Note: A better-maintained version of this page is now available on the (searchable) CATL blog site.

A common question instructors ask is "How do I upload my PowerPoints to Canvas?" As with so many things, the answer is "it depends." Since Canvas does not have a built-in PowerPoint viewer, how you go about getting your PowerPoint materials into Canvas will depend on how you want students to engage with the materials. Use the sections below to take a look at some of the different ways it can be done as well as a few pros and cons for each.

Upload to Files
Convert to Video
Embed from OneDrive
Upload a PDF Version
Make Images for Written Lecture

Uploading it to Files

You have the option to upload a PowerPoint file directly to the files area of Canvas. This means, students can preview it in a Canvas page (it will look like a document) or download a copy for themselves.

The PowerPoint for Chapter 4 about Cosmic Wimpout can be found here.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Little work for instructors
Links within the presentation usually still work

Cons

Updating the file means you'll have to update the Canvas file as well
Does not include notes or narrations within Canvas
Videos within presentations do not work within the preview
Not accessible unless downloaded
Students downloading the file will need to have a version of PowerPoint on their computer to open it
Connection speeds may limit some students if files are large

Converting it to Video

If you've recorded narrations and timings within PowerPoint, you can export your presentation as an MP4 file and upload it to Kaltura or YouTube in order to embed it in your Canvas site. Note: as an alternative to exporting a PowerPoint as a video, you could instead do a screen recording of your lecture using Kaltura Capture.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Easy to do from PowerPoint if you've recorded narrations
Captures drawing on the slide during recording
Kaltura and YouTube are adaptive to poor connection speeds
A download option can be made available for those with inconsistent internet
Consistent experience from the student side
Analytics (number and duration of views) available in Kaltura
Machine captioning can be requested in Kaltura
Option available to add in-video quizzing/practice
Can be re-purposed easily across courses

Cons

Takes work up front to record narrations
Requires captions to be fully accessible
Need to update the video if you make changes to the PowerPoint
Does not include slide notes
Students need to search through the video for information

Embedding from OneDrive

If you upload your PowerPoint to OneDrive, you can also get embed code to embed it in Canvas.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Maintains slide formatting
Includes recorded audio
"Lives" on OneDrive, so you can update it in one place and it will be updated everywhere it is embedded
Allows students to download a copy if needed
Does not require a copy of PowerPoint to view (unless downloaded)

Cons

May require students to log in to Office 365/OneDrive/Sharepoint to access the embedded presentation
Does not include "notes" if added to slides
May still require students to download the file (in which case, they will need a version of PowerPoint installed to view it)
Not fully accessible (most screen readers do not recognize it)
Requires familiarity with OneDrive, embed code, and the HTML Editor in Canvas

Uploading a PDF Version to Files

If you provide a different lecture but would like students to have "the notes" for reference, you can "print" your PowerPoint as a PDF and include the slide notes. You can also "print" with a layout that has 3 slides per page and room for notes. If you do so, that file can be uploaded to Canvas and then linked to like any other.

Please use this notes sheet to follow along with the Chapter 4 Cosmic Wimpout lecture

Pros and Cons

Pros

Little work for instructors
Provides multiple forms of the same information

Cons

Not accessible unless downloaded
Works best only as a supplement to additional material
Changes to the PowerPoint means needing to update the document
Connection speeds may limit some students if files are large

Convert Slides to Images (for Written Lectures)

In PowerPoint, there is an option under "Save As" that allows you to create a PNG (image file) of a slide (or every slide in your presentation). You can then use these as you would any image in the Rich Text editor in Canvas.

There are 5 custom-etched dice in Cosmic Wimpout. Four of the dice are white with blue ink and have stylized pips for numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6 as well as Arabic numerals 5 and 10. The fifth die (black with silver ink) has the same numbers, except the 3 which replaced with a WILD indicated by a star. On your turn, all dice are rolled.

Rules Overview and Examples On your turn, all dice are rolled. Players play to a pre-determined number of points (often this is 300 or 500). You are required to get 35 points or more in order to get “on the board” (known as the Opening Roll rule). 5s and 10s can count as their own value unless they are part of a flash or freight. Wimping out happens if you ever roll and do not score on at least one of the dice you roll. Your turn ends and you score zero for that turn. Flashes occur when you have three of a kind—this includes the wild die. The Flaming Sun Rule says that if you roll a wild with a pair it MUST be used to create a flash (you’ll see why this matters shortly). Flashes score ten times the face’s value three 2s = 20, three 5s = 50, etc.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Highly accessible if alt text is used for images
Allows for quick editing of the lecture directly in Canvas
Easier for students to find the information they're looking for
Allows for embedding other images or materials as needed (outside video, tables and figures, links to other sites, etc.)
Can include Wiki-style links back and forth within the course (e.g. to other lectures, to the syllabus, etc.)

Cons

More work for the instructor if lectures are not already written out
Can become too much reading for students
Can be less personal without the addition of audio, video, etc.