Canvas + Assure: Making Firewall Rule Overrides Easier
Assure's integration with the Canvas Learning Management System allows teachers to create firewall rule overrides within the Canvas application.
A rule override can allow or deny a specific web page, web categories, or web applications for a class, a student or several specific students. Each rule can be permanent, temporary, or scheduled for a specific class.
This is useful when teachers need to enable students to access permitted websites or applications needed for lessons but have for one reason or another been blocked by the school's firewall.
Assure's integration with Canvas for firewall rules overrides has many benefits:
- Student learning outcomes are not disrupted due to permitted websites or applications not being accessible
- School and classroom productivity is increased, as there is no back and forth between the teacher and IT teams trying to fulfil this task
- Teachers do not have to change applications (from Canvas to Assure) to access this 'Rule Override' function
- School IT teams have one more task removed from their workload as this previously manual function is now automated and self-serve.
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The graphic above shows the architecture of Assure with Canvas LMS.
6 Steps to Create a Firewall Rule Override in Canvas LMS with Assure
- Log in to your Canvas account.
NOTE: you need to be a teacher or admin in order to be able to create a firewall rules override. - Select the course you want to create the rule override for.
- Click on the 'Create Rule' button and a slide-out modal window for setting up the rule appears.
NOTE: In Canvas, you will not need to select the group and users (students) manually. Instead, all those students who partake in the course will be automatically selected. - Select the start and end time of when the rule override should be active.
- Include the applications, web categories or specific URL(s) you wish to create the rule for.
NOTE: when adding a URL to the rule scope, you have the possibility to analyse the page. If the page analysis is enabled, Assure will analyse the provided link's entire web page and automatically add all related pages to the rule. Example: Analysing youtube.com will allow all YouTube related content. - After you've completed all of the setup tasks, you may save the rule. After the rule has been saved, it will be listed under the course.
NOTE: The rule can be viewed by the students who take the course as well as other teachers who teach the same course. Only the rule creator and admins can delete or edit the rules.
Check out the video below to see how a firewall rule override is created in Canvas LMS with Assure:
>>Learn more about Assure. Watch On-Demand Demo<<
Assure’s integration with Canvas also allows teachers to easily monitor student activity in Classroom View.
Teachers can track a student's online activities in the Classroom View tab.
Teachers can see real-time activity for the last 15 minutes of the students enrolled in their class and refresh the view for up-to-date activity when desired.
Each student's name is hyperlinked to access their User Report if needed, and only Web Categories that have ratings below Average are shown. Web Categories are also colour coded based on a student’s activity; red (poor), orange (fair), green (good).
What is Canvas LMS?
Canvas platform is a web-based learning management system that enables conducting online learning and teaching. It is used by K-12 and higher education institutions as well as universities.
You could describe Canvas as a cloud-based or virtual classroom where learners have the flexibility to learn online anytime on their own. In addition, students can use Canvas LMS to review their course progress, see what assignments they have, their grades, and communicate with their teacher and fellow students.
What other benefits can Saasyan Assure provide your school?
Assure is an AI-Powered Student Safety & Wellbeing solution, enabling K-12 schools to detect and intervene against student cyberbullying, self-harm, suicide, threats of violence.
For wellbeing leaders, Saasyan Assure provides immediate alerts and scheduled reports that help wellbeing practitioners identify perpetrators and victims of high-risk behaviour.
For School IT, Assure leverages exiting technologies to provide automated data capture, alerting and self-serve reporting on student digital activities.
