Reminder: Canvas Third Party Tool Removals & Upgrades Coming May 2024
*NOTE: These tools will no longer be available for use unless integrated at the course level.
The Learning Systems team carried over a number of Third Party Tools available institution-wide in Blackboard to Canvas in 2020. This carryover effort was made to ensure continuity for the VCU community during a transitory period.
For a list of these tools, please see: https://go.vcu.edu/canvas-tools
We have since re-evaluated the number of tools installed at an account level. In alignment with continuous improvement efforts for Canvas and the recent re-launch of the VCU IT Governance process, additional criteria have been determined which prompted our re-evaluation. The following requirements have been determined for tool integration at the institution level:
- Known institutional agreement (enterprise-wide or departmental), to ascertain the validity of a request and to ensure that contractual obligations are followed
- Known successful IT Governance review, to ensure student data security and tool accessibility
- Known internal (VCU) support contact, to ensure support continuity
Additional criteria that is considered for account-level install:
- Level of usage
- Cost to students
We have since reviewed all account-level tools and determined that the following should be removed at the account level given aforementioned criteria:
- BigBlueButton
- Evolve Link
- Macmillan Learning
- MyBusinessCourse
- Packback
- TurningPoint Registration
- Vista Higher Learning
- WileyPLUS
These tools will be removed from Canvas on May 20, 2024.
If instructors would like a tool integrated with their individual course(s) only, they should obtain their own tool credentials (i.e. secret and key) and can then add the tool to their own individual course following the instructions provided by the vendor supporting the tool. Please note that this only applies to particular tools on LTI version 1.1.
Tools installed the course level are not subject to review and are able to be configured at the discretion of the faculty or staff member responsible for course development. We strongly recommend that faculty and staff proceed with caution and consider how students may be impacted by these types of tools.
The Learning Systems team is also working on upgrading currently-installed tools to the latest version (LTI 1.3). The upgrade will change the naming convention for both tools within Canvas. The following tools are scheduled to be upgraded on May 15, 2024:
- Zoom and Zoom HIPAA
- Post-upgrade: “Zoom LTI 1.3, Zoom HIPAA LTI 1.3”
- Kaltura
- Post-upgrade: “Kaltura My Media LTI 1.3, Kaltura Media Gallery LTI 1.3”
For additional information about Canvas tool integration at VCU, and how to request the installation of a tool at the institution or departmental level, please see: https://go.vcu.edu/canvas-tools. All questions regarding this change should be directed to LSrequest@vcu.edu.
Categories Canvas, Integrations, Teaching with Technology