List of Existing External Apps in Canvas

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Apps that are currently licensed MIT-wide, many of which are integrated with Canvas, are listed below. The 'Related Resources' column for each tool links to the lS&T landing page for that tool in addition to other resources about where you can find the tool and Canvas integration details.

Platform or Tool Description Category Canvas Integration? Related Resources
Canvas Canvas is MIT’s modern, easy-to-use Learning Management System (LMS) that brings instructors, students, and course content together in one place. It is cloud-based, so you can access all of your courses in real-time from anywhere, on any internet-connected device. Learning Management System (LMS) Yes
Dropbox Dropbox is a file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software. File storage & sharing Yes - for more info, see here
Explain Everything Explain Everything is MIT’s feature-rich digital whiteboard app for tablets and web browsers. Whiteboarding No
Google Drive

Google Drive, like Dropbox (above), is a place to create, host, and share files.

File storage & sharing No
Gradescope Gradescope is MIT’s tool for grading paper-based, digital, and code assignments. It’s designed to reduce grading time, increase grading consistency, and improve quality of feedback. Grading Yes - for more info, see here
Lecture capture solutions

Several Registrar rooms on campus have automated lecture capture installed in them, to be used for recording your lectures if you happened to be booked in one of these rooms.

You can also do self-service recording of your lectures in any classroom on campus that does not have lecture capture capability, using Zoom on an iPad.

Additionally, IS&T has installed and supports lightweight lecture capture in a number of rooms, especially to support student access to lecture recordings during the pandemic.

Lecture capture

Automated lecture capture systems push to Panopto, which is integrated with Canvas (see "Panopto" below).

Lecture recordings via other methods can also be uploaded to Panopto and therefore available via Canvas. 

Lightboard The Lightboard studio on campus is intended to be a self-service capture facility for recording short modules of curricular content, using the Lightboard (a lighted glass pane to write on) with a video and audio capture system.  Lecture capture, Video Lightboard videos can be uploaded to Panopto and therefore available via Canvas (see "Panopto" below)
MATLAB Grader

MATLAB Grader is a browser-based authoring environment for creating, sharing, and auto grading MATLAB coding problems and assessments.  

Grading Yes - for more info, see here
Panopto Panopto is MIT’s lecture capture tool and video hosting platform that allows you to record, host, share, and search videos. Panopto is fully integrated into Canvas and Zoom, allowing for seamless sharing of video with students. Video Yes - for more info, see here
Perusall Perusall is an online collaborative annotation tool for instructors and students that is integrated with Canvas.  Collaborative annotation Yes - for more info, see here
Photo Grid Photo Grid allows instructors to view photos of registered students on the Canvas site, along with name pronunciations and pronouns as recorded by the student. Class Roster Yes
Piazza Piazza is MIT’s platform for instructors to efficiently manage class Q&A. It’s designed to simulate real class discussion. Q&A/Discussion Yes - for more info, see here
Poll Everywhere Poll Everywhere is MIT’s dynamic online polling platform that allows students to vote on custom teacher-generated polls through SMS, smartphone or computer. Polling Yes - for more info, see here
Qwickly

Qwickly is an attendance-taking tool with different modes for checking students in, including the option for students to self-report attendance in Canvas using their own device. 

Attendance Yes - for more info, see here
Redirect tool The Redirect tool links to external websites from the course navigation bar. Whatever URL you specify is loaded within the content pane when users click the link.  External websites Yes
  • Note: Not tied to IS&T, so no documentation available. Read more here.
Slack Slack is a messaging and collaboration tool. You can create a workspace for a course, and members of the workspace can engage in conversation channels for topics, projects, and groups, as well as direct message.  Communication, Discussion Yes - for more info, see here
ThingLink

ThingLink is a tool for annotating and augmenting digital items embedded on a Canvas page, like images (including 360-degree VR images) and videos. Instructors and students can create multiple "hot spots" or tags that link to other rich media.

Interactive media No, but can be embedded in Canvas
Zoom Zoom is MIT’s cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars. Video, Communication, Conferencing Yes - for more info, see here

Unless already available in the main navigation menu on your site or otherwise indicated above, you can find & add the above tools to your site by going to: your Course > Settings > Navigation.

The CAT-SOOP & Residential MITx platforms also have a level of integration with Canvas @ MIT.

Go to main Canvas External Apps Seed Funds page.