Using the Rich Content Editor

Canvas provides a way to author text, add multimedia, and link to other tools in many places in your course site. Canvas uses a Rich Content Editor (RCE) similar to the one in Microsoft Word and other platforms for creating text online.  The RCE is available to both you and your students, making it possible to think more creatively about both course content and the work students do in the site.  The RCE is generally available anywhere on the site that you might have a need for text. This documentation will discuss some best practices in page creation and demonstrate the basics of the text editor, including:

• Standard editing tools
• Creating Hyperlinks to other materials
• Adding photos or pictures
• Using external applications like the Equation editor, Youtube, Flickr, and more
• Creating and embedding videos and audio
• Making internal links to Canvas content including modules, pages, discussions, quizzes, and assignments

At the end of this page, you can also review our recommended best practices for making your website accessible to all users.  Making your website accessible refers to the process of using web authoring conventions to make your website easier to read for those who access your web content using screen readers.  Read more about web accessibility Links to an external site. and making content accessible for screen readers Links to an external site..

Using the Rich Content Editor

Standard Editing Tools

The tools menu appears above the space for content. The menu includes standard font options for formatting text, changing its color, size and alignment, and creating lists.  It is possible to create tables, although this is not recommended as they are difficult to edit once they are set up.

 

Hyperlinking to other websites

One of the strengths of the editor is that it can link to other web sites, applications, and multimedia content. 

To hyperlink to a different website, simply click on the chain icon to insert a web address which will then be embedded in the text, like this link to the BC web site Links to an external site..

 

 

Adding Photos or Pictures

To add a photo or picture, click the tree icon to make a link to an image you've found online.  These images will appear on the screen similar to the screenshots we have on this page.

 

Adding Additional Content

Additional links offer access to content that can be integrated directly onto the page.  

• Click the Pi icon to open the equation editor.
• Click the YouTube icon to search for and embed a video (see the example below).
• Click the Flickr icon to search for and embed images from Flickr.

Embedded YouTube example:

Boston College's "For Boston" Links to an external site.

 

The blue downward arrow opens a menu of further content types that can be embedded using the editor.

  

 

Creating Multimedia Content

Click the film strip icon to record audio and video, using the web cam and microphone on your computer. 

 

Making Internal Links

The editor also allows you to link to other tools in your Canvas site.

Click "Links" on the right of the screen to select from the pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes, and other content you already have.  To create a new page as you are linking to it, select Wiki Pages and scroll to the bottom.

 

Click "Files" to select any documents you've uploaded, or to bring in a new one.

 

Click "Images" to browse thumbnails of existing images, or bring in a new one.