This site requires JavaScript to be enabled
An updated version of this article is available

Canvas: Using Cisco Webex

19 views

4.0 - Updated on 01/10/25 by Dobie, Donna

3.0 - Updated on 01/05/24 by Huff, Susan

2.0 - Updated on 12/14/22 by Huff, Susan

1.0 - Authored on 08/27/20 by Mosher, Stephanie


Using Cisco Webex in Canvas

Webex in Canvas allows instructors and students to host or participate in video conferencing, online meetings, and screen sharing in a virtual meeting room. Meetings can be joined via the Canvas Webex interface.

Virtual Meetings scheduled for a course in Canvas automatically generate an email notification to all students in the course and place the meeting on the course's Canvas calendar.

Contents:

See Also:

 

Preparing to Use Webex

Download the Cisco Webex Desktop App

Before you can begin hosting, recording, and sharing Webex sessions, we recommend that you download Webex for the best video conference experience and meeting features, including screen share and whiteboard, which are otherwise unavailable using the web browser option.

Open Webex by locating Webex in your program list or clicking the desktop icon . Log in using your Rowan network username and password.

Join a Test Meeting

Check your audio and video settings to ensure that they are working properly. If possible, join the class a few minutes early to triage any technical issues. To test, use the Join a Test Meeting in Webex guide.

Run a speed test!

Not sure if your Wi-Fi can handle the call? Use the Health Checker feature at the top right hand corner of the Test window your Webex app (supported from Webex Meetings version 39.5 for Windows and 39.8 for Mac OS and later). You can also use any internet-based speed test to better understand your connection speeds. Learn more at Health Checker for your Webex meetings page.

Choose audio over video

When your connection quality is low, Webex will suggest or automatically lower your resolution and may eventually turn off your video. You can also do this manually at any time. Learn more at cs.co/slow-connection

>>Back to Top

Authorizing Canvas Access for Webex

Before you begin using Webex in Canvas, you will need to give Webex access to your Canvas account. Then, you can select which Webex features are visible in your course and configure Webex to grade meeting attendance for you if you choose to do so.

  1. Login to Canvas
  2. Click "Courses" in the left side menu and open your course.
  3. Click the Cisco Webex link in your course menu (it doesn't always appear at the top).

    NOTE: If you do not see Cisco Webex in your list of options, please see Canvas: Enabling Zoom and Webex



  4. Choose "Setup" and Webex's setup page will be displayed.



  5. Scroll down to the "Authorize with LMS" section, then click the blue Authorize button. A confirmation window will open.



  6. Click the blue Authorize button at the bottom of the confirmation window. The window will close, and you will return to the Webex Setup page.



  7. Scroll back down to the "Authorize with LMS" section again to verify that your authorization was successful. The button should now be gray, and its text should have changed to Authorized.

    >>Back to Top

Enabling Webex Features

Webex provides the following features within Canvas:

  • Virtual Meetings: Schedule recurring class sessions or a one-time meeting with students. We recommend that you select this feature in every course, so you can schedule Webex meetings for your class within Canvas as you need them. 
  • Office Hours: Schedule and host office hours within Webex using this feature, which provides you with a calendar for setting dates and times.

You can learn more about these options and how to use them on the Webex Education Connector for Teachers page on Webex's Help Center website. 

Making Webex's features visible in Canvas is a simple, two-step process:

  1. On the Webex Setup page, select the checkboxes next to the features you plan to use.
  2. Click the blue Apply button.



  3. Once you have enabled a Webex feature, a tab for it will appear in its Settings menu.

    >>Back to Top

Attendance Grading in Webex

With the Meeting Attendance Grading tool, you can automatically award participation points to students when they attend a meeting or class session in Webex.

Be aware that, once you turn on attendance grading in a course, it cannot be turned off again. It creates an assignment in your course that shows up in Grades, so you will only want to turn it on if you are certain that you will use it.

! Things to know before you activate

When you opt to turn on Webex Meeting Attendance Grading, the following will occur:

  • Automatically adds a Webex Meetings Attendance Assignment to Assignments.



  • Automatically creates a column in your Canvas Gradebook that is calculated based on the assignment settings you choose when you first turn on the tool. 



  • Important: Students must join a meeting through the Webex Education Connector Upcoming Courses Menu using the Desktop Client to record their attendance. If a student joins Webex through a link outside of Canvas, it will not record their attendance.

Enable Attendance Grading

  1. On the Cisco Webex Setup page, click the blue Turn on button in the "Webex Meetings Attendance Grading" section. 



  2. The "Confirm Attendance Grading" confirmation window will open.
  3. Select the radio button next to Turn on. Click the blue Confirm button. Settings for the attendance grade will now be displayed.



  4. Set values for attendance grading:
    • If you want to customize the scores for attendance grading, enter new values for present, scores, absent scores, and/or the overall attendance grade, then click the Recalculate Course Grade button.
    • If you want to use the default scores set by Cisco Webex, you don't need to change anything.  

>>Back to Top

Webex Office Hours

After enabling Webex Office Hours in Canvas, instructors can post Webex Office Hours which will allow students to sign up for a private Webex meeting them.

When a student reserves Office Hour time in Webex, both the student and the instructor receive an email notifying them of their appointment with an option to add the appointment to their personal calendar.

Instructors can set their available dates and times for under the Office Hours tab. 

  1. Under Cisco Webex click Office Hours.
  2. Set the meeting duration. Go down to Availability and select 15 Min increments, 30 Min increments, 45 min increments, or 1 Hr increments.
  3. Set the appointment buffer. Under Meeting Buffer (before and after each meeting), select None, 15 min, 30 min, or 45 mins to add that amount of time before the meeting starts and after it is scheduled to end.

    Use the Meeting Buffer to allow time in case meetings run over or you need breaks between meetings.

  4. Select the days of the week and the times you want to host office hours. The blocks of time are then highlighted.



  5. Scroll down and select Save.

Students can then select Office Hours under Cisco Webex from within their course, choose an available time from the options that instructor has designated, and click "Confirm Meeting" to schedule that time.

  • Student view:

>>Back to Top

Schedule a Meeting

You can schedule a recurring or one-time meeting with your students or other instructors.

Please also review our Webex best practices for secure meetings.


  1. Click Virtual Meetings on the top menu and then click "New Meeting"



  2. Enter a descriptive Name for the meeting. Select the Meeting Date and Duration.
  3. Choose Meeting, Training, or Event. For more information on the different Host Centers (Meeting, Training, or Event), see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/conferencing/product_comparison.html
    • Meeting: basic interactive sessions with video, polling, whiteboard, chat, and webcam.
    • Training: host has more control over participants’ microphones; allows the use of breakout rooms.
    • Events: moderated webinars with little interaction from participants.
  4.  Choose Recurrence.


  5. Once your details are entered, click Create Meeting.
  6. After you create a meeting, it will show up in your Upcoming tab. You can view, start, edit, or delete a meeting from there.
  7. Webex meetings scheduled for a course in Canvas will be placed on the course's Canvas calendar, but do NOT send an email notification.  



  8. If you advise your students to go into their Canvas Account/Notification Settings and click the the bell next to Scheduling/Calendar in the email (left) column, they will get an email notifying them of the scheduled meeting. Clicking the bell icon in Push Notification (right) column will send a notification to a device. No matter which option is used, they will still have to go to the Canvas calendar to click the link to join.



    Once "Calendar" is checked, students will get an email notification and can click the "details" link to see the calendar entry and join the meeting:



  9. You can also manually send an appointment through Outlook by copying the "Join" link from the Canvas calendar.
    1. Select the meeting on the Canvas calendar
    2. Right-click the Join Meeting link
    3. Click Copy Link Address
    4. Paste that link in the appointment email to send to your students.

>>Back to Top

Record a Class or Meeting

Recordings initiated from a meeting started within Canvas will show up on the "Recordings" tab under "Virtual Meetings" in Cisco Webex.



How to record a Cisco Webex Meeting (video)

  • a full transcript is available in the replay. 
  • students can re-watch in their own focused environment 
  • students can zoom in on material being shared in class on their own device. They can pinch and zoom in on items that are too small. 

NOTE: If did not initiate your Webex meeting in Canvas and you saved your Webex recordings to the cloud, you will need to login to your Webex account at rowan.webex.com and select "Recordings." From there, you can download recorded files you wish to share to your computer.

Share Your Recorded Webex Session To Kaltura for Use in Canvas

If you are a faculty member and you initiated a Webex session outside of your Canvas course, your recording will not show up in your list of recorded sessions. The workaround to make this recording available to your students is to:

  1. Visit rowan.webex.com and login.
  2. Click the Recordings in the left navigation bar
  3. Find the recording in your list and click the icon with the arrow pointing down to download the recording. 
  4. Find the downloaded file or your computer. 
  5. Login to Kaltura MediaSpace: https://support.rowan.edu/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0013600
  6. Upload your video to Kaltura MediaSpace: https://support.rowan.edu/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0013632
  7. Embed the Kaltura video in your Canvas course: https://support.rowan.edu/sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0013682


Closed Captioning and Transcripts 

Webex transcription services are turned on for all cloud-recorded meetings.  There is no cost for transcription services in Webex.  It is normal for it to take about twice the duration of the meeting for the transcription to appear. 

In rare circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours for the transcription to appear due to the size of the meeting or due to temporary load on the transcription engine.

Download a Webex meeting transcript following a meeting guide.

>>Back to Top

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Technology Support Center at 856-256-4400, support@rowan.edu or go to support.rowan.edu and click Get Help.

 

Revised by Huff, Susan
Last modified 12/14/22 10:16:37 AM