Implemented in our Canvas instance May 2021. This is a replacement for the Google Apps tool that will be deprecated sometime in late 2021 or early 2022. 

About the Google Assignments LTI

Google Assignments is an external tool within Canvas Assignments that allows you to distribute, review, and grade student work with G Suite for Education.  

Assignments builds upon the functionality of the previous Google Apps tool while streamlining keys tasks in the creation and management of coursework. With Google Assignments (LTI 1.3), you can virtually assign and collect any file type, including Google Docs and Microsoft Word files. You can also attach assignment files that will automatically distribute a personalized copy for each student. Each distributed copy will be labeled with a student’s name and organized in a Drive folder.

You can also:

  • Check for missed citations and possible plagiarism with the originality reports feature
  • Embed Drive files with the Canvas rich text editor
  • Add Drive files to Canvas Modules
  • Grade drive files in SpeedGrader

If you choose to grade with Google Assignments, you can also:

  • Provide rich feedback quickly with a comment bank of your most frequently used feedback 
  • Use Google originality reports to detect possible plagiarism
  • Automatically lock work once it’s turned in with permissions management 

The Google LTI integration automatically restricts access to only those users who are enrolled in the Canvas course where you shared the file. Note: users listed with the Instructor or TA permissions within a Canvas site will be able to review and grade a Google Assignment.

If you choose to use Google Assignments, please provide students with a link to the Canvas with Google Assignments LTI - Student View.

Resources from Google

Video Resources from Canvas

Limitations

As part of the Canvas integration, some functionality is limited by Google. Users should be aware of the following limitations by Google in Canvas:

  • Account sharing permissions can prevent sharing outside of an institution’s domain. Google admins can change the sharing permissions to allow documents to be shared outside the institution.
  • Document permissions can prevent files from previewing in a course. Users should ensure that permissions are set correctly for a document before sharing it with others in Canvas.

Authorization

Users can authorize the Google Apps LTI to view their Google Drive account. If authorization to Google Drive is not successful the first time, authorize the application again. Users can only authenticate into one Google Drive account at a time. If users need to authenticate into Google Drive using a different account, users can open the User Settings page, remove the integration, and then authenticate again using the new Google Drive account.

Assignments

Cloud Assignments

Instructors can create an online embedded assignment through an external tool. With the Google Apps external tool, this assignment type creates a view of the assignment file that acts as a template for a student’s assignment submission. Accepted assignment types are Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Presentations.

Notes:

  • Peer reviews cannot be used with External Tool assignments.
  • Rubrics can be added to external tool assignments, though the rubric must be added to the assignment before the assignment is set as an external tool assignment. Students can view the rubric in the assignment details page (accessed through their Grades page), and instructors can view the rubric in SpeedGrader.

File Upload Assignments

Instructors can also continue to create regular file upload assignments. However, when the instructor allows file uploads, students can view the Google Drive tab and upload files directly from Google Drive.

Collaborations

Users can create collaborations with documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. The creator can add individual users or groups from the course to participate in the collaboration. Collaborators can be added or removed at any time, but once a user is added to the collaboration, the user always has access to the collaboration in the user’s Google Drive folder. Collaborations require a name before they can be saved.

Files

Users can access their Google Drive folder from the Course Navigation Menu. Google Apps does not display a folder directly in a user’s Files page.

Modules

Google Apps displays as a Modules external tool. Instructors can add links to Google Drive documents as an external tool.

Rich Content Editor

Google Apps displays a Google Drive icon in the Rich Content Editor. The icon displays everything in a user’s Google Drive account and allows users to display documents as inline links or embed them directly. Students and teachers can view the icon anywhere they can access the Rich Content Editor, such as discussions and pages (as allowed).

If the icon does not display directly in the toolbar, the icon is included in the More External Tools drop-down menu.

Canvas Mobile App Features

Currently Google Apps integration has very limited integration in the Canvas by Instructure app and SpeedGrader app. Instructors who incorporate cloud assignments into their coursework should let students know that cloud assignments are not currently supported in the Canvas app.