Canvas Special Use Sites
Faculty and staff can request special use course sites for non-credit-related projects and support. However, these sites work differently than their historic counterparts in ReggieNet. Two alternatives, Microsoft Teams and Comevo, are also available.
Important Considerations
In ReggieNet, faculty and staff had the option to request either Ongoing Course or Special Project sites. These ReggieNet sites were used for a host of functions, ranging from program organization to committee work to training for users outside of Illinois State University. These kinds of sites differ from the regular sites generated each semester by the Registrar's Office, which are used for regular, for-credit courses.
Note: Current ReggieNet special course sites will be available only in "Read-Only" mode starting in the Fall 2023. That means, while users can view content in ReggieNet, no new users can be added, and no changes can be made to the site itself.
New, Special Use sites are available upon request in Canvas. However, there are important differences:
- Due to the nature of ISU's license with Canvas, ONLY employees and students of the University may be enrolled in these sites. So programs which used old ReggieNet special sites for external training or licensure cannot use Canvas Special Use sites.
- Historically, ReggieNet special sites were used to organize committee work and house documents and other resources. Over the years, the University has adopted several alternative tools which may serve this purpose better.
- Canvas special use sites include all of the roles found in regular course sites (Teacher, Student, TA, etc.). ReggieNet special project site roles, such as Organizer, Participant, and Guest, are not available.
Options
Faculty and staff can chose from several options to transition their existing special project or special use course ReggieNet sites to another platform in time for the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. Options include a Canvas Special Use site, using Microsoft Teams, and using Comevo.
| Use Case |
Canvas Special Use Site |
Teams | Comevo |
| Includes non-ISU affiliated members (including Alumni) | N | Y | Y |
| Resource Sharing Structure (e.g., Files) | Y | Y | N |
| Learning activities (e.g., quizzes, completion tracking) | Y | N | Y |
| Chat | N | Y | N |
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Canvas is better for:
- Groups with only ISU students or current employees
- Communication to group via announcements, discussions, or messages
- Presenting or sharing academic/lesson materials or assessments
- Disciple-specific resources for faculty and/or students
- Asynchronous instruction/communication
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Microsoft Teams is better for:
- Groups that include non-ISU members
- Communication via chat
- Sharing of Office 365 documents (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Resources for administrative units, working teams, committees, or task forces
- Live virtual meetings
Need Help Deciding?
If you're unsure about the best fit for your specific needs, please contact the Center for Integrated Professional Development to set up a consultation at ProDev@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-2542.
Make Your Choice
If you wish to use Canvas for your project, please use the form linked below. If you are interested in either Microsoft Teams or Comevo, use those links to learn more about those platforms and to request access through the Technology Support Center.
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Request a Special Use site
Support staff can create a blank "shell" in your Canvas account which includes the same basic layout as for-credit courses.
- You, as the "Teacher" of the course, can add or remove users and give them various levels of permission as needed.
- This includes adding additional Teachers who can help you co-administer the site and its content.
- You will need to populate the site with either new content or content you backed up from a ReggieNet special site.
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Alternative: Microsoft Teams
Historically, some ReggieNet project sites were used for committees or other working groups. In recent years, Microsoft Teams has become a replacement for these uses. Consider using Teams if:
- You need a centralized place for planning, communication, announcements, or sharing documents and other resources.
- Your old site did not use ReggieNet tools such as Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, the Gradebook, etc.
- Your old site did not deliver lessons in the form of professional development or training.
- You need to work with users outside of Illinois State University.
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Alternative: Comevo
Comevo may be a good alternative if you need to deliver non-course-related training to staff, students, or external users. It could be used either alone or in conjunction with a Microsoft Team.
- Comevo allows the delivery of step-by-step lessons, featuring text, images, and other media.
- Comevo lessons can be used by Illinois State employees and students AND external guests.
- It allows for the creation of email notifications and certificates of completion.
You can see an example of a Comevo site used for Student Technology Orientation.