for your course. You are now registered for the Canvas site for your new course.

4. If you are taking more than one course, you can click the Dashboard link on the far left menu to see the Dashboard with all the courses you are taking.


A Canvas screenshot of several classes on the Dashboard.

Clicking on a course box will open the course.

5. If you get logged out, or have to log out, you can log back in at https://canvas.uchicago.edu starting from step 3B above.

6. If you bookmark the Canvas site in your browser, that is an easy way to find it.

If you are having trouble logging into Canvas for your class, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Go to https://canvas.uchicago.edu. Make sure you are logging correctly in by clicking “Login without a CNetID” (the right hand button below):


Screenshot of Login to Canvas at UChicago

Next you should see the login screen:


Canvas screenshot of login information

The Username is your email address. Both the Username and Password fields are case sensitive. If you get an “incorrect username or password” message, first check to make sure that your device hasn’t incorrectly capitalized something, and that both fields are filled out correctly (no typos).

If everything is correct and you are still getting an error message, and you are using Safari, please try a different browser like Firefox or Chrome. Safari often has problems connecting to our systems.

If changing browsers does not help, please try resetting your password. Click the “Forgot Password?” link on the login page.


A Canvas screenshot circling the "Forgot Password?" link below the login.

You'll see this screen:


A screenshot of the Forgot Password? screen asking for a username to request the password.

Enter your email into the Username field – remember to check spelling and capitalization! Then click the “Request Password” button.

You’ll get a popup message that says: “Your password recovery instructions will be sent to your email address. This may take up to 30 minutes. Make sure to check your spam box.”

NOTE: The email will most likely arrive long before 30 minutes are up. If you do not receive the email after 30 minutes, and it is not in your spam folder, there probably is a typo or capitalization error in your username. Please reenter your email address and try again.

The email comes from UChicago Canvas and looks like this:


A screenshot of the email from Canvas confirming the password request and offering a link to set a new password.

Click the link that says "Click here to set a new password." A browser window will open with this screen:


A screenshot of how to change the Canvas login password.

Type in your new password, then retype it in the second box. It needs to be at least 8 characters and to have at least one number. Once you’ve typed in the new password, write it down for yourself. Then click “Update Password”.

You will be sent back to the login screen. Enter your Username (your email) and your new password. Click the “Stay signed in” box. Then click the Log In button. You should now be logged into Canvas.

If none of these things work, please send an email to grahamschool@uchicago.edu for further assistance.

*Please be aware that the best browser to use with Canvas are Firefox and Chrome. Safari has many known issues with Canvas and so is not recommended.

1. Go to the course home page in Canvas.

You should see a link to “Zoom: Professional Education” on the left side of the page.


Screenshot of a Canvas class welcome page with the Zoom link circled.

Click on that link.

2. In that window, you will see the name of your course, with a button that says "Join."


A screenshot of the Canvas Zoom page, with the "Join" button circled.

3. Click the "Join" button.

You will see the following screen:


A screenshot with the "Open Zoom Meetings" button circled.

4. Click the "Open Zoom Meetings" button. You will see the following screen:


A red circle around the Zoom "Join with Computer Audio" button.

5. Click "Join with Computer Audio." You'll see the following screen:


A circle around the "Start Video" button on Zoom.

Click the “Start video” icon in the lower left part of the screen.

6. You are now in your Zoom classroom!

Note:

  • If you get an error message such as “Access Denied” or “Meeting Expired” when you click the “Join” button, please see our help document on that problem to resolve the issue.
  • If you are unable to get the Zoom meeting to connect, there is a Backup Zoom Link on the Canvas Home page for your course. You can click on that link or copy and paste it into a browser to join the class.

1. Click on the Zoom - Professional Education Link on the Canvas home page for your course.


A red circle around the Zoom - Professional education button on the side of the Canvas class homepage

2. Click on the Cloud Recordings tab in the Zoom window.


A red circle around the Zoom "Cloud recordings" button

3. Click on the class session you want to see.


The class title is circled under the Cloud Recordings header.

4. Click the play arrow (in the center) on the recording you want to watch. The recording will play in Canvas.


A red circle around the Zoom recording thumbnail.

What to do if you get an “Access Denied” or “Unauthorized” message when

trying to join a Zoom meeting in Canvas (it may look like the image below):


Picture of Zoom "Unauthorized" error message.

To resolve this issue for Chrome or Firefox, an exception to the browser third-party cookie blocking security settings should be applied for Zoom and Canvas.



Firefox: Exempt Canvas and integrated tools from Enhanced Tracking Protection

  1. Log in to Canvas
  2. Click the Shield Icon located to the left of the Firefox URL address bar
  3. Locate the "Enhanced Tracking Protection is ON for this site" message
  4. Toggle the switch OFF for Enhanced Tracking Protection
  5. The message should change to "Enhanced Tracking Protection is OFF for this site"
  6. Reload the page if needed



Chrome and Edge: Exempt Zoom (or other content) from third-party cookie blocking

  1. Log in to Canvas
  2. Navigate to Zoom in a Canvas course (where the issue is occurring) - A new tab may automatically open with the Zoom content. If this happens navigate back to the Canvas page where the Zoom content failed to load.
  3. Click the Lock Icon located at the left the URL address (immediately to the left of canvas.uchicago.edu)
  4. Click Cookies near bottom of small menu that appears
  5. Click on the Blocked tab
  6. Locate and click on applications.zoom.us (or other content's cookies)
  7. Click Allow
  8. Click Done
  9. Reload the page if needed



Safari: No current solution – please try to use a different browser.

Training and Resources

Current and prospective students are invited to periodic Canvas and Zoom Tech Help sessions. Please check the Events page for any current help sessions.