Canvas Collaborations utilizes Microsoft OneDrive to allow multiple users to work together on the same document at the same time. Collaborative documents are saved in real-time, meaning a change made by any of its users will be immediately visible to everyone. Students and Instructors can start a collaboration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Accessing Collaborations
• Considerations & Best Practices
  • Avoid Embedding Collaborations
  • Create Backup Copies
    • Information About Retention and Lifecycle
• Uses for Collaborations
• Additional Resources

Accessing Collaborations

Collaborations can be accessed by clicking on the Collaborations tab on the left-hand Course Menu. This tab provides a centralized location for managing collaborative activities and interactions.  

Considerations & Best Practices

Avoid Embedding Collaborations

Collaborations should not be embedded in pages because this can cause issues with the page if the document is moved or removed. The technical support team cannot log in as the instructor/student to troubleshoot as the Office Integration does not allow a true view (we cannot log into Office as the instructor/student). Note: No courses should have pages that are editable by students. This was a temporary fix when Canvas was first launched and Collaborations had not been implemented. 

Create Backup Copies

Instructors and students should consider keeping backup copies of their collaborative work outside of Canvas to mitigate any potential data loss. 

Information About Retention and Lifecycle

JHU uses a wide variety of third-party instructional technology tools in addition to the LMS. While these tools may be seamlessly integrated in the LMS, their content is hosted outside of Canvas. These third-party tools do not follow the Canvas retention cycle. Each third-party tool has different retention and lifecycle based on a variety of legal considerations, costs, and contract terms. For example, eReserves show matriculated students’ materials under fair use, and access is removed after the course is completed. Alternatively, JHU’s Microsoft Teams is part of an enterprise contract and has a yearly renewal cycle.   Teams folders expire at one year and OneDrive folders expire at two years. For more information see: Canvas Course Archival and Retention > Office of the University Registrar (jhu.edu) 

Uses for Collaborations

Use For

• Sign-up Lists:
  Collaborations can be effectively used to create and manage sign-up lists. Instructors can set up a sign-up list, allowing students to select specific time slots or tasks. This helps in organizing appointments, presentations, or any time-sensitive activities.  
• Student Collaborations:
  Canvas Collaborations is a platform for students to collaborate on group projects, assignments, or research. Students can collaboratively edit documents and brainstorm ideas.

Do Not Use For

• Assignment Submissions:
  Collaborations should not be used for submitting assignments. Instead, use the dedicated Canvas assignment submission tools that are tailored to the grading process and collection of student work. 
• Student Comments that are Graded:
  While Collaborations are great for collaborative discussions, they are not suitable for student comments that are meant to be graded. Canvas offers dedicated tools for assignment feedback and grading, which should be used for this purpose. 

Related Articles

• Microsoft OneDrive – Canvas at JHU 
• Canvas Course Archival and Retention > Office of the University Registrar (jhu.edu) 
• How do I use the Collaborations Index Page? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com) 
• How do I create a Microsoft Office 365 collaborati... - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)