Updated June 27, 2024
These guides will walk you through how to 1) Enable Microsoft Teams in your Canvas course, 2) Upload a file to Microsoft Teams, and finally 3) Embed that file into a Canvas Page, Discussion, or anywhere that uses the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE).
When would I use this?
Canvas is a Learning Management System, and is not optimized for file-sharing. Users only have 52.5MB of personal storage space in Canvas, and course shells only have 1GB of storage space. This storage space is sufficient for the standard student who only needs to upload a few small files a semester, or for a faculty member whose course only has a few small files. However, users who utilize larger amounts of storage for their classes such as large PowerPoint or PDF files, high-resolution photos, etc., may encounter storage capacity issues. In these situations, it is better to use another file storage system, such as OneDrive (for files or photos) or Panopto/Canvas Studio (for videos). The following guide will walk you through how to embed a file in Canvas using the RCE.
What does Embedding mean?
In layman’s terms, to embed a file onto a page means that you are taking a file that would otherwise need to be downloaded to the user’s computer or viewed in another tab, and instead putting that file in-line with text on the existing page. This keeps the student on one page to view all of the content you wish for them to see.
Why do I have to leverage Microsoft Teams to do this?
The St. John’s University enterprise license of Microsoft leverages many security features that protect your data from outside viewers. This means that no one can view your OneDrive files unless you give them permission to do so. If you want to share a file from OneDrive with someone, you would normally open OneDrive, click share, and share it with the person who you want to view the document.
By connecting your Canvas course to Microsoft Teams, you get to “skip” that sharing step if you or your students are sharing multiple files. When you connect your Canvas course to Microsoft Teams using the steps below, your course roster is kept synced between Canvas and Teams, and any files that are shared in that Teams class will be automatically shared with the entire course roster, without you having to type in every student’s email address every time.