Google Assignments is an LTI that allows you to embed Google products within Canvas. You can use this LTI to create assignments that use Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, and so on. You can also allow students to turn in assignments by linking to files in their Google Drive, which is a good option for large files. Using Google Assignments with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides allows classes to create interactive files. This can be a good option for classes where students turn in drafts of essays, because Google Assignments allows for the editing functions from Google Docs, along with all of the functions you may be familiar with in the Google Workspace products.
The video below gives you an overview of some key functions in Google Assignments.
You can also use the Google integration with Canvas to add files or Google calendars to your modules, pages, and assignments.
To create a Google Assignment, begin the same way you would for any other assignment in Canvas. When you are ready, go to the "Submission Type" dropdown menu and select "External Tool." Click the "Find" button to search through the various external tools connected to your course.
Be sure to select the "Google Assignments (LTI 1.3)" tool. There is a "Google Drive Cloud Assignment" tool, which is different, and not the same as Google Assignments.
If this is the first time you are using Google Assignments, you will be prompted to link your Google account to Canvas. Select the appropriate account and click the blue "Link" button.
You will see another pop up window confirming that you do want to link this account to Canvas. Click the blue "Link" button.
Next you will see various options to use in setting up your assignment. You can use Google Assignment's plagiarism checker (click the toggle button to turn it on if you want to use this tool). You have the option of using Google Assignments or Canvas SpeedGrader to grade and give feedback on your assignments. You are able to create and attach rubrics with either option, and grades entered in Google Assignment are synced with the Canvas grade book. For this demonstration, I selected the Google Assignments grading option.
If you want to use the Google Assignment grading feature and use a rubric, click the "+" sign beside the Rubric option. You can create a new rubric tailored to this assignment, reuse a rubric that you have already created, or import a rubric from Google Sheets.
You can add as many criterion as you need for your rubric, and you can set the total number of points for each criterion.
Once your rubric has been selected or created, you will see the "Create a Google assignment" page with your rubric listed. Now click the blue "Create" button to create your assignment.
Google Assignments integrates with other Google suite products. If you prefer creating or managing rubrics in a spreadsheet, or if you want to share a rubric that you created in Google Assignments with another instructor, you can follow the directions laid out in Google's directions and the video below.
The link provides directions for exporting and importing a rubric.
The video demonstrates the process; the presenter links to a rubric template she has created.
If you choose to use Google Grading (instead of SpeedGrader) for your assignment, you have ability to use Google Assignment's plagiarism checker. When a student uploads their assignment, they have the option to run and view Google's originality report. Google will build the originality report, which takes a few moments.
The Google originality report may be a little strange. I used the Lorem ipsum test as a placeholder in this assignment, and while Google realized that it was not original text, it decided to list various sites that used Lorem ipsum, instead of recognizing it as complete, copied text. However, you can still see a list of sites that use the Lorem ipsum text listed as possible sources.
In Google Assignments, you can use the same editing tools that you have access to in Google files. You can highlight passages to add comments and add in suggested text in editing mode. You can also use emojis if you want.
You can set up assignments so that students upload or link to files in their Google Drives. If you choose this method, be sure to use the "Google Drive (LTI 1.3)" tab.
When the student (or you) has linked to a Google Drive, they can search within in the way they would usually.
This is the screen a student sees when they have successfully submitted a Google Assignment.
You can add Google files like documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets to your modules as module items. This method will be demonstrated below first.
You can embed Google files anywhere you use the rich content editor box, like Pages and Assignments. This method will be demonstrated second.
This method allows you to embed a file from your Google Drive as a module item – you will not be able to edit the page that results as you would a Canvas page.
To add any type of file from your Google Drive to a module, click the "+" button on the module. Select "External Tool" from the drop down menu in the "Add [item]" menu. Select "Google Drive (LTI 1.3)" from the list.
Give Google permission to link your Drive with Canvas and click the "Select File" button.
Select the file that you want to add to the module and click the "Add" button. If the "Add External Tool" window is open, click the red "Add Item" button.
Your file will appear in the list of module items. Be sure to publish it.
When you click on the link, the file will appear embedded on a Canvas page.
This method can be used for any files you have in your drive (documents, slideshows, spreadsheets, pdfs, images, etc). You will be able to add other materials to this Canvas page alongside your embedded Google file.
Create a new page (or assignment, anything that uses the rich content editor box), and click the Google Drive icon above the text editing box.
This will bring up a pop-up window that asks you to select the Google Drive you want to access.
Confirm the drive you want to access, and another pop-up window will display the files inside your drive.
Select the file you want to embed, then save your Canvas Page. Your file will now appear directly in Canvas.
This demonstrates how to create a shared Google document that students can edit collaboratively, but the process is the same for shared slide shows, spreadsheets, and so on.
This example shows how to share files directly with participants. You can also use Canvas Collaborations (directions in Canvas's Instructor Guide: What are Collaborations?)
First, create the file you want to share in your Google Drive. Once it's set up, locate the "Share button" in the top right corner of the screen.
Click the "Share" button and edit your sharing settings. Under the "General Access" heading, select "Anyone with the link" from the dropdown menu.
Then, select "Editor" from the Role dropdown menu. This will allow all of the participants in your class to access and edit the file.
Click the "Copy link" button; the link will be copied to your computer clipboard. Click the "Done" button when you're finished.
Navigate back to your Canvas course.
You can add this link to a Canvas page, assignment, quiz, or anywhere a content box is available. If you are using modules, you can add the file as a module item using these steps:
If you are using modules, click the "+" button in the module where you want the shared file to be accessed.
Select "External URL" from the dropdown menu, paste the link that you copied from the Google file, and give the item a name. Click "Add Item" when you have finished filling in the fields.
Your editable file will appear as an item in the module (in this example, it is "Sample Shared Editable Doc."
When students click on this item in the module, they will see an editable file embedded in Canvas, and can add to it as they would any Google Drive file. If they want to access the file in Google Drive, they can click the rectangular icon next to the file name in the gray bar at the top of the document.
There are two ways to add a Google calendar to your class. One involves adding it as an item to a module. This will be demonstrated first in this tab.
You can also embed a Google calendar anywhere you use the rich content editor box. I'll demonstrate using a Page. This process requires you to go into the HTML editor, which is not difficult. This will be demonstrated second.
This method allows you to embed a Google calendar as a module item – you will not be able to edit the page that results as you would a Canvas page.
1. Open Google Calendar, locate the calendar you want to add to your course in the list at left. Hover over the calendar and click on the 3 dots that appear to open more options.
2. Click on the "Settings" option on the menu.
3. Scroll down the settings page to locate the "Integrate calendar" section. Copy the code that appears in the "Public URL to this calendar" box.
4. Click the "+" button on the module that you want to add the calendar to, then select "External URL" from the "Add [item] to Class Resources" drop down menu. Paste the URL in the appropriate field and give the page a name. Click the red "Add Item" button at the bottom of this box.
5. The calendar will appear in the module list.
6. As long as you have not checked the "Load in a new tab" box on the Add item page, the calendar will appear as a Canvas page.
This method allows you to embed a calendar anywhere that you have access to a rich content editor box, like Pages and Assignments. You will be able to add other materials to this Canvas page alongside your embedded Google calendar.
1. Open Google Calendar, locate the calendar you want to add to your course in the list at left. Hover over the calendar and click on the 3 dots that appear to open more options.
2. Click on the "Settings" option on the menu.
3. Scroll down the settings page to locate the "Integrate calendar" section. Copy the code that appears in the "Embed code" box.
4. Create or open the page in Canvas where you want to embed the calendar. In its editable form, locate the HTML editor button, which looks like "</>", below the content editor box. Click this button to switch to the HTML editor view.
5. Paste the copied embed code from the calendar into the HTML editor. Click the "Save" button to save your work.
6. The calendar will appear in your page as below. If you want to center the calendar, use the rich content editor to highlight the calendar and click the center alignment option as you would to center text.
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