What Is Azure Lab Services?
Azure Lab Services, by Microsoft, integrates with Canvas LMS to provide a virtual lab environment where instructors can create and manage labs for their students.
Provisioning Labs: Instructors can use Azure Lab Services to create labs that include pre-configured virtual machines with specific software and resources. This setup allows students to access the environment without needing their own hardware.
Assignments and Assessments: Instructors can create assignments that require students to complete tasks within the Azure Lab environment, with submissions linked back to Canvas for grading and feedback.
- Monitoring and Analytics: Instructors can monitor lab usage and student performance through both Azure Lab Services and Canvas, providing insights into engagement and learning outcomes.
Scope and Cost
Azure Lab Services is provided by UNS Information Technology Services (ITS) and is accessible to all UNF instructors via the settings menu. However, to use this tool, faculty and students must already have access to an Azure Lab, provisioned by ITS.
- Click here for support or to learn more about Azure Labs and UNF.
Canvas Integration
Azure Lab Services integration with Canvas provides the following benefits for setting up a virtual lab environment:
- Educators can create and manage labs directly inside a course in Canvas.
- Educators don’t need to maintain lab participants in two different systems. The list of lab users is autopopulated based on the Canvas course roster. Azure Lab Services automatically performs a synchronization every 24 hours.
- After the initial publish of the template virtual machine, the lab capacity (the number of virtual machines in the lab) is automatically adjusted based on the addition/deletion of students from the Canvas course roster.
- Students access their labs directly inside a course in Canvas.
Requirements
Faculty and students must already have access to an Azure Lab, provisioned by ITS.
Support Report
The implementation of a grading system for CIRT support not only facilitates efficient resource allocation but also fosters transparency in our service delivery. By self-grading our support levels as A+, B+, and C+, we provide faculty with a transparent framework that outlines the expected level of assistance they can anticipate when reaching out for help.
A support grade of “C+” suggests a baseline level of assistance, indicating that CIRT has a foundational understanding of the application or integration. While competent in addressing common issues, “C+” signifies a lower level of proficiency compared to higher grades. This grade may mean that the application is very new or that the scope is limited to a small number of users. Users of applications assigned a “C+” grade can expect a best effort toward issue resolution, however we cannot guarantee the same level of expertise and efficiency as higher support tiers. We may be dependent on the application vendor or public documentation to address issues, and there may be support delays, especially where specialized knowledge or administrative access beyond our scope is required.
External Resources
To further empower UNF instructors, we provide direct links to the vendor’s support material, ensuring you have access to official resources and expert guidance. Furthermore, we curate and share external support documentation discovered online that may offer valuable insights or alternative perspectives. Our commitment is to provide you with a holistic support experience, combining our internal expertise with external resources to empower you in navigating the intricacies of this application.
Contact CIRT
For UNF faculty seeking to deepen their understanding of this application, schedule personalized training sessions, or initiate the installation process, we encourage you to reach out to the Center for Instruction and Research Technology at cirtlab@unf.edu (904-620-3927).
