Canvas supports an LTI integration with Microsoft OneDrive and allows instructors to use, create, share, and collaborate on Office 365 files within Canvas. Instructors have 1 TB of storage space available within OneDrive. Additional information with Educator Documentation and Click-through Demos can be found on the Canvas support site.
Audience
This article is intended for instructors using both Canvas and OneDrive.
Article Overview
There are four primary methods to leverage the Canvas and OneDrive integration:
View and Edit OneDrive Files in Course Navigation
Files stored in OneDrive can be viewed through the Microsoft OneDrive link in the Course Navigation. With the recent update to OneDrive's LTI in Canvas, you can add new folders, upload files, sort files and folders, and edit documents directly in OneDrive from within Canvas. Files in Microsoft OneDrive are your personal files and only visible to you, unless shared through other methods such as linked documents in an announcement, module, or assignment.
- Click Microsoft OneDrive in your course navigation.
- Open a file and edit the document directly in your browser as desired.
Create Cloud Assignments from Your OneDrive
You can create an online assignment that embeds a Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel file directly from their OneDrive. Cloud assignments are created using the External Tool submission type. When students open the assignment, a unique copy of the document is created and added to the student’s OneDrive folder. Instructors can view the final submission for each student’s edited copy of the assignment in SpeedGrader for grading.
- Click Assignments in your course navigation.
- Click the +Assignment button to add a new assignment.
- Enter in your assignment details.
- Under Submission Type, select External Tool.
- Click the Find button.
- Select Microsoft OneDrive.
- Select the file from your OneDrive account that you wish to embed and click Attach.
- After the window closes, and the file has successfully uploaded, you will need to click Select under the Configure External Tool window to finish embedding the file.
- When you are finished adding in your assignment details, click Save & Publish to publish the assignment.
Note: After a Microsoft OneDrive cloud assignment is published, it should not be edited. If you edit it, a new document will be created and shared with students. If the students have attempted the previous assignment and you share a new assignment, the previous work of the students will be lost.
- Use SpeedGrader to view, grade and provide feedback on student submissions.
Access Your OneDrive Files within the Rich Content Editor
You can embed or link a copy of a OneDrive document anywhere you can use the Rich Content Editor, or upload files from OneDrive intor your Canvas course anywhere you can use the Rich Content Editor.
Upload Your OneDrive Files
You can upload files from OneDrive into your Canvas course anywhere where you can use the Rich Content Editor within the Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Pages, Quizzes, and Syllabus feature. This creates a copy of your document and stores it in your Files in Canvas.
- Within the Rich Content Editor within an Announcement, Assignment, Discussion, Page, Quiz, or Syllabus, click the down arrow next to the Documents icon (paper).
- Click Upload Document.
- Select the file from your OneDrive account or computer that you wish to upload into your Canvas course.
Embed or Link Your OneDrive Files
You can create a Word, PowerPoint, or Excel file in your OneDrive and then create an embed or link to a copy of that document anywhere you can use the Rich Content Editor within the Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Pages, Quizzes, and Syllabus feature.
Note: Embedding or linking a file from OneDrive creates a one-time copy of that document in the location it is embedded or linked (Announcements, Assignments etc.), and is accessible from that location only, while the original file is still located in OneDrive. If changes need to be made to the embedded or linked document, you must re-link or re-embed the file.
- Within the Rich Content Editor within an Announcement, Assignment, Discussion, Page, Quiz, or Syllabus, click the Apps icon (plug).
- Click Microsoft OneDrive.
- Select the file from your OneDrive account that you wish to embed or link.
Create Collaborations from Your OneDrive
You can create collaborations with an existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file from your OneDrive, so learners can work together on shared documents in real-time. This is great for group project collaborations.
- Click Collaborations in your course navigation.
- Click the +Start a New Collaboration button.
- Under the Collaborate Using drop-down, select Microsoft OneDrive.
- Enter in your collaboration details.
- If you want to start a new collaboration file, select the document type under the Type drop-down.
- If you have an existing OneDrive file you would like to collaborate on, click the Select Existing Document button.
- Enter in your people details. The collaboration defaults to the People tab. If you want to collaborate with individual people in your course, click the name of an individual you want to add to the collaboration. The persons name will move to the right side of the window. Add or remove individuals as necessary.
- You can also create collaborations with groups. To select an entire group, click the Groups tab. Select the group(s) you want to add to the collaboration. You may need to click Authorize App to get Groups to access your Canvas groups the first time.
- Click the Save button to save the collaboration.
Additional Resources