With the continuation of virtual instruction, students scattered across the globe, and time changes due to daylight savings, setting up a scheduled class event or assessment can seem confusing. Start times and due dates might be particularly unclear. Despite the time difference that may exist between instructors and their students, all dates and times throughout a course are displayed according to the course time zone (currently Eastern Daylight Time).
Implementing virtual instruction best practices can further mitigate stress and uncertainty for students. For example, setting up exams within a broader period of access allows students in different time zones to take timed exams at a reasonable hour. Refraining from including times in the assignment title or specifying EDT can also lesson any confusion regarding deadlines.
Students can also take steps to ensure that they are aware of deadlines by updating their time zone in their user settings in order to display course activities according to the their local time. For example, if an instructor living in Philadelphia (EDT) makes an assignment due at Friday at 10:00 pm, a student in Seoul, South Korea will see that they need to submit the assignment by 11:00 am on Saturday.
Students’ time zone settings will not have any impact on the course time zone. Students also have the option to hover over the date and time they have set in order to see the course date and time in EDT.
See the following websites for additional information:
How do I set a time zone for a course:
https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12939-4152218816
How to set up a time zone in my user account as a student:
https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10622-4212717410
Center for Teaching and Learning Exams and Quizzes When Teaching Remotely:
https://www.ctl.upenn.edu/exams-and-quizzes-when-teaching-remotely
If you have any questions, please contact Courseware Support at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu
Last Updated: 20 Oct 2021