Canvas Commons

From the Canvas Community website - “Commons is a learning object repository that enables educators to find, import, and share resources. A digital library full of educational content, Commons allows Canvas users to share learning resources with other users as well as import learning resources into a Canvas course.” 

As an instructor who is a Canvas user at USask, you will be able to find materials in, and share materials to the Canvas Commons. In addition, there are institution-wide documents, such as a Canvas template available in the Canvas Commons. 

You can access Canvas Commons from within any of your courses. To search Canvas Commons, you will see a link to “Commons” in the Global Navigation menu on the far left, or on the menu in the upper right corner of the Home page of any courses where you are the instructor.

To learn how to search for and preview a resources in Canvas Commons, see the guide “How do I use Commons? 

To learn how to add a resource you find in Canvas Commons to your own Canvas course, see “How do I import and view a Commons resource in Canvas?” 

You may share any educational materials that you create in their entirety, are adaptations of openly licensed materials, or you have explicit permission to share in Canvas Commons. You may not share any copyrighted materials unless you are the sole copyright owner of the materials. This includes images, slides, photocopies of journal articles or pages in a book, or other such materials that may have been created by a commercial publisher, student, or others who have not given you permission to share the material in Canvas Commons.

To add a module, assignment, or quiz from one of your own courses in Canvas to Canvas Commons see this guide from Canvas – “How do I share a resource to Commons?” 

To add individual files, such as an image or document from one of your own courses see – “How do I share a document, image, video, or audio file to Commons?” 

You can decide who you wish to share your materials with. You can limit access to materials you put in Canvas Commons to a particular Canvas Group at USask, anyone at USask, or to the general Canvas Commons, which would allow anyone using Canvas to view your work. 

You can also decide what license you would like on those materials. You may choose for them to be copyrighted, which would allow others to see the materials, but not use them for their own purposes, or you may choose one of the open licenses. For more information about the licenses available in Canvas Commons, see What types of content licenses are available in Commons?

You can search Canvas to find resources that may be useful for your course. You may find an entire course that might have some resources you would like to use, or you there may be individual modules, assignments, or other smaller parts of a course that you’ll find useful. 

You can also share materials for others in your department, USask, or at other institutions to make use of. 

You and your colleagues can share resources developed within your unit or are openly licensed within Canvas. This may be easiest within a Group. For information on how to set up and use a Group in Canvas Commons, please see Can I share content I create in Canvas with just a small group of colleagues?

If students in your course are creating new materials such as posters, or are adapting existing open educational resources, those materials can be shared to the commons, with the permission of students. If shared with the USask in Canvas Commons, the students would have access to those materials as long as they are students at USask. If you share it with the wider Canvas Commons community, students can access the materials beyond their time as students at USask by creating a free Canvas Teacher account.

Please email movetocanvas@usask.ca with any questions or requests related to Canvas Commons or using Canvas in general.

Requests for Groups can be submitted as a General IT Request.

USask Course Template

A preview of the template

We have created a USask Default Template that you can use as a starting place as you design/build your course content. Information about this template can be found at the link below.

Course Design Checklist

The Move to Canvas team has adapted a course checklist in to assist you in designing and refining your Canvas courses. The checklist will support you in achieving our Learning Technology Ecosystem Principles and other principles of effective instructional design. You are welcome to use this resource to self-assess your courses. You may also contact the Move to Canvas team to have someone work through the checklist with you. To book a checklist consultation, email movetocanvas@usask.ca.

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