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Canvas (Instructors) - Textbook Integrations

Some instructors choose to make use of the digital resources provided by textbook publishers as external application integrations for Canvas. Generally, these come at some additional cost to students but offer them the ability to practice formative tasks and access learning materials online.

Publisher Integrations Currently Approved For Use

A full list of external application integrations approved for use in the Universities of Wisconsin Canvas environment is publicly available on this wisconsin.edu website.

Requesting Integration Installations

Most textbook integrations must be installed on a course-by-course bases by UWGB Canvas Administrators. To request the installation of an approved integration, please fill out the External Tool Integration Request Form available on the UWGB Canvas Login website or use this direct link to the External Tool Integration Request Form.

To request an integration that is not on the list of approved tools, please email UWGB Canvas administrators at dle@uwgb.edu to request that the integration be put forward for approval. Approval is based upon publisher compliance with UW System Administration policies. Most requests for new tool approvals take 30-60 days to complete. For more information on the review process, see this page.

Support for Textbook Integrations

All technical support for textbook publisher integrations beyond the initial installation of the tool in Canvas must come from the publisher.

Considering Whether to use a Textbook Integration

Benefits

  1. Students can access this textbook ANYWHERE, sometimes without internet and sometimes on other devices like smart phones.
  2. Pre-existing interactive activities are available.
  3. There are dynamic opportunities for students to learn more, like clicking on words they don’t know to get the definition.

Drawbacks

  1. If the text does not have an off-line version, the student cannot access it without an internet connection.
  2. The publisher portals are another layer of technology, and can suffer from outages, account creation and password issues, and software bugs.
  3. It might be easier for students to get distracted if they're already on electronic devices while studying.

Other Considerations

  1. If you're concerned about ensuring equity, relying on an internet-only text or digital text in general may pose a problem.
  2. Your students may not like a digital only option if you can't also get a normal text.
  3. You and your students must rely on publisher-provided support. UW-Green Bay staff don't have the ability to help with publisher content since they don't have access.