Canvas Rich Content Editor

The Rich Content Editor is the editor you will use when creating Canvas content items such as Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Pages, Quizzes, etc. This editor can support text, HTML, multimedia content, mathematical notations and other rich media.

The Rich Content Editor has a standard editing toolbar – similar to the toolbar in Microsoft Word. You can select a font type, a font colour, a font size, align your text and create list. You can also add tables (please note tables should be used for displaying data and should never be used to force a particular layout for your content).

You can use the Rich Content Editor to embed content using HTML by clicking on < / >. The HTML editor displays an improved version of the HTML by default but you can switch between the raw and pretty editor any time. Be aware that only the Raw HTML Editor is currently accessible to screen reader users.

• Rich Content Editor Toolbar
• Add and modify text
• Use the Math Editor
• Insert a table

You can create and embed hyperlinks to external websites or to content within a Canvas course (with permission). You can view the options for adding hyperlinks by selecting the arrow next to the ‘Hyperlink’ icon on the toolbar:

• Insert hyperlinks to external URLs
• Insert links to course or group content
• Insert links to course, group, and user files

Images can uploaded from a computer, embedded from Unsplash or a URL, added from course files (with permission), or added from images in the User Files folder. You can view the options for adding images by selecting the arrow next to the ‘Image’ icon on the toolbar.

• Upload and embed an image
• Embed images from within Canvas
• Manage alt text and display options for images

Documents can be uploaded from a computer, added from course files (with permission), or added from documents in the User Files folder. You can view the options for adding documents by selecting the arrow next to the ‘Documents’ icon on the toolbar.

• Upload and embed document
• Embed documents from within Canvas

You have the ability to record both video and audio content directly onto a Canvas content item. You can also choose to upload media content which has been created separately. You can view the options for adding media by selecting the arrow next to the ‘Media’ icon on the toolbar.

• Upload and embed a media file from your computer
• Record media
• Embed media files from Canvas
• Upload and embed media from an external source

You can add content from external tools like Kaltura, Youtube, Vimeo, Twitter, Social Poll, Comments Box and Wikipedia. Quick access to Kaltura and H5P are available through the toolbar. You can view other options for adding content from external tools by selecting the arrow next to the plug icon on the toolbar. You may notice you have different options available to the below screenshot—this menu will change depending on which tools you access the most frequently.

• Select content from an external app
• Link to a YouTube video
• Link or embed from Microsoft Office 365
• Link or embed a file from Google Drive
• Social poll in Canvas
• Comments box in Canvas

The Rich Content Editor includes an Accessibility Checker which checks for common accessibility errors within the editor. Use this tool to help check your content and fix commons issues.

• Use the Accessibility Checker (opens in Canvas Community Guides)

While there are a number of issues it can help with, there are some that it cannot detect, so it’s good to use it mindfully. The LX.lab has put together a number of easy-to-follow accessibility practices to make sure your subject site is clear and accessible for students.

• Clear and accessible learning environments