The Canvas Creation Process: Explained

 

"No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, 

we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

 

 

 

You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty."

- D.F. UCHTDORF 

On this page, you will be introduced to the Rich Content Editor as well as given explanation on how it is used. The Rich Content Editor is a tool to help make it easy for users to build rich content throughout Canvas by adding text, equations, images, and video, recording directly from a webcam and mic, linking to other parts of a course, or inserting content from third party plug-outs.

The Canvas Rich Content Editor is based on the TinyMCE editor. It makes it easy to create and format text content, and to embed hyperlinks to other parts of the course, images, video from YouTube, external content from a repository (e.g. Equella), external LTI tools, and more. Our Rich Content Editor integrates with our Kaltura service to provide on-the-fly audio and video recording using your built-in webcam. You'll find the same Rich Text Editor virtually everywhere in Canvas that you can edit text.

 

See also Rich Content Editor in Canvas Guides Links to an external site..

 

The Rich Content Editor is this tool bar (below) . If you were to click on the  button, you would then see this same tool bar wherein you could begin to create and/or edit this page using the following Rich Content Editor features.

 Take a moment to use and familiarize yourself with each of the functions of the Rich Content Editor.

Progressive Enhancement: You have novice and power users.  Canvas provides simplicity for the basic user immediately and building blocks for the power user.  Over time Canvas can provide the experience for basic users necessary to become power users.

  • Text Editor: Easy to come in and write text and get out.
  • Content Pane: adding links to anywhere in the course instead of writing directions to students. Less clicky or friction.
  • Image: Upload an image through file repository or through Flickr creative commons integration (all licensed approved material to use)
  • Math Editor: We have a built in math equation editor that allows users to either use the GUI to create formulas or write equations using the math language LaTex (pronounced Lah-tech).
  • No Client-side Java:  We use no Client Side Java so the interface doesn't constantly break with every browser or LMS version update.  Instead we use modern languages like HTML5 and Javascript.  This also means our content is very favorable toward Accessibility requirements for screen readers like JAWS.
  • Embed media (Film Strip): Easy to include asynchronous media.  This brings education to a whole new level to help with distance learning, languages, or any classes that are more visual.  It also helps overall communication between teachers and students. This means better adoption, retention and higher level of completion in courses and degrees.
    • Transcoded Files: All files are transcoded behind the scenes so it doesn't matter what type of browser, media players, device, or internet connection a viewer has.  Canvas will find the most appropriate file format and deliver it to the user.  This again saves time and cost for faculty trying to get students in sync with all media they are delivering them.
  • Of the Web: The ability to accomplish much more inside the LMS because of ability to record videos, upload images, use the math equation editor, etc.  Users can pull from the world's most successful content repository: the internet. 
  • Equella: Also users can use integration with Equella to share any general licensed approved Equella content if needed, but will need license to use Equella as an internal shared content repository.
  • Rich Content Editor anywhere The rich content editor is prevalent across every object in Canvas (Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, ePortfolio, etc.) and each user can use all aspects of the rich content editor whether teacher or student.

Now that you have been introduced to the Rich Content Editor, little by little you will be encouraged and given opportunity to try using it yourself. The Rich Content Editor is simple, easy, powerful, and fun to use.