Office 365 Integration

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

If Microsoft Office 365 was an integrated web service, these two features could be implemented:

  1. Homework submissions from Office 365's OneDrive
  2. Collaboration using Office Web Apps - Word

 

  Comments from Instructure...

Canvas Release: Microsoft Office 365 LTI

54 Comments
mikescheid
Community Contributor

could not agree more... we use O365 and the google apps integration is worthless to us.

GideonWilliams
Community Champion

I have been hearing rumours of Office365 integration coming soon. Was at BETT2016 in London and supposedly there was a demonstration by Microsoft of integration with Canvas.... Perhaps someone might want to confirm?

hpalmersheim
Community Novice

This ability to post in discussions directly from OneDrive would also be greatly appreciated.

keith_rowley
Community Member

Hey guys, my Canvas admin found this HTML code that makes this WORK! I'm using it now in my classes, and my Syllabi, which are Word docs stored in my college's OneDrive for Business, are LIVE in my Canvas sites! Check it out on one of my public Syllabus pages:

Syllabus for 4118B564 - BTS 165 Business Spreadsheet Analysis & Design

It's just two pieces of HTML that you can copy/paste before and after the OneDrive link... Here's the code and how to implement it:

1. Go to the document you want to embed into Canvas.

2. "Get a Link" for it -- I usually use the "View Link - no sign-in required" one -- that way, students can view the document without having to sign-in to their OneDrive account. Copy that URL.

3. Go to the Canvas page / assignment / quiz into which you wish to embed your document.

4. Edit the page / assignment / quiz.

5. Go into the HTML Editor.

6. Enter this code first: <p><iframe src="

7. Then paste in your OneDrive document's URL.

8. Then paste in this code: &amp;action=embedview&amp;wdStartOn=1" width="800px" height="600px"></iframe></p>

9. I always Save immediately after that. If I wish to change the height and width of the embedded document, I will do that after I've already saved.

That's it! You and your students will then be able to view the document right in Canvas.

Now, the COOLEST part of this whole thing is that you can EDIT the document right there in Canvas, using Word Online! Here's how:

1. In the embedded document window on the Canvas page, click the "Full Screen" icon in the bottom right corner. The document will open in a new browser tab, in full screen view.

2. In order to edit the document, you'll have to be signed in to your OneDrive account. If necessary, click the "Sign In" button, top right, and sign in to your OneDrive account.

3. Click on the "Edit Document" button, top right.

4. Then, from that menu, select "Edit in Word Online" (you could also select "Edit in Word," which would open the file in your local copy of Microsoft Word, giving you full control over formatting, etc. For simple text edits, editing in Word Online is considerably faster.)

5. Edit your document. No need to "Save" it, as Word Online automatically saves all edits (if you chose "Edit in Word," then you WILL have to Save it).

That's it! If you want to see your edits in Canvas, just Refresh the Canvas page, and you'll see your latest edits. Super-quick and convenient!

You can also do this with Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.

Now my wish is that Instructure and Microsoft get together and implement these two tiny pieces of code right into Canvas' page edit controls. I mean, if *I* can do this, then surely the brilliant minds and these two institutions can do it!

Best,

Keith

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

keith.rowley​, that looks fantastic, and I'm going to copy all of this into my notebook of handy Canvas tips! If I may offer one piece of unsolicited advice, I'd recommend changing width="800px" height="600px"  to width="100%" height="600px" (which you may well already have done); my screen, the far right of the document is cut off.

GideonWilliams
Community Champion

Genius. Thanks for sharing.

anthonem
Community Contributor

 @peytoncraighill ​ - I'm still tuned! Perhaps we might hear an announcement about a Canvas-O365 integration coming from InstructureCon this year?

peytoncraighill
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
GideonWilliams
Community Champion

Which means exactly?

anthonem
Community Contributor

 @GideonWilliams ​ - I looked at the Instructurecon presentation that  @peytoncraighill ​ linked to. Sounds promising! Here is the description:

You asked for a Microsoft + Canvas integrated experience. You asked for access to OneDrive throughout Canvas. You requested that we provide live access to Office documents within modules and from within SpeedGrader. Done. Done. Done.  In this session, Jim Federico will demonstrate how Instructure and Microsoft have responded to teacher feedback. He will also demo OneNote Class Notebooks and will provide an overview of two new teacher and student centered products from Microsoft: Classroom and Forms.

I'll specifically be waiting to hear if OneDrive will be integrated in a similar manner to Google Docs (in particular the document sharing workflow). That would be great for our institution.