Background/Overview
There are several ways to create links to content stored in your OneDrive account in your Canvas course. Some reasons to use OneDrive links:
- Save space in your Files
- Living documents mean you don't have to re-upload documents when you update them.
Overview of methods to share Office 365 links:
- Makes any document automatically visible to those enrolled in the course
- Avoids having to toggle between multiple windows
- Shared as View-only mode
- Makes any document autoamtically visible to those enrolled in the course
- Shows the document within Canvas
- Only one document linked at a time
- Shared as View-only mode
Sharing links must be created/retrieved before adding to Canvas
Toggle between OneDrive/SharePoint and Canvas tabs
Ability to change the document settings, i.e. "Can Edit, Can View or Can't Download".
Creating Links using the Microsoft Office 365 App (plug-in)
Using the Microsoft Office 365 LTI, you can add files by sorting through your OneDrive file library. This can be helpful when you don't want to open another tab and locate the file in your OneDrive account. This option will also show the hyperlink text as the file name and open the file in a new window. If you link a PowerPoint file, it will open into a presentation mode automatically instead of opening it as a file in general. A benefit to using this method is that is it automatically shared with anyone enrolled in the course in a "View Only" mode.
1. Open the page you wish to edit and place your cursor in the Rich Content Editor where you want the link to be placed. Click the Apps icon (looks like a plug).
2. From the drop-down, select Microsoft Office 365. If you don't see it, click on View All to find it.
3. Navigate through your Microsoft OneDrive library and choose the file you wish to share. Once selected, click the Attach File button. This will add the link to the file in the Rich Content Editor wherever your cursor was placed.
Creating Links Using Canvas Modules - External Tool
This feature acts similarly to using the Microsoft 365 plug-in because you can access your OneDrive file library directly within Canvas. The link will also feature the entire file in the Canvas platform. However, you can also choose to have that link load in a new tab which will take users out of Canvas. This method also makes any document automatically visible to those enrolled in the course.
1. Navigate to the Modules in your Canvas course and locate the Module to which you'd like to add a document link. Click Add (plus sign).
2. In the Add Item window, choose External Tool from the drop-down menu (1). Scroll down and choose Office 365 from the list of LTI tools available (2).
3. Navigate through your OneDrive library and choose the file you wish to shared. Click the Attach File button.
4. Click Add Item.
5. The file is added to the bottom of the Module. Files added this way are not automatically published, so you will need to publish it before students can view it.
6. Note: Once you've added a file to the Canvas Module, if you choose to go back and edit that item, it will open in the same way as an external URL, This means you won't be able to access your Office 365 to edit an already created item, but you can change the title of the item here. Do not try to update the URL in this way. If you made a mistake, like uploading the wrong document, or need to replace a broken link, you'll need to delete this item from the Module and start over.
Creating Links using Copy/Paste or External Links
Copy/Paste
When using the Copy/Paste method, the hyperlink in your course will show as the name of the file in OneDrive. If you want the hyperlink to show as something different, you will need to rename it in OneDrive or use the External Link option below.
1. Navigate to the file you wish to link in your OneDrive and copy the shareable link. More information on this process can be found in Replacing OneDrive Links in Canvas.
2. Navigate to where you want the hyperlink in your Canvas course and paste the URL.
External Link
An external link is similar to the Copy/Paste method, but in this case, you can change the text shown as the hyperlink, instead of the OneDrive file name being displayed.
1. In the Rich Content Editor, navigate to where you wish the link to display. Click on Link > External Link.
2. Enter the text you wish to display as the hyperlink in the Text field and paste the link address in the Link field.