Logging Chapel Credits Just Got Easier
Students at Bluefield University are required to attend 10 chapel (worship) services and five academic convocation events each semester as part of the school’s Vocatio program, and logging the credits for those activities just got easier for BU students.
Students used to scan a QR code on their phones to log chapel credits, but now the process is completed in Canvas, the university’s Learning Management System. Students simply complete a “test” or “quiz” in their Vocatio course in Canvas just like completing tests for other courses, but in this case the test is to simply provide a key word they are given while participating in chapel or convocation programs.
In addition, Canvas makes keeping up with those credits much easier. In the past, students admit they couldn’t tell how many total credits they had, but by logging credits in Canvas students can now tell when they went to chapel and how many credits they have for the semester. Students say it’s so much easier to log chapel credits by just opening Canvas, going to their Vocatio class, finding the test, and completing it with the key word given at the end of chapel.
Dr. Henry Clary, an assistant professor who oversees the Vocatio program, spoke about the new process.
“Chapel is a class in name only,” Dr. Clary said. “What we’re doing by making Vocatio — which includes both the chapel experience and the academic convocation activities — a class is to help the student body keep track of their attendance at both chapel and academic convocation.”
Dr. Clary also spoke about how students are benefiting from Vocatio being a class in Canvas.
“The greatest benefit is that each student can now log in to (course) VOC 0010 and see at a glance how many chapels they have attended and how many academic convocation events they have attended.,” Dr. Clary said. “Each student is required to attend a minimum of 10 chapels per semester and five academic convocation events per semester.”
Dr. Clary added that while the Vocatio course does track Vocatio credits, it does not assign students a grade, so it won’t affect a student’s grade point average. If you have a bad grade, the grade that is in Canvas is your attendance grade.
BU student Jaylen Holmes shared his thoughts on chapel being a class in Canvas.
“I like it because I have access to it,” Holmes said, “and I know that I won’t have a problem getting credit because the website won’t load,” which was an issue students had using the QR code under the old process.
For more information about the new process for logging credits for Vocatio, contact Dr. Clary.