Tip! What is this “Tutoring” item on my Canvas menu?

The JCCC Library and the Academic Resource Center use a web-based tool (named “Penji”) to help students connect with librarians and tutors. The tool can be integrated with Canvas, and it was recently activated for all courses. It shows up as “Tutoring” at the bottom of the menu for navigating inside a section.

If you haven’t used the tool before, it asks you to create an account. But it also uses the Microsoft Single Sign-On that provides access to most other college web services. So you don’t need to choose a username or password. Just enter your college email address and you’ll be passed to the familiar sign-on form to enter your usual password.

If accessing the tool from inside Canvas, it may just ask if it has your email address right, since you’re already signed on.

The first time into the tool, it will ask you for a “community” to join. These aren’t the same as Canvas communities, they’re just the tool’s designation for the different areas it serves: Academic Achievement Center, Language Resource Center, Library, Science Resource Center, and Writing Center. And the only reason it asks first thing is that it wants to use one as your account’s initial “home page”. But you can always access the others from a set of buttons along the left side.

This is a great resource for our students, and it’s a great convenience to have it on everyone’s Canvas menu automatically.