With the SoftChalk Link Selector app in Canvas, you can easily access and embed SoftChalk lessons within Canvas pages, assignments, or modules. This guide will walk you through the steps to connect to SoftChalk lessons from Canvas.
NOTE: If you do not have a user account with the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud, view our guide on How to Create a SoftChalk Account prior to embedding a SoftChalk lesson in Canvas.
Click on each header link below to view the various ways you can use SoftChalk within the Canvas learning management system (LMS).
Using the SoftChalk Link Selector within a Canvas page allows you to share lessons that do not contain scored QuizPoppers or Activities. You can also use Canvas pages to share lessons that contain these scoring mechanisms but would prefer the scores from learners' attempts feed to a SoftChalk Cloud ScoreCenter instead of the Canvas Gradebook.
If your lesson includes scoring mechanisms that you wish to feed to the Canvas Gradebook, you will need to embed the lesson in a Canvas assignment using the steps outlined in the next section of this guide.
Benefits
A benefit for linking to a SoftChalk lesson within a Canvas page versus adding it as a module item is that you can provide additional information within the page such as instructional content, navigation instructions, technical support information, or links to other content/resources housed within the Canvas course or on the web.
There are three options for linking to a SoftChalk lesson in a Canvas page: LTI Link, Hyperlink, and Embed. Select each link below to view and compare the three SoftChalk lesson linking options for a Canvas page (requires ACES login and a Canvas profile to view):
It is important to note that the LTI Link and Hyperlink functions will only place a hyperlink to your SoftChalk lesson on your Canvas page that will open the lesson in a new browser tab or window. To keep learners in the LMS, we recommend using the Embed option to display the lesson within Canvas.
Continue reading this section to view steps for embedding a SoftChalk lesson in a Canvas page using the Link Selector tool in Canvas, or skip ahead to learn more about using SoftChalk within Canvas assignments or modules.
Instructions
Begin by creating a new page within your Canvas course and select Edit to access the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE).
- Place your cursor in the location within the RCE text entry field where you want the app content to appear.
- Click the Apps icon in the RCE toolbar.
- An "All Apps" pop-up window will display; select SoftChalk Link Selector from the list of 3rd party integrations, then click Done.
- The "SoftChalk Link Selector" pop-up window will launch. If you aren't already signed into the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud within your browser, you will be prompted to log in to your user account.
- Once access is established, you will see a list of the available items from your Alamo SoftChalk Cloud account, including lessons, learning objects, and files. Navigate to the folder where your lesson resides using the expansion arrows next to each folder.
- Once you have located the lesson, click on its title so it is highlighted in blue, then select the Embed radio button at the top of the "SoftChalk Link Selector" window. To finalize the selection, click Select to embed the lesson in the Canvas page.
If you are unsure which item you would like to embed, you can choose to Preview it which will open up the lesson in a new browser tab/window for you to view in its entirety.
- The SoftChalk lesson has now been embedded into a Canvas page. Don't forget to include a Page Name (or title), and either Save & Publish the page for students to view immediately, or Save it and return to it later to continue making edits/additions to the page's content before publishing.
Student View
Once you have published your Canvas page with the embedded SoftChalk lesson, your students will be able to view and navigate the SoftChalk lesson within the LMS:
Continue to the next section to learn how to link a scored SoftChalk lesson to a Canvas assignment, or skip to the final section of this guide to view steps for adding a SoftChalk lesson as Canvas module item.
Using the SoftChalk Link Selector within a Canvas assignment allows you to embed lessons that contain scored QuizPoppers or Activities and feed them to the Canvas Gradebook.
Benefits
There are a few benefits for linking scored SoftChalk lessons to Canvas assignments:
- It allows you to easily track student completion and comprehension by viewing their scores within the Canvas Gradebook.
- You also have the option to count students' scores towards their final grade in the course (or not) within the Canvas Assignment settings.
- Like Canvas pages, you can include instructions or additional content on the assignment page itself.
Continue reading this section to view steps for linking a scored SoftChalk lesson in a Canvas assignment using the SoftChalk Link Selector tool in Canvas, or skip ahead to learn more about using SoftChalk within Canvas modules.
Instructions
Begin by creating a Canvas assignment within your Canvas course and select Edit to access the assignment details.
- In the "Submission Type" field, select External Tool from the drop down menu, then select the Find button to bring up the list of app configurations.
- A "Configure External Tool" pop-up window will display; select SoftChalk Link Selector from the list of 3rd party integrations.
- If you aren't already signed into the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud within your browser, you will be prompted to log in to your user account.
- Once access is established, you will see a list of the available items from your Alamo SoftChalk Cloud account, including lessons, learning objects, and files. Navigate to the folder where your lesson resides using the expansion arrows next to each folder.
- Once you have located the lesson, click on its title so it is highlighted in blue, then click the Select for LTI Link button at the top of the "Link Resource from External Tool" window.
If you are unsure which item you would like to embed, you can choose to Preview it which will open up the lesson in a new browser tab/window for you to view in its entirety.
- After you have made your lesson selection, the "Configure External Tool" pop-up will reappear. Verify the LTI link from your SoftChalk lesson is displaying in the external tool URL field, then click Select at the bottom of the window to finalize the selection.
- The scored SoftChalk lesson has now been linked to your Canvas assignment. (NOTE: the lesson will not appear in the Canvas Assignment while you are in Edit mode.)
Fill in the rest of the required assignment details: Assignment Name (or title) and Points awarded for completion. Assignment instructions and other details can also be added in the RCE text entry field if you desire.
Once the minimum assignment details have been entered, you can either Save & Publish the assignment for students to view/submit immediately, or Save it and return to it later to continue making edits to the assignments before publishing.
The Point value for your newly-created Canvas assignment should equal the maximum amount of points learners can score on the SoftChalk lesson.
- Once you have saved and/or published your Canvas assignment with the linked SoftChalk lesson, instructors will see the SoftChalk ScoreCenter for their lesson embedded at the bottom of the Canvas assignment.
From the "Actions" drop-down menu within the ScoreCenter window, you can set details such as the Scoring Method (first score, most recent score, highest score, or average) to keep and the Maximum Attempts (1-10 or unlimited) to allow. You also have the option to Complete All Attempts which will lock the lesson for further submissions and submit any unfinished (or outstanding) attempts made by students.
Student View
Students will see the following, including an auto-generated prompt from SoftChalk alerting them to select the Finish button at the end of the lesson to submit their scores for credit:
For more information on creating scored lessons and navigating the SoftChalk ScoreCenter, visit the SoftChalk Guides. Continue to the next section to learn how to add a SoftChalk lesson as a Canvas module item.
Sharing a SoftChalk lesson as a stand-alone item in a Canvas module allows you to display lessons that do not contain scored QuizPoppers or Activities. You can also use Canvas modules to share lessons that contain these scoring mechanisms but would prefer the scores from learners' attempts feed to a SoftChalk Cloud ScoreCenter instead of the Canvas Gradebook.
If your lesson includes scoring mechanisms that you wish to feed to the Canvas Gradebook, you will need to embed the lesson in a Canvas assignment using the steps outlined in the previous section of this guide.
Benefits
A benefit for linking to a SoftChalk lesson within a Canvas module versus a Canvas page is that it provides you options to A) display the lesson within the LMS, or B) launch the lesson in a new browser tab/window for students to bookmark and refer to later, even after the course has concluded.
Select each link below to view and compare the two SoftChalk lesson linking options for a Canvas module (requires ACES login and a Canvas profile to view):
- Non-scored lesson added as an External URL module item
- Scored lesson added as an External Tool module item
Before you add a SoftChalk lesson as a module item, it is recommended that you log in to the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud in a separate browser tab or window and navigate to the lesson's content you wish to share. Depending on how you choose to share the lesson, you will need to copy one of the following links:
- Hyperlink - Links to the SoftChalk lesson. This option is ideal for non-scored lessons. This option can also be used for lessons that contain scoring mechanisms that you would like students to complete for practice.
- LTI Link - Links to the SoftChalk lesson with ScoreCenter. This option is ideal for scored lessons if you wish to track student completion but not count towards their final grade in the class. (This option does not feed scores to Canvas Gradebook.)
Click on each header link below to view the steps for adding a SoftChalk lesson to a Canvas module.
Begin by adding a Canvas module to your course and select the Add button ["+" icon] to add an external URL as a module item.
- An "Add Items to <Module Name>" pop-up window will display; select External URL from the drop down menu.
- In a separate browser tab or window, navigate to the lesson content in the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud and copy the Hyperlink URL found in the "Share" section.
- Return to your Canvas course and paste the copied Hyperlink into the URL field of the pop-up window. If you would like to allow students to bookmark the lesson for later use outside of the course, select the "Load in a new tab" option setting. You will also need to provide a Page Name before selecting Add Item.
Student View
Once you have published your Canvas module and the module item containing the SoftChalk lesson, your students will be able to view and navigate the SoftChalk lesson within the LMS:
If you have chosen to "Load [the item] in a new tab," a hyperlink to the lesson on the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud (an external site) will display in the module for students to open in a new browser tab/window:
Begin by adding a Canvas module to your course and select the Add button ["+" icon] to add an external tool as a module item.
- An "Add Items to <Module Name>" pop-up window will display; select External Tool from the drop down menu.
- Select SoftChalk Link Selector from the list of 3rd party integrations. You will notice the URL and Page Name fields will automatically populate with the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud domain and "SoftChalk Link Selector" tool name, respectively. However, you must update these fields with the relevant link and title for your SoftChalk lesson; otherwise, it will return a "404 - Page not found" error.
- In a separate browser tab or window, navigate to the lesson content in the Alamo Colleges SoftChalk Cloud and copy the LTI Link URL found in the "Share" section.
- Return to your Canvas course and replace/paste the copied LTI Link in the URL field of the pop-up window. If you would like to allow students to bookmark the lesson for later use outside of the course, select the "Load in a new tab" option setting. You will also need to replace/update the Page Name before selecting Add Item.
- Once you have published your Canvas module and the module item containing the SoftChalk lesson, instructors will see the SoftChalk ScoreCenter for their lesson.
From the "Actions" drop-down menu within the ScoreCenter window, you can set details such as the Scoring Method (first score, most recent score, highest score, or average) to keep and the Maximum Attempts (1-10 or unlimited) to allow. You also have the option to Complete All Attempts which will lock the lesson and submit any unfinished (or outstanding) attempts made by students.
Student View
Once you have published your Canvas module and the module item containing the SoftChalk lesson, your students will be able to view and navigate the SoftChalk lesson within the LMS. When they first launch the lesson, they will receive an auto-generated prompt from SoftChalk alerting them to select the Finish button at the end of the lesson to submit their scores for credit:
If you have chosen to "Load [the item] in a new tab," a button will display for students to open the tool in a new browser tab/window:
For more information on creating scored lessons and navigating the SoftChalk ScoreCenter, visit the SoftChalk Guides.
For additional information on SoftChalk, please see these Screen Steps guides, visit the SoftChalk resources site, or contact your local Instructional Innovation Center, Teaching & Learning Center, or Teaching with Technology Center.
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