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.
Creating a Collaboration
- Log in to Canvas: Open your Canvas course.
- Navigate to Collaborations: Click on the “Collaborations” link in the course navigation menu.
- Start a New Collaboration:
- Click the “Start a new collaboration” button.
- Choose the type of collaboration tool you want to use (e.g., Word or Excel).
- Name and Describe the Collaboration:
- Enter a name for your Collaboration.
- Provide a brief description if needed.
- Add Collaborators:
- In the “Collaborate With” pane, select the names of the individuals or groups you want to add.
- Click the names to move them to the right column, indicating they are added to the Collaboration.
- Create the Document:
- Click the “Start Collaborating” button.
- A new tab will open with your document where all collaborators can view and edit.
Managing Collaborations
If students enroll AFTER a Collaboration has been created, they will need to be added to the Collaboration, or they will be unable to access it.
- Edit a Collaboration:
- Go to the “Collaborations” page.
- Click the edit icon next to the Collaboration you want to modify.
- Remove Collaborators:
- Click the name of the individual or group in the right column to move them back to the left column.
- To remove all collaborators, click “Remove All”.
- Delete a Collaboration:
- Click the delete icon next to the Collaboration you want to remove.
Tips for Effective Collaboration
- Communicate Clearly: Use the comments or chat features within the document to communicate with your collaborators.
- Set Deadlines: Make sure everyone knows the deadlines for their contributions.
- Regular Updates: Check the document regularly to stay updated on the progress.
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.
Considerations and 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).
For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the Canvas Instructor Guide1.
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)
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