If you’re reading this, you might already know that you—or your team—will be managing a new Canvas Credentials account. Congratulations!
Typically, the next steps involve getting admin access in Canvas Credentials and meeting with your Credentials Strategy Consultant to plan and train on how to manage Credentials and use Canvas to trigger awarding Badges.
If you're using both Canvas LMS and Canvas Credentials, you know how powerful these tools are for managing courses and issuing badges that showcase learners' achievements. But did you know that having cross-administrative roles across both platforms can make your job even smoother?
The first question to ask: Are you a Canvas LMS Administrator?
Your consultant will certainly ask, “Are you Canvas LMS Administrator?” You can verify this by logging into Canvas and looking for the “Shield & Key” icon in your Global Navigation menu.
Here’s why having cross-administrative roles is a game changer:
1. Smooth Sailing for LTI Management
If you're using the Credentials LTI integration with Canvas LMS, managing everything from setup to maintenance becomes seamless when you’re a Root or Sub-account admin in Canvas LMS and an admin in Canvas Credentials. Here’s why:
- As a Canvas Admin, you can enable and manage the Canvas Credentials LTI directly within a Sub-Account or Individual Courses without needing to jump between admin accounts.
- This reduces back-and-forth coordination or access issues between Canvas and Credentials admins.
With a unified administrative role, you ensure the integration works smoothly, allowing you to address any issues quickly as the go-to admin wizard of both worlds!
2. Efficient Course and Sub-Account Management
Canvas administrators know how crucial sub-accounts are for organizing courses within an institution. Each department, program, or faculty might have its own sub-account to manage content and users. Imagine if they also oversee Canvas Credentials (formerly Badgr) for your organization. By being an admin on both Canvas LMS and Canvas Credentials, you can seamlessly align sub-accounts with badge issuers. Here’s how:
- Set up badges for specific courses or departments based on the same sub-account structure.
- Avoid extra admin requests to match the correct Credentials issuer with the right sub-account.
In short, as an admin across both platforms, you’re in an ideal position to automate and streamline badge issuance for courses, saving valuable time.
3. Pathways & Connected Courses—All in One
Another benefit of having the same admin role is how it simplifies managing Pathways. When working with connected courses as part of a learning pathway, your administrative access to both Canvas LMS and Canvas Credentials allows you to:
- Build pathways collaboratively with course instructors, reviewing their content and award criteria.
- Easily subscribe courses to those pathways.
This setup not only enhances the learning journey for students but also simplifies your workflow. Cross-admin control ensures consistency in managing credentials and learning outcomes across both systems.
4. One Admin to Rule Them All (Okay, Just Two Platforms!)
The beauty of having cross-administrative roles is that you’re not juggling different responsibilities across two platforms. You can operate as a single point of control, reducing silos and boosting efficiency.
- You stay aware of everything happening in both LMS and Credentials at any given time.
- This streamlined approach results in less confusion, fewer errors, and quicker issue resolution.
So What’s the Takeaway?
If you’re managing both Canvas LMS and Canvas Credentials, aligning your administrative roles across both platforms is invaluable. With a unified role of Root or Sub-account admin in Canvas LMS and Organization admin in Credentials, you ensure:
- Efficient sub-account and course management.
- Hassle-free Credentials LTI management.
- Seamless badge issuance for connected courses and learning pathways.
You have the tools to make digital credentialing a breeze, so why not streamline those admin roles? You’ll save time, reduce errors, and create a smoother experience for both learners and staff. Reach out to your Strategic Consultant to learn more!
Happy administrating, badge-issuing rockstars! 🎓✨
