Integrate Microsoft Education with Canvas

The Microsoft Education app in Canvas connects your course directly to Microsoft 365 tools like OneDrive, Teams, Assignments, Class Notebook, and Reflect. Instructors can set up content and activities in just a few clicks, and students can access files, join meetings, and complete assignments right inside Canvas.

The Microsoft Education app integrates Microsoft 365 tools directly into Canvas. Instructors can embed OneDrive files, schedule Teams meetings, create and grade assignments, create Reflect check-ins, and set up Class Notebooks from within their courses. Students access these resources in Canvas without needing separate logins and can open files, join meetings, and complete assignments in the same environment. 

  • OneDrive lets you embed files, create cloud assignments and collaborations.
  • Teams syncs your Canvas roster into a Microsoft Team Class for group collaboration and assignment submission.
  • Meetings provides an area to schedule and join Teams meetings. Note that the meetings do not sync with the Canvas calendar.
  • Assignments lets you create assignments and Learning Accelerators and sync grades to Canvas.

Use the guides below to learn how to get started with each part of the integration. Each section includes step-by-step instructions and links to official Microsoft support resources for more detail.

Step 1: Enable Microsoft Education Course Link

First, the Microsoft Education link needs to be added to the Course Navigation. The link is visible to Teachers and Students and is the way that apps that have been turned on are accessed.

  1. In a Canvas Course, click Settings then the Navigation tab.
    Course navigation Settings  then   Navigation menu 
     
  2. Click and drag the Microsoft Education item to the enabled section or click the three-dot kebab menu and select Enable.
    Microsoft Education navigation item
     
  3. Click the Save button.

Step 2: Select Applications in Each Course

Second, the integration will need to be configured in each course. By default all applications are disabled. It is recommended to only enable the applications that will be used.

  1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation. If it was just enabled, you may need to refresh the browser to see the link.

  2. If prompted, sign into your CVTC Microsoft account.

  3. Click the Continue setup button.
    Continue setup button.

  4. Select the applications that should be active in this course by sliding the Enabled toggle to the right. Any enabled applications can be used by anyone in the course. See the instructions below for each application that is enabled.
    Course Settings menu

  5. Click the Done button.

  6. Depending on the choices it may take a few minutes for the integration to complete the set-up.

  7. Repeat this process in the remaining courses.

  8. The dashboard will show each application that was enabled. These can also be accessed from the waffle menu.
    Microsoft Education waffle

Course Settings

Course settings allow you to enable additional applications, change your notifications, and view advanced settings.

  1. Course Settings can be accessed by clicking your profile picture.
    Profile picture menu with Course Settings highlighted.

  2. There are three areas in the Course settings.
    Course Settings menu

    1. General - Enable additional Applications from the list.

    2. Notifications - Toggle off the Email notifications if you do not want to receive emails from Microsoft about feature and service changes.
      Email notifications

    3. Advanced - The Delete course button should be used very cautiously. This button will reset all the Microsoft Education settings for the course and may remove Microsoft content for the course. Any files used in the course through OneDrive will be deleted and would need to be manually added back to the course. The Team will not be deleted and will remain accessible to students since it is created with the Microsoft Sync integration. However, it cannot be opened from the course until Teams is enabled again. To delete the team, disable Microsoft Sync and delete the Team manually. Meetings will be deleted and would need to be regenerated. Any Class Notebook, Reflect Check-ins and Assignments are deleted and cannot be recovered.

      The Delete course button only applies to the course in which it is used. Any files or Teams createdoutside of the course Microsoft Education integration are not impacted.

      Enabling an application will often create an underlying SharePoint site to store any files. The SharePoint site URL will open the site. Copies of files are stored in the Site contents link then OneDriveLTIFiles.
      OneDriveLTIFiles folder structure 

Application Settings

OneDrive

Files inserted through the Canvas RCE external tool can be embedded on the page or linked.  In both instances a copy of the original file is created and saved to a SharePoint site specific to the course. If the original file is updated, the course copy is not changed as it is a duplicated file. In order to change the course file, it would need to be edited in Canvas or the updated file uploaded to replace the course copy in the SharePoint site.

Enable in Microsoft Education

  1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

  2. Access Course Settings by clicking your profile picture.
     
  3. Next to OneDrive, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
    OneDrive dashboard

  4. Click the Done button.

Access OneDrive

  1. OneDrive is available from the Microsoft Education dashboard.
    OneDrive dashboard
  2. The files shown are the same as OneDrive on the web and will allow you to edit the files. When files are added to the Canvas course, a copy of the files are created and stored in the underlying SharePoint site.

Teams

Create Team through Microsoft Sync

The Team will be created by enabling Microsoft Sync. The Microsoft Education integration will link the Team with Canvas but does not create the Team.

  1. Click the Settings link in the course navigation.
  2. Click the Integrations tab.
    Integrations tab

  3. Move the State slider to the right to enable Microsoft Sync.
    Microsoft Sync enable state
     
  4. If needed, click the carrot to expand the Microsoft Sync integration.
     
  5. Click the Sync Now button.
    Sync Now button
  6. After a few minutes a Microsoft Team will be created with the same name as your Canvas course. The enrollment will be synced to Teams with the correct permissions, the Teacher role will be Owners in Teams and the Student role will be Members. Enrollment changes will sync periodically. The Sync Now button can be used to force a sync.

Enable in Microsoft Education

The next step is to enable Teams in Microsoft Education. This will link the Team with Canvas.

  1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

  2. Access Course Settings by clicking your profile picture.
  3. Next to Teams, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
    <Enable Teams

  4. Click the Done button.

Activate the Team

Before students can access the Team, it must be activated.

  1. Open the Team.

  2. Click the Activate button.
    Activate Team

  3. Click the Activate button.
    Activate class team

Access Teams

  1. After the sync completes, the Team will be available from the Microsoft Education dashboard then Teams.
    Teams option

  2. The Team can be opened or posts added from the card.
    Course card

  3. The Team is also available under the Classes section in the Microsoft Teams app or on the web.
    Teams class

  4. Students would access the Team the same way, either through the Microsoft Education link in Canvas or directly in Teams.

Teams Meetings

Enable in Microsoft Education

  1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

  2. Access Course Settings by clicking your profile picture.

  3. Next to Teams Meetings, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
    Teams Meetings enable

  4. Click the Done button.

Create Meetings

  1. Use the New Meeting button to schedule a meeting for the class or the drop-down to Meet now.
    New Meeting and Meet now drop-down

  2. Add meeting details.

  3. Adding required attendees will place the meeting on the Microsoft Calendar. Click the Invite required attendees box and select students or click the Add entire class button.
    Add entire class

    The Allow anyone in the course to join checkbox will not place the meeting on the Microsoft Calendar.|
    Allow anyone in the course to join.

  4. Click the Save button.

Meeting List

After meetings are created they are listed in the Upcoming meeting tab.

  • The Edit button can be used to edit the meeting details.
  • The Join button will start the meeting.
  • he three-dot meatball menu has options to copy the join link or delete the meeting.

Meeting list

Access Teams Meetings

  1. Team Meetings are available from the Microsoft Education dashboard.
    Teams Meetings dashboard

  2. The Teams Meetings list is displayed.
    Teams Meetings list

  3. Students access the Teams Meetings the same way, through the Microsoft Education link and then Teams Meetings. Students only have a Join button, not the Edit button.

Class Notebook

Enable in Microsoft Education

  1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

  2. Access Course& Settings by clicking your profile picture.

  3. Next to Class Notebook, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
    Class Notebook enable

  4. Click the Done button.

Set-up the Class Notebook

  1. Open the Class Notebook from Microsoft Education.
    Class Notebook on dashboard

  2. Click the Set up a OneNote Class Notebook button.
    Set up a OneNote Class Notebook

  3. Review the structure and permissions for the notebook and click the Next button.

  4. Add or remove sections for the student’s section of the notebook.
    Canvas Demo Notebook settings

  5. Click the Create.

  6. After a few minutes the Class Notebook will be ready.

Class Notebook Settings

  1. From Course settings, click the gear under the Settings column.
    Class Notebook settings

  2. The Sync users button will force a sync if students cannot access the Notebook. The ClassNotebook WebURL can be used to open the Notebook.
    Class Notebook course settings

Access Class Notebook

  1. Class Notebook is available from the Microsoft Education dashboard.
    Class Notebook on dashboard

  2. Click the Open Notebook button.
    Open Notebook button

  3. The notebook will open with the structure established during the set-up.

    Reflect

    Enable in Microsoft Education

    1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

    2. Access Course Settings by clicking your profile picture.

    3. Next to Reflect, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
      Reflect on dashboard

    4. Click the Done button.

    Access Reflect

    1. Reflect is available from the Microsoft Education dashboard.
      Reflect on dashboard

    Reflect Resources

    Reflect will work the same inside of Canvas as it does on the web.

    Assignments

    Enable in Microsoft Education

    1. Click the Microsoft Education link from the Course Navigation.

    2. Access Course Settings by clicking your profile picture.

    3. Next to Assignments, slide the Enable toggle to the right.
      Assignments enable

    4. Click the Done button.

    5. There is not a button in Microsoft Education to access Assignments. Assignments are added to Canvas as an External Tool.

    Keywords:
    Canvas, Microsoft Education, Microsoft 365 LTI, Office 365 LTI, OneDrive, Teams, Teams Classes, Teams Meetings, Assignments, Learning Accelerators, Class Notebook, Reflect, SharePoint, Shared Libraries, Cloud Assignments, Collaborations, External Tool, File Embed, Roster Sync, Meeting Scheduler, Grade Sync, AI Feedback, Reading Progress, Math Progress, Teacher Guide, Student Guide, Course Navigation, Migration, edtech, ed tech 
    Doc ID:
    154646
    Owned by:
    John C. in Chippewa Valley Technical College
    Created:
    2025-09-06
    Updated:
    2025-09-08
    Sites:
    Chippewa Valley Technical College