Canvas can be extended by integrating external tools. Software companies, textbook publishers, and training websites all make Canvas external tools. Some are free, others must be purchased. Virginia Tech's Canvas external tools are categorized here based on broad categories for publisher tools, collaboration tools, multimedia tools, assessment tools, accessibility tools, and tools that didn't fit into those categories. For our main article on external tools, see Canvas - Requesting and Using External Tools (LTI Tools).

Instructors can request new external tools be added to Canvas.

• Canvas administrators and Virginia Tech's legal, IT security, and software purchasing teams must review external tools before they can be integrated.
• Only Virginia Tech, not Canvas, can add an external tool to Canvas or to your course site.
• Not all requests can be fulfilled. 

To be easily integrated with Canvas, external tools should be designed according to the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard. Some companies refer to external tools them as LTI tools. Canvas external tools are considered applications or apps. Canvas and some companies refer to external tools as LTI apps or external apps.

This article covers collaboration tools available in Canvas at Virginia Tech.

Contents

• Chat
• Eli Review (English only) 
• Google Apps/Google Drive
• Google Docs Cloud Assignment
• Hypothesis
• Kritik (Chemistry only)
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Microsoft OneDrive Cloud Assignment
• Microsoft OneNote and Class Notebook
• Packback
• Piazza
• Zoom

Instructions

Chat

Background

Chat is integrated with Canvas and allows students and teachers to instantly communicate with each other.

It can be used to:

• Contact class participants online
• Hold virtual office hours
• Conduct live discussions or study sessions

Use Chat in a Canvas Site

1. Click Chat in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. Simply type your message in the box at the bottom of the window.
3. Click Send. 
   
   

Get Help with Chat

Canvas Support supports the chat tool. Click Support on any Canvas screen for a list of help options, including 24/7 chat and phone support.

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Eli Review (English only)

Background

Eli Review is a set of tools to improve feedback in the classroom. Eli Review empowers teachers to coach students in feedback and revision, promoting critical thinking, and better writing.

With Eli Review, instructors can:

• Break up large writing projects into smaller writing tasks to guide students and emphasize specific learning goals.
• Coordinate write-review-revise cycles to encourage timely feedback and revision.
• Encourage students to develop writing in pieces and build toward a full draft.

Add Eli Review to Canvas

Eli Review is only available in ENGL 1106 courses only. To use Eli Review, add it using Assignments or Modules.

• Add Tool to an Assignment
• Add Tool to a Module

Get Help with Eli Review

Resources

• Help & Support Center

Technical Support

• Email: support@elireview.com

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Google Apps/Google Drive

Background 

Google applications can be integrated with Canvas, enabling students and teachers to collaborate on Google docs, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. 

You can embed your Google Drive files and folders directly into the following:

• Assignment post
• Discussion post
• Quiz
• Response 

Additionally, in Collaborations, you can select people or specific groups in the class and collaborate on the following:

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides

Keep in mind that all users must have a Google account to participate in the collaborations. 

Add Google Apps to a Canvas Site

You can add Google Apps to a Canvas site's Course Navigation Menu, to an Assignment, a Module, the Rich Content Editor or to a Collaboration. 

• Add Tool to the Course Navigation Menu
• Add Tool to an Assignment
• Add Tool to a Module
• Add Tool to Rich Content Editor

Use Google Apps in Collaborations

1. Click Collaborations in the Course Navigation Menu. 
2. Beside Collaborate Using, click Google Apps.
   
   
   
   
3. Beside Kind, choose Document, Spreadsheet, or Presentation. 
4. Make sure to assign a name and description to the Collaboration, or you won't be able to click Submit.
   
   
   
   
5. Click on the the name of the group or people you would like to add.
   
   
   
   
6. They will automatically move into the table on the right. 
   
   
   
   
7. Click Submit.
8. You'll go to the Collaborations main page. To view your Collaboration, click its name. 
   
   
   
   
9. You can now begin collaborating with others in the Google file you made.

Get Help with Google Tools

Canvas Support supports Google tools. Click Support on any Canvas screen for a list of help options, including 24/7 chat and phone support.

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Google Docs Cloud Assignment

Background

Google Docs Cloud Assignment allows you to pull in documents from Google Drive to Canvas.

Add Google Docs Cloud Assignment to a Canvas Site

1. Click Assignments in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. Create a new assignment or edit an existing one. 
   
   
   
   
3. For Submission Type, click External Tool and then click Find. 
   
   
   
   
4. Find and click Google Docs Cloud Assignment, then click Select. 
   
   
   
   
5. A window with your Google Drive files will appear. Click the file you want to embed.
6. You'll return to the Configure External Tool window with your file attached. Click Select.
   
   
   
   
7. Select who you want to assign it to and when it is available, and then click Save. 
   
   

Get Help with Google Tools

Canvas Support supports Google tools. Click Support on any Canvas screen for a list of help options, including 24/7 chat and phone support.

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Hypothesis

Background

Hypothesis is a tool that is integrated with Canvas that allows instructors and students to annotate, collaborate, and search notes. By using Hypothesis assignments, instructors can assign students readings in PDF or online formats and have students work alone or collaboratively to submit annotations and peer comments for feedback and grading in Canvas.

Use Hypothesis in Canvas

Hypothesis can be added to Canvas using assignments or modules:

• How to set up Hypothesis readings through Canvas Modules
• How to set up Hypothesis readings through Canvas Assignments

Annotating with Hypothesis

• Annotating with Hypothesis
• Introduction to the Hypothesis LMS App for Students.
• Adding Links, Images, and Videos

Grading

• How to grade Hypothesis annotations in Canvas

Get Help with Hypothesis

Technical Support

1. Submit a Ticket with Hypothesis
   
   1. From the Hypothesis screen in which you need assistance, click on the question mark in the top menu bar.
   2. Click on New support ticket to go to their support form.
      
2. Email Tier-1 support for general questions: support@hypothes.is

Resources

• Hypothesis Knowledge Base
  
  • All Hypothesis Canvas resources
    
    • How to set up Hypothesis readings through Canvas Modules
      
    • How to set up Hypothesis readings through Canvas Assignments
      
    • How to grade Hypothesis annotations in Canvas
      
    • Using Canvas Groups to Create Hypothesis Reading Groups
      
    • Using Rubrics in Canvas with Hypothesis
      
    • Canvas Course Import and Hypothesis
• YouTube “How to…” videos
• A student guide to Hypothesis in Canvas

Pedagogical Support

• Guides for using Hypothesis in the classroom
• 1:1 instructional design consultations
• Partner Workshops

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Kritik (Chemistry)

Background

Kritik enhances students' higher order and critical thinking skills by providing:

• An online discussion tool driven by AI technology
• Team based learning that allows students to work in groups to evaluate and provide feedback to peers
• Customized rubrics to save time and increase feedback given to students

Add Kritik to Canvas

Kritik is only enabled for one Chemistry course currently. To discuss the possibility of using Kritik in your course, please go to the 4Help Portal, log in with your PID and PID password, and click Get Help.

Get Help with Kritik

Resources

• Instructor Guide
• Student Guide

Kritik is supported by Kritik, not Canvas or Virginia Tech. For help, see:

• Kritik's Help Center

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Microsoft OneDrive

Background

Microsoft OneDrive can be integrated with Canvas, enabling students and teachers to create and share Microsoft OneDrive files in Canvas sites.

Using Microsoft OneDrive in Canvas, instructors can:

• Access Microsoft OneDrive documents through SpeedGrader to add feedback.
• Link Microsoft OneDrive documents anywhere they use the Rich Content Editor.
• Include Microsoft OneDrive documents in Modules.
• Create Collaborations for course groups, student groups, and on-demand groups using Microsoft OneDrive documents.
• Create and grade assignments in Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook, then push those grades to Canvas.
• Sign in to Canvas with your Microsoft OneDrive login using single sign-on.

Students can: 

• Collaborate on assignments using Microsoft OneDrive documents.
• Submit Microsoft OneDrive files directly to Canvas Assignments. 

Get Microsoft OneDrive

See the Microsoft 365 Service Catalog page for more information on getting and using Microsoft 365 at Virginia Tech. 

Add Microsoft OneDrive to a Canvas Site

You only need to connect Microsoft OneDrive and Canvas once, and you can do it from any Canvas course site. 

1. Log into Canvas.
2. Go to any course on your Courses menu.
3. In the Course Navigation Menu, click Microsoft OneDrive. 
   
   • Instructors can show and hide tools from the Course Navigation Menu. If the menu doesn't have Microsoft OneDrive, go to the course's Settings and then the Navigation tab. Drag Microsoft OneDrive to the upper list of tools and save.
   • For detailed instructions on changing the Course Navigation Menu, see How do I manage Course Navigation links? 
4. Click Sign in. 
   
   
   
   
5. A pop-up will appear, prompting you to log into Microsoft. Type in your VT email address and click Next. You will be redirected to the VT Microsoft sign-in screen.
   
   
   
   
6. In the Virginia Tech Microsoft 365 login page, enter your Hokies password and click Sign In. 
   
   
   
   
   1. Follow the procedure to sign in using Virginia Tech's 2-Factor Authentication. 
   2. Once you've logged in, Microsoft 365 will ask if you would like to stay signed in. Click Yes or No.
   3. Once connected, your OneDrive files will display in the Microsoft 365 tool in all of your Canvas sites.
      
      

Collaborate in Canvas with Microsoft OneDrive

1. Go to the course you want to collaborate in and click Collaborations. 
2. Beside Collaborate Using, change Google Apps to Microsoft OneDrive.
   
   
   
   
3. Choose a Type, then assign a Document name and Description.
   
   
   
   
4. Choose which people or groups you want to collaborate with and drag them to the right. 
   
   
   
   
5. Click Save.
   
   
   
   
6. You'll go to the Collaborations main page. To view your Collaboration, click its name. You can now begin collaborating with others in the file you made or start a new collaboration.
   
   
   
   

Get Help with Microsoft OneDrive and Canvas

Canvas Support provides help for Microsoft OneDrive. To contact Canvas Support, click Support on any Canvas screen for a list of help options, including 24/7 chat and phone support.

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Microsoft OneDrive Cloud Assignment

Add Microsoft OneDrive Cloud Assignment to a Canvas Site

1. Click Assignments in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. Create a new assignment or edit an existing one. 
   
   
   
   
3. Scroll to Submission Type. Choose External Tool from the dropdown box and then click Find. 
   
   
   
   
4. In the new window, find and click on Microsoft OneDrive. 
   
   
   
   
5. A window with your OneDrive files will appear. Check the file you want to embed and click Attach. 
   
   
   
   
6. You'll return to the Configure External Tool window with your file attached. Click Select.
   
   
   
   
7. Scroll down to select who you want to assign it to and when it would be available, and then click Save. 
   
   

Get help with Microsoft OneDrive and Canvas

Canvas Support provides help for Microsoft OneDrive. To contact Canvas Support, click Support on any Canvas screen for a list of help options, including 24/7 chat and phone support.

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Microsoft OneNote and Classroom Notebook

Background

1. First activate your Microsoft 365 account. See the Microsoft 365 - Service Portal page for more information on getting and using Microsoft 365 at Virginia Tech. 
2. Log in to Canvas.
3. Go to the course where you want to use OneNote/Class Notebook.  
4. In the Course Navigation Menu, click Class Notebook.
   
   
   
   
   • Instructors can show and hide tools from the Course Navigation Menu. If the menu does not have Class Notebook, go to the course's Settings and then the Navigation tab. Drag Class Notebook to the upper list of tools and save.
   • For detailed instructions on changing the Course Navigation Menu, see How do I manage Course Navigation links?
5. Click Sign in to OneNote. 
6. If you have already signed in with Microsoft OneDrive, you will be immediately connected to OneNote. Otherwise you will be asked to sign in to Microsoft. If so, log in with your Microsoft 365 credentials. 
7. You will go to the Microsoft Notebook page that has six setup steps. 
   
   
   1. Add Notebook Name: Under What's the name of your class?, your Canvas course site's name will be listed. You can change it. Click Next. 
      
      
      
      
   2. Notebook Overview: Read the details and click Next.
      
      
      
      
   3. Add Another Teacher: You can choose to add additional teachers to OneNote/Class Notebook by adding the teacher's official email address. If the teacher doesn't have a Microsoft 365 account, you won't be able to add them. Once you're finished adding other teachers, or if you don't wish to add other teachers, click Next.
      
      
      
      
   4. Add Student Names: Choose how to add your students to the notebook. We recommend you use the default option, Automatically add students from your LMS as they access this notebook. This means that when students go to the Class Notebook tool in your Canvas site, they'll be automatically added to the notebook. Click Next. 
      
      
      
      
   5. Design Student Spaces: By default, four sections (folders in this case) are automatically added - Handouts, Class Notes, Homework, and Quizzes. You can add new sections or rename the existing ones by clicking +Add More. When you're done adding/renaming sections, click Next. 
      
      
      
      
   6. Preview: Toggle between the teacher and the student view by clicking on Teacher's notebook and Student's notebook, and verify the screen shows the correct name and sections. To make changes, click the left arrow next to Did we get this right? To save the notebook, click Create. 
      
      
      
      
   7. Done: Your Class Notebook will be created. Click Open in OneNote or Open in OneNote (Online) to start editing your class notebook.
      
      
      
      
   8. Now that your notebook is created, any time you open Class Notebook in Canvas (by clicking it in the Course Navigation Menu in your Canvas site) you will see the screen below.
      
        
      
      
   9. To edit your Class Notebook, click Open your Class Notebook and then click Open OneNote in a new tab. For instructions on setting up your Class Notebook, see OneNote for Teachers.

Piazza

Background

Piazza facilitates real-time online discussion. Instructors use Piazza to host class question-and-answer sessions, where students post questions and collaborate to edit responses to these questions. Instructors can also answer questions, endorse student answers, and edit or delete any posted content. 

• For more information about Piazza and what it can do for your class, see Overview - Piazza.    

Add Piazza to a Canvas Site

You can add Piazza to a Canvas site's Course Navigation Menu, to an Assignment, or to a Module.

• Add Tool to the Course Navigation Menu
• Add Tool to an Assignment
• Add Tool to a Module

Use Piazza

Click Piazza in a course's Course Navigation Menu. You'll go to the Piazza start page where you have to create your Piazza Account. 

Get Help with Piazza

See Piazza's Support Center for more information on using Piazza and information on contacting Piazza support. 

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Zoom

Background

Zoom is a versatile video conferencing tool that all Virginia Tech affiliates can use on their computers and smartphones. All Virginia Tech students and faculty staff members have Virginia Tech Zoom Pro accounts, where they can host, schedule, and participate in meetings, and record meetings for free on the cloud.

• See Video Conferencing - Holding Zoom Conferences on a PC or Mobile Device for instructions on Zoom at Virginia Tech.  

Add Zoom to a Canvas Site

You can add Zoom to a Canvas site's Course Navigation Menu, to an Assignment, or to a Module.

• Add Tool to the Course Navigation Menu
• Add Tool to an Assignment
• Add Tool to a Module

Get Help with Zoom

For problems logging into Zoom, contact Virginia Tech 4Help:

1. Go to the 4Help Portal, log in with your PID and PID password, and click Get Help. 
2. Call (540) 231-4357. 

For problems using Zoom, contact Zoom support:

• Search Zoom Documentation in the Zoom Help Center.
• Chat live 24/7 with Zoom Support. 
• Go to Zoom Video Communications Technical Support and click Help. 
• Call Zoom Support (24/7) at 888-799-9666 (ext 2). 

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