Overview
Registered students at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) have access to various tools for productivity, collaboration, printing, video creation, and more to support their learning. In this article you will find an overview of our supported tools and tips.
Article Sections
Microsoft 365 Collaborate and Learn
Current students can access email, calendar, and file storage via OneDrive while online via www.svsu.edu, choose Quicklinks, then click Email or OneDrive. To see a list of available apps click the waffle-shaped icon (upper-left corner). Need the Microsoft 365 suite on your personal computer check out how to download and install Microsoft 365.
Available Software for Download
Several applications such as MatLab, MiniTab, SPSS, and much more are available to install on your computer view a list of software that can be downloaded for home use.
Printing from your own device with Web Print
At SVSU users have the ability to print from their own device by uploading their file(s) to a Kyocera printer using Web Print; available within your print account. Students are alloted a personal print balance each semester they are enrolled. View more on our Print Policies and how to use Web Print.
Learning Canvas
Many professors use Canvas. Students can access course files, submit Assignments in Canvas, take online Quizzes, interact in asynchronous Discussions, synchronous class meetings, and more. Supported browsers are Google Chrome and Firefox (recommended), Safari, and Internet Explorer do not function well with Canvas.
Important Notes when uploading assignments and media to Canvas
Assignment uploads cannot be larger than 5 GB you can
upload your file to OneDrive and share a link to your file.
Media Submissions in Canvas: There are multiple tools at SVSU that allow students to create, upload videos, and share to Canvas. We recommend to use Microsoft Stream, Windows 11 Snipping tool, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Explore more in our article -
Submitting Video Assignments as a Student.
Supported Browsers
Student Help
Some professors may use external apps to share recorded lessons or class lectures using EchoVideo (video lecture platform), Turnitin for paper submissions, among others, below are some resources to help you.
Canvas User Storage Quota Exceeded
- Exceeding your storage quota prevents you from uploading files to Discussions and My Files.
- To make room for more file uploads, delete files in My files and conversation attachments until the total file size is under 200 MB.
- My Files (personal files you have uploaded to Canvas).
- conversation attachments (files uploaded to Inbox in Canvas) once files are removed, they will no longer be part of that conversation message. Note: Removing “profile pictures” won’t help.
Canvas User Account Files quota - 200 MB
Students can upload or attach files for Course assignments or discussions.
- These files are automatically stored in students' own personal files (in the "unfiled" folder).
- Student-submitted files count toward the Course File quota, not toward the Personal File quota. Files that do count against personal storage limits are:
-
Files uploaded directly into your personal file storage area
-
Files uploaded to ungraded assignments
-
Files uploaded to ungraded discussions
-
Files attached to “Conversations” (Inbox/Email)
View User Files as a Student in Canvas, go to Account > Files.
- See your File size at the bottom, below all folders.
- If you find that your file storage has exceeded the allowed 200MB, you will need to remove files/folders you no longer need.
- Refresh your browser (F5) after deleting files to see the new File size.
Comparison table of how file storage is affected in My Files in Canvas
|
Folders
|
How are files added and where?
|
Count in Quota
|
Can I delete these files?
|
|
conversation attachments
|
Files you attach to a conversation. User's conversation attachments folder.
If you delete a file, it will no longer be associated with a conversation message.
|
Yes
|
Yes, it will be removed from the conversation message.
|
|
profile pictures
|
Pictures you uploaded to your profile
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Submissions / Graded Discussions
|
Files uploaded and submitted as a graded assignment or discussion go into their Submissions folder.
Graded discussion attachments go into the unfiled folder.
|
No
|
No, system protected.
|
|
unfiled/ungraded Discussions
|
Files you upload to your personal Files area and Ungraded discussion attachments. User's unfiled folder. If you delete the file, it will no longer be associated with an ungraded discussion post.
|
Yes
|
Yes, will be removed from an ungraded discussion.
|
Files submitted to previous courses (courses that have been concluded). They are not automatically deleted from the student’s personal file storage area.
Use OneDrive to upload content and share a file link to Canvas
Is your account file storage full? Use OneDrive. You can upload your file to OneDrive and share your file. You will need to login into OneDrive and authenticate your login credentials.
Upload files to OneDrive
Share files from OneDrive ITS TIP: Use the People in Saginaw Valley State University or the Specific People option.
New to OneDrive? Get started with
OneDrive Business FAQs.
Canvas Group Files quota - 50 MB
Students can upload files into Group Files for group collaboration; they DO NOT affect their personal files quota. Files that count against the course storage limits are as follows: Any files uploaded into the group by the group members and/or instructor.
- Group files are available to all students enrolled in the group, and the course teachers.
- All members have the same permissions to manage all the files.
Using ePortfolios in Canvas
ePortfolio is a Canvas tool available for showcasing your education, work accomplishments, learning experience, etc. ePortfolio's are not for specific courses they are tied to your Canvas user profile. An ePortfolio can consist of pages with text, images, and other media and links to resources and you can set your ePortfolio as public or private. View a list of Canvas student help guides on using e-Portfolios.
What are the differences between setting your ePortfolio to private or public?
- Private ePortfolio: Users will need the access to the specific link in order to view your portfolio.
- Public ePortfolio: Users will be able to view your public ePorfolio in any browser. You can change your ePorfolio back to private at any time.
Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor
Your professor may use Respondus LockDown Browser for quizzes in Canvas. You will need to install LockDown Browser on your computer (one-time installation) from inside Canvas.
Virtual Conferencing Tools
The tools below are commonly used by many professors for your classes.
- EchoVideo (re-watch lectures, take notes, participate in Q&A, and more). Media is easily accessed in Canvas.
- Teams (join virtual meetings with your class and professor)
- Zoom
- BigBlueButton (access recordings up to 7 days)
Creating Presentations, Videos, and Uploading Documents
We recommend several tools that we already have here at SVSU for recording audio or video projects instead of upload/media tool in Canvas it is limited to when it will function correctly. View a brief summary of expected behavior with the upload/media tool below.
- Canvas - The upload/media tool in Canvas does have some common issues, but students can record themselves, upload existing media, or submit a media file as an Assignment submission.
- Here are some recurrent issues that can prevent the recording and uploading of media:
- The video file is too large, the video cannot be any larger than 500 MB.
- Uploads fail without notice to the user, uploads fail silently, and there is no error message that displays on your screen.
- The permissions in your browser are not enabled, such as using the microphone or camera.
- The browser being used is not supported, such as Safari which doesn't function well.
- The browser is outdated, supported browsers are Google Chrome and Firefox, which must be the latest two versions. Check your browser version to see if it's up-to-date.
- Ad Blockers and browser extensions could prevent the media from being uploaded.
- The file format of your video is not supported. View the supported file formats for media uploads.
- The user has poor or no Internet connection.
- A longer recording takes time to render be patient, also ensure you have a stable Internet connection.
Not Supported by SVSU
- Animato is an online video maker students can use see Animato for portfolios.
- YouTube - Students can also use YouTube to upload and share a video created on their computer, a Gmail address is required.
Upload Paper Documents in Canvas (scan with your mobile camera)
Some instructors may require you to show written work for assignments. Don't just take a picture with your mobile camera. Use one of the recommended apps below:
Microsoft 365/Lens or Adobe Scan: Convert images, documents, business cards to pdf's using your mobile camera, works with both Android and iOS: View app comparison and features here - Mobile apps: Adobe Scan and Microsoft 365/Lens (PDF and OCR).
Sharing/Posting Media Submissions in Canvas
There are various ways students can post/share media submissions when their File storage is full (200 MB), students can share a link to the media they want to share by:
Upload to OneDrive
Helpful tip: Make sure that only the people who need access to those files have them, such as your instructor or your classmates.
- Upload a PowerPoint, Office file (Word, Excel) or image file and store it in OneDrive, and share the link.
- Upload a Video to MS Stream (on Sharepoint). Upload video or audio files, record a presentation, and create Share links to your media.
If you are using the
Upload/media tool in Canvas know it has
common issues (as mentioned above) such as the file size limitation (500 MB), unable to upload due to a poor network connection, and uploads silently failing without any notification. If you experience difficulty uploading your file, we recommend uploading it to OneDrive.
Sharing a link to a file from OneDrive doesn't use Canvas storage (limited to 200 MB). Learn more about how submitted files in Canvas affect your user account.Tutoring Help for Students
Contact the Tutoring Center and schedule a session on the Second Floor of the Zahnow Library.
Back to top