At Canisius College our courses are crafted by professors and programs using a combination of features best suited to the subject, discipline, and student level. As such no two courses are precisely alike. But many share common elements, so that as a student you will quickly find your way around and know what to do in the courses you take.
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Here's the essential tools or spaces you will use:
MyCanisius (Portal)
Canisius College students can efficiently find everything they need (all but the most discipline-specific stuff, that they learn about within courses) in a single, convenient Dashboard called MyCanisius. It's linked on the Canisius College Website. So there's no need to save multiple links or passwords.
Every Canisius student is provided with a Canisius email address, and email is a common communication system within and across courses. Professors and support offices are never more than a few clicks away.
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Frequently, a course starts with a "module" or folder where you can find the course syllabus, and instructions for semester-long projects and activities. Other folders might be arranged by week, and contain each week's content and activities.
Occasionally faculty develop short videos to convey content to students, and these can be played back repeatedly in whole or part. 
While video plays an important role in many courses, there are much more to Canisius online courses, and students should expect activities each week that involve more than simply watching video.
Discussions
Text-based message board discussions (which can also include images and even video) are found in many Canisius online courses. These allow thoughtful, reflective exchanges of ideas and perspectives between class members. Students and their professor discuss professional experiences, ethical issues, the pros and cons of management methods, and other concepts and concerns at the heart of various disciplines and real-world institutions. Since these discussions are text-based threads, members respond over a period of days, at times most convenient to each student. So one student might offer comments in response to her professor's prompt question early in the morning, before starting her work day. Another student may respond to the first student's comments after his kids are in bed. These discussions can be lively, insightful, and a great opportunity for students to get to know fellow professionals!
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