Take a Pic PLEASE

[scombs2]

I want my students in Math class to take a picture of their work and upload that pic to Canvas.  Currently we have to jump through many hoops outside of Canvas to make that happen.  If Canvas can use the device's camera to take a video, can't you just add the feature of taking a still picture as well?  That would be SO helpful!

[KristinL]

Hi Steve - Do your students have access to smartphones or tablets during the day? They could do this with the Canvas Student app. I teach at a school with 1:1 iPads, and students submit images or scans (.pdf files) in for assignments with their math classes frequently.

[scombs2]

They do have smart phones and I have a classroom set of i-pads. They can take the pic, find the pic, save it on their device as a pdf (by first opening it up in something like Word and saving it from there), go to Canvas, find the pdf, and upload it. But this is a long rather tedious and complicated process. Is there an easier way? If they are using the i-pads, they further have to go back and delete the pic as the next class will be using the i-pads. It would be so much easier if they could just take a pic from within Canvas in the same way they can take a video.

Steve Combs

[KristinL · Accepted solution]

There is a much easier process.

If the assignment is set to accept images, here's the process:

• open assignment in Canvas
• Select "Submit Assignment"
• Note the options of: Camera, Library, Files
• Tap Camera
• Take a photo, then confirm the photo by saying "use photo"

I'm pretty sure that the file doesn't save to the device, either. That would be great with a shared set of iPads!

If you can install a scanning app such as GeniusScan, students can scan the file then "Open In..." Submit Canvas Assignment. It's very quick as well. 

With either pdf or jpg files, the instructor will be able to use SpeedGrader to add comments and/or annotations.

[smcclure2]

Am I doing something wrong?

When submitting an assignment in student view, I see the option to record a video, but not the "camera" option mentioned on this thread.  I am hoping my students can take a photo of their work and submit it within Canvas.

[tomokiyo]

I am having the same problem.  I would like for students to just take a picture using the webcam.  They don't all have smartphones or tablets. But I only see an option to take a video.

[abutler33]

I have this same exact question. There is no "camera" button on my course assignments.  There is nowhere for me to allow them to respond with a picture (without uploading from another source). I would like this to be an option that is just as easy as submitting a video. 

[MsAntman]

This would be great, but the camera option doesn't show up for my students, only the record video option.

I teach elementary and need them to take a picture  of their work to share with me without tons of steps.

I keep seeing that the camera is an option when I look for help but it isn't in ours and my tech people can't tell me why it isn't there.

[mrzachg]

Yes, I find this to be quite a problem. Students in any other LMS can just select camera and start taking a photo right then. This is super useful for so many things. I can't imagine it would even take Canvas that long to add this to the Rich Content Editor.