Collaboration Services News and Updates

Google Updates Recap: June 2025 + The New Meet LTI in Canvas

This month we bring several AI features from Gemini and are introducing the new Meet LTI within VCU’s Canvas. 

A special note about this month’s post: When referring to “Canvas,” there are two different products with this name: “Canvas,” the learning management system officially used at VCU, and then “Canvas,” used in the context of Google AI’s, Gemini. We’ve done our best to clarify which is which in this post.

Important Notices

Introducing Google Meet LTI™

Beginning July 1st, 2025, the Google Meet LTI (part of the Google Workspace LTI umbrella) will be available in VCU’s LMS, Canvas.

The Meet LTI offers a way for instructors to quickly and easily set up one-off, recurring, and open-standing meetings in a central location within their course. After the meeting, files such as class recordings and transcripts can be made available by the instructor for students to catch up on if they miss the session.

For more information, visit: 

• User Documentation – How to use the Google Meet LTI in Canvas.
• Instructors: Create, edit & delete meetings – Google Workspace LTI Help

Feature Availability: This feature will be available beginning.

Google AI

AI Disclaimer: The Gemini app (gemini.google.com) has been approved for use with Cat 2 (sensitive), Cat 3 (public), and PHI data. Cat 1 (confidential and regulated) data should not be entered into Gemini.

Conduct in-depth two-way conversations with Gemini Live

Gemini Live is a real-time, two-way conversation you can start with Gemini. This allows you to have natural conversations with Gemini, where you can ask questions and receive responses in real-time, and even interrupt Gemini mid-response. While using Gemini Live, you can:

• Talk back and forth: brainstorm with Gemini to come up with ideas for a new marketing campaign, strategy for a sales meeting with a new prospect, or potential thesis topic
• Explore: discuss potential features for a new product or questions for a research paper
• Practice aloud: practice and receive feedback on a sales pitch or a class presentation
• Share your camera or screen: turn on your camera or share your screen to show Gemini what you see and talk about it.
• Bring context to conversations: add a specific image, file, or YouTube video.

Read more about what is possible with Gemini Live here: Talk naturally with Gemini Live.

Feature Availability: This feature is now available.

• Note: Individuals with “work profiles” (mobile device management profiles) on Android currently cannot access this feature. 

More ways to create with Canvas

Canvas in Gemini is a way to create and iterate on generated content from Gemini. Some things you can do with Canvas include:

• Create and code apps: translate complex ideas into working code with remarkable speed and precision based on simple descriptions. Vibe coding like this dramatically lowers the barrier to creating software and makes prototyping new ideas faster than ever before.
• Web pages: Create web pages that feature a variety of engaging elements, like information cards, charts and more.
• Infographics: Organize information in a way that makes complex information easier to navigate and understand with a structured format, digestible “chunks” of information, lists, visuals, and more.
• Audio overviews: transforms content into engaging AI-hosted discussions in over 45 languages, making consumption of complex information easy, especially while multitasking or on the go
• Quizzes: You can now generate quizzes for any subject using Canvas in the Gemini app by uploading relevant documents or simply entering a prompt like “Give me a practice quiz about the nervous system”.
  • Quizzes can also be useful for business users – for example, you can refresh your knowledge ahead of a customer meeting. Based on the uploaded files or prompt, Gemini will generate interactive quizzes, featuring multiple-choice or true-or-false questions.
• Plus, integration with Deep Research: Alongside these new features, we’ve also added the ability to import, edit, and refine Deep Research reports directly into Canvas before exporting to Docs for further collaboration. 

For more information about Canvas in Gemini, visit: Create docs, apps & more with Canvas.

Feature Availability: This feature is now available.

The latest updates for Deep Research in Gemini

Announced at Google’s 2025 I/O event, you can now use Deep Research within the Flash 2.5 Gemini model. 

Deep Research does the legwork by putting together a research plan for your query, combined with Gemini’s intelligence to understand your query. After the plan has been created, you can review and modify it before initiating the research. Gemini will perform the research, take into consideration what it discovers across Google’s wide array of search results, and make slight changes in its course as needed to complete its task. 

In addition to the above, this rollout also includes the following:

• Once research is complete, a report will be compiled with links to relevant sources. The report can then be shared, exported to Docs, or used in Gemini’s Canvas features.
• You can now also upload files ahead of performing a Deep Research task so that Gemini will take into account the information in your file(s) in addition to the publicly available information.
• Gemini will proactively suggest related resources in your report to deepen your knowledge, like interactive charts, planning simulators, and additional deep dives into relevant topics.

For more information, visit: Use Gemini Apps for in-depth research.

Feature Availability: This feature is now available.

Google Slides

Introducing even more high-quality Google Slides templates to elevate your presentations

Last year, a new selection of high-quality templates was added to Google Slides to expand to make it easier to build presentations. Now, a second wave is being added to provide even more options.

You can access templates via the new sidebar or by going to Insert → Templates. Once clicked, you can browse the collection, select a template that aligns with your vision and style, and choose to insert all slides or just the ones you need before personalizing the template with your own content.

For more information about using templates in Google Slides, visit: Use a Template or change the theme, background, or layout in Google Slides – Google Docs Editors Help.

Feature Availability: This feature is now available.

Categories Google Drive & Docs Editors, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Slides, Google Workspace News, Important Changes, Other Google Feature News