Don't wait to hear from your instructor. Log in as soon as your course is "published," which will happen the day the quarter starts or a few days ahead of time.

Canvas login

1. Click any Canvas link on Whatcom's website or type https://wcc.instructure.com into the address bar.
2. The login page should show the Whatcom logo at the top.  Click the button for the type of user you are: student, faculty/staff, or participant in a non-credit program.
3. Type your username and password carefully. Typos are the most common reason for login trouble.
4. Your username is your ctcLink ID (EMPLID), a 9-digit number.
5. Your password is the ctcLink password you created.
6. Click the Courses tab to see all your active courses. If you don't see your course, try the tips under Technology First Aid below.

 WAMAP login for math courses

1. First, log into Canvas (see above). In Canvas, your instructor will provide the course ID and enrollment key you need to get into your WAMAP course.
2. Click any WAMAP link on Whatcom's website or type https://www.wamap.org/ into the address bar.
3. The first time you use WAMAP, click "Register as a new student" to set up your user account. You can use any username and password you choose. Where it asks for your name, please use your real name so your instructor can give the right person credit.
4. After the first time, log in by entering the WAMAP username and password you chose.
5. Enter the course ID and enrollment key you found in your Canvas course.

Whatcom's courses use the Canvas online learning platform, and some math courses also use WAMAP. Canvas and WAMAP courses really aren't designed to be completed on a phone.

You can use a phone or tablet for some course activities, but please follow these best practices to reduce the number of possible problems:

• Don't use the Canvas app. We're serious! Log into Canvas on the internet instead. Take our word for it - the app can give you big problems. Don't even install it, because if it's there, it will open itself and you won't know it. Some items in your course won't work. Plus, it does things like turn in quizzes before you're ready.
• Save any files you create in one of these formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt.  Those are file types Canvas can recognize. Other file types may not be openable or may simply not arrive when you submit them.
• Wi-Fi signals can drop without warning and disconnect you in the middle of something important, like an exam. We strongly encourage you to use a wired computer to submit anything that counts for a lot of points.

Click here for information about checking out a laptop from the college instead.

If your online course starts acting quirky when the Student Help Desk is closed, we suggest trying these three things that often help:

• If you've been using the Canvas mobile app, use your data plan instead. Log into Canvas from the Internet. You'll have to uninstall the Canvas app first, because it will open itself when you access Canvas without telling you.
• If you've been using a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.), try a different one. No web browser works perfectly with every piece of software. The glitch that's driving you crazy may be no problem at all with a different browser.
• Clear your web browser's cache. The cache stores information from pages you've visited so that pages load more quickly, but that may keep you from seeing new information when you return to the page.

More troubleshooting

• I can't log into Canvas.
  Your username is your ctcLink ID number. The default password is your ctcLink password. Type carefully.
• My course doesn't appear in the Dashboard or Courses tab.
  Go into the Courses tab (using a browser, not the Canvas mobile app) and click the link labeled All Courses. See if your course is listed as "not published." If that's still the case by the end of the first day of the quarter, contact your advisor.
• Some items don't work or don't show up in my course.
  If you're using a mobile device and have the Canvas app installed, uninstall the app, open an internet browser and log into the Canvas website that way instead. If you're already getting into Canvas from the internet on any kind of device, try using a different browser. (If you're using a mobile device with the app installed, it will open itself without telling you, even if you start out using your data plan. You'll need to uninstall the app.)
• I can't figure out how to use Canvas to see my unofficial transcript or register for classes.
  Those don't happen in Canvas. You'll need to log directly into ctcLink instead.

For complicated or persistent problems, contact the Student Help Desk by email or call 360.383.3410.

How to Login

How to Use the Canvas Inbox

How to Submit Assignment

Canvas Student Guide

Panopto View Recording

Whatcom does not support using the Canvas app due to several known issues. These issues can affect your experience and the functioning of the platform. If you currently have the app installed on any devices, please uninstall it to avoid further issues with your account. Issue will occur even if users log in through a browser and are not actively using the app but do have it installed.

Here are some of the known issues:

• Various Canvas functions, including your access to the entire course, may be limited or closed.
• Linked items don't always show in course modules.
• Assignments and quizzes may be automatically submitted before you complete your work.
• You won't see prerequisites in course modules if they are enabled.

If you encounter any problems or difficulties while using Canvas, please contact the Student Helpdesk at studenthelpdesk@whatcom.edu for assistance. Our team is here to support you.

Don't miss class updates and feedback on your assignments. Set things up so you'll get a heads-up:

• For Canvas, log in, open the Account tab and click Notifications. Set "Announcement" and "Conversation Message" to "Notify me right away."
• For WAMAP, log in and open settings by clicking the gear icon by your name in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Check the box labeled "Notify me by email when I receive a new message."
• In your Whatcom student email account, click the gear icon to open settings, and turn off the "Focused" inbox. That way all your incoming messages will be visible as soon as you log in. Alternatively, forward the messages to your personal email account.

Why keep in touch with your instructor?

• To ask questions about navigating the course or about what you're learning. 
• To clarify what your instructor expects of you. 
• To let them know if you're sick, or if something else is keeping you from participating. 
• To find out more about the subject you're studying or what it's like to work in that field. 
• To get to know your instructor better, and vice versa.

How to send a message to your instructor in Canvas.

How to send a message to your instructor in WAMAP:

1. Click the Messages tab at the top of the page.
2. Click the Send New Message button.
3. Select your instructor's name from the "Select a Recipient" menu.
4. Type your subject and message, the click the Send Message button.

Map out your quarter 

Schedule your time with success in mind! Online courses have the same rhythm as in-person courses. Every week there are readings, discussions and assignments. You'll be logging in and working on something just about every day.

Each 5-credit course is a time commitment of about 15 hours per week.

It can help to get out your calendar and schedule some blocks of study time. Good sleep supports learning, so block that in, too. Plug in the dates of tests and major assignments so they don't sneak up on you.

If you have any online synchronous ("web meet") or hybrid courses, they'll have scheduled meeting times in addition to your own individual time online. Web-meet courses are online courses with times when all the students log in together. Hybrid courses have meetings in person.  Check your schedule. If it shows any specific times, plan to be there!

First things first

What should you do first? Complete any exercises labeled "read this first," "getting started," "week zero," or anything like that. If those exercises don't include reading the class syllabus, find it and read the whole thing. Also, post your photo and bio, and talk a little about yourself if there's a getting-acquainted discussion. Give your fellow students a way to visualize you as a human.

Figure out your course's organization

Many courses are put together in modules. Each module will have things you work on to learn about the subject, such as readings or practice problems. Those are followed by things you do to show what you've learned -- discussions, quizzes, etc.

If your course doesn't have modules, read the syllabus carefully to find the activities to learn from and the assignments.

A few online classes have recorded lectures, but most of them ask you to learn from readings, videos, practice exercises and other materials instead.

There's likely to be a textbook, which you can rent or buy at the campus store or other booksellers. Some classes use open education resource (OER) materials that you don't have to pay for.

Best practices for online discussions 

A few tweaks in how you do your online discussions will amp up their interest and usefulness.

• Publish your first post early in the week. You'll get more responses to your ideas, and get them early enough that you can actually discuss them. Your classmates will appreciate that you've broken the ice.
• Help extend the discussion by asking open-ended questions or taking a bold stand. If the responses you get change your mind, well, you're in the class to learn, right?
• Be kind. Research shows that people often read electronic communications as more negative than the sender intended. So be extra friendly and respectful when replying to other students, whether you're agreeing or disagreeing. You want them to stay willing to share their ideas.
• For safety's sake, write your posts in a word processing program and save them before you copy/paste them into the Reply box in the discussion. Things you type straight into the Reply box can disappear by accident and be gone for good.

Think ahead to the end of the quarter

Remember that you won't have access to your Canvas class after the end of the quarter. You'll be able to see things you submitted (just click the Files tab in the navigation bar when you sign into Canvas). But if there's anything else you'll want to view later, save it in your own files.

Yes, you really can succeed at learning math online.  Here's what you can do to make it happen:

• Hang in there!  Math takes time and practice. Having to put in effort is normal.
• Give yourself the gift of enough study time. For a 5-credit math class, 15 hours each week is just about right.
• Work all the problems. That's how you'll get comfortable enough to do well on tests.
• Here are some tips for really soaking up what your math book is teaching you.
• Everybody gets confused at times, but don't stay there. Ask questions right away.  Contact your instructor, connect with tutors, or form a study group. For remote math tutoring, see Resources for Online Learners below.

You've got this!

Are you logging in regularly and keeping up with the deadlines? 

Simply staying on top of things is one of the keys to success in online learning.  If you’re noticing a tendency to procrastinate, give yourself a boost and try one of these strategies to beat procrastination.

• Distance yourself from your usual distractions. Study on campus if you have noisy housemates or if you find yourself washing the dishes to avoid working on assignments.
• Break down large tasks into manageable ones, and pat yourself on the back when you accomplish each step.
• Use positive self-talk. Focus on your positive reasons for learning and the satisfaction it can bring you instead of your anxieties about not doing well.

If social media or games keep grabbing your attention, there are some great (and free) site-blocking apps you can use to take a break from your worst temptations.  

Avoid giving anyone else access to your Canvas, WAMAP, or other online coursework accidentally or on purpose.

• Protect your username and password.  That unique combination lets you -- and only you -- access your courses.
• If you use a campus computer, log out of your course before you leave.
• Some courses, particularly math courses, may require proctored testing where we'll ask you to verify your identity.
• Remember that the student code of conduct, including the section on academic integrity, applies to you no matter what the format of your courses.

Canvas student guide

Check out the student guide provided by Instructure, the people who wrote the Canvas software.  It's your go-to place for detailed instructions and tips on making the most of your Canvas classroom.

Whatcom resources

• WCC software user guides
• Orca Central (student support and welcome center)
• WCC Campus Store 
• On-campus and remote tutoring by the WCC Math Center, Writing Center and One-on-One Tutoring (Whatcom's own tutors)
• Online tutoring in many subjects (eTutoringOnline.org)
• Access to the WCC library’s online databases
• Online research help from a librarian
• New student orientation (online option includes a module on learning online)

Where to ask questions

• Student Help Desk
  
  

For technical issues including but not limited to logging in, computer account problems, remote access to campus, email, Canvas, other software programs, or problems turning in assignments, email the Student Help Desk. You can also contact us by phone at 360-383-3410 or come in person to the main floor of the Learning Commons.  Click here for service hours. 

• Learning Center
  If you have non-technical questions about your online class, the Learning Center is a good place to get help. Email the Learning Center or call 360.383.4708. Click here for service hours for in-person help in the Learning Commons.