(BryteWave) Course Materials Alternatives

[Grantholli]

Is BryteWave the only option for access to course materials on canvas and who put it on canvas? I am asking because it is horrible to use. I don't want to have to scroll to see the last paragraph, then need to click on a tiny arrow in the corner of the screen, then scroll again, and repeat every time I get to the end of a page or when I am skimming through the book to find relevant material. These books have hundreds of pages, some times even thousands. This feels unproductive, flimsy, and irritating.

Conclusion: Is there another alternative on canvas and is the program forced onto students by canvas or by the school?

[Chris_Hofer]

Hello there, @Grantholli ...

Although I have never used BryteWave myself, I do know that it is a product by Follett, and that there is an integration for it that connects inside of Canvas.  My guess is that your school or your specific course that your taking has opted to use BryteWave inside of your Canvas environment to access certain course materials.  The interface that you see for BryteWave would be controlled by Follett ... not Canvas.  Yes, your instructor could certainly put other course materials/content into Canvas without using BryteWave, but you most likely would not get the interface that is needed for your course in order for you to get the content ... since BryteWave is essentially a third-party integration.  You could talk with your instructor to see if there are any easier ways for you to access the content in BryteWave that you're looking for.  Or, maybe see if you can have a chat with the University of Houston's Online Learning / eLearning / Distance Education team to see if they might be able to help you.  I found this page on their website:

Student Help for Canvas - University of Houston (uh.edu)

Hopefully you'll be able to get some help from someone on your campus soon.  Good luck to you!

[owecoleman]

The decision to use BryteWave or any other integration is typically made by the school or institution, not Canvas. Schools choose based on factors like cost, ease of integration, content availability, and agreements with publishers. Conclusion: There might be alternatives depending on the integrations your school has chosen to enable within Canvas. The decision to use BryteWave is likely from the school, not Canvas. You should communicate your feedback to your institution's IT or e-learning department to explore other potential solutions.    Tell Tims