Microsoft 365 Productivity Tools are approved and integrated with LMS.

What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based suite of Microsoft’s productivity tools including Outlook email, OneDrive, and Microsoft Office products (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Editor, etc.). 

What is the purpose of Microsoft 365 Productivity Tools?

Word: Word is a desktop publishing and word processing application. Users are able to share their documents and collaborate in real time on those files. 

Excel: Excel is used to create spreadsheets and visualizations. Users are able to share their documents and collaborate in real time on those files. 

PowerPoint: PowerPoint  is used to create slideshow and presentations. Microsoft includes a a library of templates and graphics as well as animations, and 3D models. 

OneNote: OneNote is a note-taking app that allows you to collect, collaborate, and annotate shared content. 

Editor: Microsoft Editor is an intelligent writing assistant available for Word, Outlook, and as a Chromium browser extension part of Office 365. It includes the essentials in a writing assistant, such as a grammar and spell checker. Click to learn more.

*The above descriptions were paraphrased from Microsoft 365 documentation.

Canvas Integration
Canvas supports an LTI integration with Microsoft Office 365 in Assignments, Collaborations, Modules, Course Navigation, and the Rich Content Editor. This integration allows students and instructors to use, create, share, and collaborate on Office 365 files within Canvas. Users can also view their OneDrive files directly in Canvas. 

Why use Microsoft 365?

The primary value of Microsoft 365 is as a suite of tools accessible on most devices that allow for collaboration in real time, with content that is saved securely on OneDrive. 

  • All students are eligible for access to the tools and they can access the tools on almost any device. 

Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Principles

Microsoft 365 most directly addresses these LTE goals:

Accessible - Learning must be found easily at any time, and all learners and teachers have equitable access, regardless of culture, language, ability etc. 

Designed to enable connection - Learners exist in accessible networks, and connect to the experiences, concepts, people, and ideas that they need.

 

Best Practices

DO

DON'T

 Use the tools for student collaboration spaces inside or outside the LMS. 

 Have students use tools synchronously when their bandwidth does not allow for it.

 Use documents, PowerPoint and Excel as potential collaborative areas for groups within the Canvas Collaboration tool.

 Encourage student use for sharing and for presentations inside the security of OneDrive.

 Consider approved integration application options available to USask users, to extend Office 365 functions. 

Have students use OneNote to create a portfolio of their work for the course or program. See ePortfolio Guide

Support for Microsoft 365

Technical Support

(Why isn't this working?)

USask IT supported

Vendor Supported

Training Support

 (How do I learn to use this tool?) 

Vendor Supported

USask Partner Supported

Teaching Support

 (How do I teach with this tool?)

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning Supported

Tool Evaluation

Technologies are evaluated based on their alignment with the Learning Technologies Ecosystem Principles.  Click to see explanations of each principle and a justification of the rating. You can also view a complete blank rubric to see more details or read about the assessment process.

Learning must be found easily at any time, and all learners and teachers have equitable access, regardless of culture, language, ability etc. 
More Information

Rating: Works well 

  • Accessibility standards: 
    • Microsoft 365 applications work with screen readers and keyboard. Tell Me tool assists with formatting, finding tool capabilities, etc 
  • Cost of use for USask students: 
    • USask pays for licensing for all staff, students, and instructors.  
  • Platform/device: 
    • Microsoft 365 is accessible via download on PC, Mac, and Mobile and has a web-version that can be accessed from any up-to-date internet browser. 

Learning is a process of meaning-making, constructed through learning with others, and as a part of an intentional, deliberate system within a course and across experiences.
More Information

Rating: Works well 

  • Collaboration: 
    • Live, instant collaboration amongst multiple participants in shared files. 
  • Sharing: 
    • Share files with a group or individual users depending on needs. Can control how long files are accessible as well.

Learning is refined and extended through prompted and supported opportunities to focus on understanding and next steps.
More Information

Rating: Works well

  • Reflection and revision: 
    • Can comment and annotate in Microsoft 365 tools. These comments are saved with the document.   

Learning is most effective when systems are designed to help learners find, create, and/or repurpose significant content for the value of themselves and others.
More Information

Rating: Works well 

  • Creating: 
    • Easy to create new content or upload/open existing content for manipulation or review.  
  • File format: 
    • Can easily handle (import or export) content in a variety of Microsoft files types or PDF. 

Learners create and control spaces for learning, understanding and retaining ownership, and purposefully choosing how and when they share.
More Information

Rating: Moderate concerns 

  • Archiving, saving, and exporting data: 
    • Microsoft 365 can easily handle (import or export) content in a variety of Microsoft file types or PDFs, using an internet connection.  
  • Data privacy and ownership: 
    • Users have full ownership over content they create. Students’ legal name is associated with their account – this is problematic for privacy, gender, and identity concerns.  
  • Sign Up/Sign In: 
    • No additional sign up required – works with NSID and Single Sign-On (SSO). 
  • Customization: 
    • Flexible functions within the apps make up for the lack of customization within the apps. 

Learners need to work in a system that is fluid and requires a minimum number of steps in systems that are intuitive and integrated.
More Information

Rating: Works well 

  • Interface: 
    • User friendly and reasonably intuitive.
  • Additional Downloads: 
    • Download is not required but is optional.
  • Functionality: 
    • Web and desktop versions are very similar. Some more advanced features and integrations are not available on the online version but it is easy to convert to the desktop tool when you need to use those tools.