OneDrive

Introduction

The OneDrive learning tool integration (LTI) allows Penn State students, faculty, and staff with Microsoft 365 accounts to create, share, and collaborate on OneDrive files within Canvas. This page provides more information about the LTI and includes step-by-step instructions to incorporate it into your Canvas course. You will also find helpful information and resources to share with students.

Note: To enable this integration in your course, see the following Canvas Advanced Learning Path page: Find and Implement Integrations in Your Course (PSU resource)

On This Page:

  1. Get to know the Canvas OneDrive integration
  2. View and access your OneDrive files in Canvas
  3. Add links to OneDrive files to your course
  4. Accept assignment submissions from students' OneDrive
  5. Assign OneDrive file templates as Cloud Assignments
  6. Assign OneDrive file collaborations to groups of students

 

Get to know the Canvas OneDrive integration

Learn more about the features of the OneDrive learning tool in the following article:

 

View and access your OneDrive files in Canvas

Once the OneDrive learning tool is enabled in a course, the OneDrive link will appear in the Course Navigation. Clicking this link allows instructors and students to view and access files stored in their OneDrive accounts within Canvas; however, managing and editing those files must occur in OneDrive (outside of Canvas).

You can access your OneDrive account (outside of Canvas) via the Penn State Office 365 login page at office365.psu.edu Links to an external site.. Or, click the link below to log in directly to OneDrive:

Learn more about adding and managing permissions for your OneDrive files:

Learn more about the OneDrive LTI:

NOTES:

  • Only Penn State M365 Users can utilize this learning tool in Canvas.
  • You must agree to the terms of use the first time you login.

 

Add links to OneDrive files in your course

Instructors can use the OneDrive learning tool to add Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files stored in their individual OneDrive accounts to their Canvas courses. OneDrive files can be added to any area of Canvas with a Rich Content Editor, including pages, quizzes, and assignments. These files will appear as links wherever they are added, allowing students to access them in context. When students access the file, a copy will be added to their OneDrive and is editable with Office Online or an Office Desktop application. Linked files do not contribute toward the Canvas file storage limit.

Instructional use cases:

  • Link a PowerPoint presentation to a page instead of uploading the file to your course.
  • Link an Excel spreadsheet within assignment instructions so students can access data without downloading the file.
  • Link a single Office file (like a lecture PowerPoint) from OneDrive in multiple courses or sections, allowing you to update the file as needed through the OneDrive link in the courses or sections. This will automatically update the file for everyone who accesses those links.

Add a link from OneDrive to a Module as an external tool using the instructions in the following article:

 

NOTES:

  • Students will be able to view, share or contribute to a file.
  • PDF files stored in OneDrive are compatible with Canvas.

 

Accept assignment submissions from students' OneDrive

When you create an assignment in Canvas, you have the option to accept Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files directly from students’ OneDrive. Any OneDrive file students submit to this assignment can be viewed and graded in SpeedGrader.

Instructional use cases:

  • Ask students to submit an essay (Word document) saved in their OneDrive.
  • Require students to upload a PowerPoint presentation from their OneDrive before they give an in-class presentation.

Create an online/file upload assignment using the instructions in the following article:

Teach students how to upload files from their OneDrive as assignment submissions by sharing the following article:

 

NOTES:

  • Students can only submit one file per submission including Word (.doc/.docx), Excel (.xls/.xlsx), PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx),
  • If students make changes to the file in OneDrive after they submit the assignment, they must re-submit the Assignment.

 

Assign OneDrive file templates as Cloud Assignments

A second option to utilize the OneDrive learning tool is through Cloud Assignments. These assignments allow instructors to provide a template for student’s assignment submissions using the External Tool option. When students open a Cloud Assignment, a copy of the associated file will be added to the student's folder within the course, which can be accessed through OneDrive. Then, they will be able to edit it with Office Online or an Office Desktop application. After submission, instructors can view and grade the file in SpeedGrader.

Instructional use cases:

  • Provide students with an Excel template and require them to add data or formulas to cells, make calculations, or interpret the data.
  • Outline the required format of a research paper on a Word document and ask students to add their own content.

Create Cloud Assignments using the instructions in the following article:

Teach students how to submit a Cloud Assignment by sharing the following article:

 

NOTES:

  • If you want to use a rubric to grade your assignment, it must be added before choosing the External Tool submission type.
  • Cloud Assignments are not available for group assignments.
  • Cloud Assignment files are editable by students by default.
  • If students make changes to the file in OneDrive after they submit the assignment, they must re-submit the assignment.

 

Assign OneDrive file collaborations to groups of students

Both instructors and students can select class members to participate in a collaboration and work on a blank Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file simultaneously. Students can participate in a collaboration created by an instructor or create their own collaboration to work with peers. Collaborations are informal, are not linked to the Gradebook. and cannot be graded in SpeedGrader. Students can submit a completed collaboration for grading if they save the file to their OneDrive and submit through an Online/File Upload Assignment, (see instructions above).

Instructional use cases:

  • Create a PowerPoint collaboration and ask a group of students to work together to develop study questions for an upcoming exam.
  • Ask students to create their own Word collaboration to brainstorm topics for a group essay.

Create a collaboration using the instructions in the following article:

Teach students how to view a collaboration and how to create their own collaborations by sharing the following articles:

 

NOTES:

  • The Collaborations link appears in your Course Navigation by default. Remove the link Links to an external site. if you do not use this feature in your course.
  • When creating a new collaboration, you cannot link to a previously created collaboration.
  • Collaborations are not editable, but the owner of the collaboration can delete the collaborations.
  • Deleting the collaboration does not remove access to the collaboration.
  • Calendar events Links to an external site. can be used to alert invitees about collaborations; however invitations are automatically sent to all participants' Outlook email account.