How to start a collaboration using Microsoft 365 in Canvas

Enabling Collaborations in your Canvas course navigation menu

If you would like to use Collaborations with your students in your Canvas course, you will first need to enable Collaborations in the course navigation menu.  This will make the Collaborations link visible to students in your Canvas course navigation menu.

Click on the Settings link in your Canvas course navigation menu.

In the Settings area of your Canvas course, click on the Navigation tab along the top.

Find Collaborations in the bottom group of items that are disabled/hidden from students in the course navigation menu.

Either hold and drag Collaborations to the top group of items or click on the three dots to the right, then select Enable.

Once you see Collaborations in the top group of items that are enabled/visible to students in the course navigation menu, scroll down to the bottom of the page and Save.

 

Starting a collaboration

Inside your Canvas course, select Collaborations in the course navigation menu.

In the top right corner, select the Add Collaboration button.

In the drop-down, select Office 365.

 

To add a title for the collaboration, enter a title in the Title field.

In the File type drop-down menu, select the type of collaboration you want to create.  You can create Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

To add a description for the collaboration, enter text in the Description field.

Select the name of a person you want to add to the collaboration.  Add as many collaborators as necessary, then click the Save button.

This will create a new file that all invited collaborators will be able to access and edit when they click on the file from the Collaborations area of the Canvas course.