Canvas @ Yale supports a wide variety of external applications that are integrated into Canvas to support, improve, and enhance the teaching and learning experiences of our faculty and students. The following article contains an overview of Yale's external applications available for instructional use, as well as other general information to be mindful of when adopting external educational technology tools into your course design and facilitation.
Avoid Non-Yale Support Technology
To avoid compromising the integrity of Yale’s secure networks, systems and institutional data, instructors should not implement new platforms or resources (free or paid) for Yale teaching without consulting with the Poorvu Center or Yale ITS. Unvetted platforms, tools, or resources pose a data privacy risk as well as legal risk related to FERPA and digital accessibility policies. Accounts created on systems outside of Yale’s vetted resources may impact the security of our students or faculty. Companies often monetize the data they collect—including the intellectual property submitted on unvetted platforms.
If faculty or students are interested in using a platform that can / does integrate with Canvas that is not currently available in Canvas @ Yale, contact the Poorvu Center about the platform you are interested in exploring. We can work to approve it through Yale ITS, the Office of General Counsel, and Risk Management.
Table of Contents
This article will address the following information:
External Applications Available through Canvas @ Yale
Multiple groups on-campus work to identify, test, and implement these technology solutions. Below is information about the various external applications we have installed, and are exploring, for academic courses that utilize Canvas @ Yale.
The following applications are available to all academic courses through Canvas. This list was last updated on June 3, 2024.
| External Application Name | Description |
|---|---|
|
Course Reserves - Ares |
Integration with Ares, the Yale University Library application facilitates digital and in person Course Reserves for both print media and film. |
|
Ed Discussion: Overview |
Ed Discussion is a threaded discussion platform. It supports document and image upload, math equations, runnable code, embedded video, and image annotation. Posts can be private or anonymous, and student responses can be ‘endorsed’ by instructors. |
|
FeedbackFruits: Overview |
FeedbackFruits is a robust assessment and feedback tool suite that can facilitate individual or group oriented student-to-student, student-to-content, and instructor-to-student feedback activities, as well as many other interactive assessments. |
|
Gradescope: Overview |
Gradescope is a tool designed to streamline and standardize paper-based, digital, and code assignments. It supports problem sets and projects as well as worksheets, quizzes, exams, and papers. |
|
LabArchives: Overview |
LabArchives is a cloud-based lab notebook that can be used to organize, create, collaborate, and collect lab / research notes. |
|
LinkedIn Learning: Overview |
LinkedIn Learning is a video streaming platform dedicated to high quality, curated video series that focus on technical and soft-skills development. Content can be added into Canvas as a module, or as an assignment. With no Canvas Gradebook integration or visibility into the students' learning in LinkedIn Learning for the instructor, this is better as supplemental or optional assignments, not as required. |
|
Media Library (Panopto): Overview |
Panopto, called Media Library in our Canvas @ Yale instance, is used for media management and video capture. The tool also enables users to record lectures, create video assignments, and organize content in folders for individual or departmental use. |
|
Panorama: Overview |
Panorama provides alternative formats to content shared through your Canvas course, and insight into your course's accessibility. |
|
Perusall: Overview |
Perusall is an annotation tool that allows students to annotate PDFs and other documents, and share comments to each other within the document. Can be utilized as an assignment or as a discussion. |
|
Poll Everywhere: Overview |
Poll Everywhere is an audience participation application offering a variety of question types for synchronous and asynchronous polling. The integration with Canvas syncs the participants from the course roster and passes back gradebook data. |
|
Qualtrics LTI: Overview |
The Qualtrics LTI is the bridge that allows users to deploy their Qualtrics Surveys in a Canvas course site. Qualtrics is a robust survey creation, analysis, and organization tool. |
|
Respondus LockDown Browser: Overview |
Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within a learning management system. Students are unable to copy, print, access other applications, or visit other websites during an online exam. This application requires students to download Respondus' own LockDown browser to their computers. |
|
Turnitin: Overview |
Turnitin is a tool to help faculty and students develop and evaluate written scholarship. Turnitin provides an originality score / report of written work so students can properly reference source material. Turnitin is integrated into the Assignment tool of Canvas. |
|
VoiceThread: Overview |
VoiceThread helps facilitate asynchronous student engagement and online discussions through video, audio, and written comments. VoiceThread can be used as a presentation tool, a discussion, or an assignment. |
|
WordPress: Overview |
Wordpress is an online blogging solution creating a site where students and instructors can post and comment on a variety of topics. Integration of WordPress with Canvas includes roster syncing and placement of link to blog within Canvas site. Intended for 1:1 use with Canvas for a single course. |
|
Zoom: Overview |
Integrated with Canvas for scheduling and launching of course specific meetings. The Zoom integration includes a connection with the Media Library (Panopto) for cloud recording storage. |
External Applications Created By Yale for Canvas @ Yale
Yale's ITS development team has created a number of valuable, custom external applications for use in Canvas @ Yale to improve instructor and student work. Below is the list of ITS developed tools available in Canvas @ Yale.
Some of these applications are available under the Yale University - Open Source GitHub.
| External Application Name | Description |
|---|---|
|
ITS: Email List |
Generates a unique class list alias that can be used to message enrolled students from your course outside of Canvas through your local email client and inbox. |
|
ITS: Feedback & Accessibility Barriers Tool |
Promotes anonymous feedback reporting for accessibility barriers at any time on course or course content throughout the term by providing a feedback box within the course that send messages anonymously to the instructors of the course. |
|
ITS: Mid-Semester Feedback |
Supports the collection of anonymous feedback from students to faculty around the middle of the academic term. The tool provides a set of questions for faculty to choose from, and the ability to add individual questions as well that will be released to students on a set, time bound schedule. |
|
ITS: Photo Roster |
Leverages ID photos plus additional information on each student including preferred pronoun and name pronunciation (if available), residential college, major, year, and contact information. This is designed with Yale College in mind, but used by all schools. Includes downloadable roster as a spreadsheet as well as printable photo roster version in PDF. Visible to those with TA or Instructor based roles. |
|
ITS: Post'Em |
Easy spreadsheet upload ability to deliver feedback to students beyond letter or number grade, and does not need to be tied to a specific assessment or gradebook column in Canvas. Commonly used to deliver results for placement exams when actual score is not relevant and feedback is a recommendation. |
| ITS: Sign Up Tool | Used to create sign up slots for ad-hoc events scheduled through the Canvas calendar tool, such as office hours. |
Other Software Available at Yale
Yale licenses a number of applications that offer excellent functionality for teaching and learning that are not integrated into Canvas.
For a list of applications available, please see the ITS Software Library.
For more information on any of these applications, please email [email protected].