How do I create deep links and grade sync my Vantage course in Canvas?

Watch a Video: Linking and Grade Syncing Vantage in Canvas

This guide explains the process of pairing Sage Vantage with your Canvas course. Once paired, you can create deep links to Vantage content and set up grade sync for any Vantage assignments you wish to include in your Canvas gradebook. Follow the same steps for new Vantage courses and course copies.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Create a new Vantage course or copy an existing Vantage course
• Create deep links and grade sync Vantage in a new Canvas course
  • Introduction
  • Adding links for students to see
  • Create content links in your course
  • Adding links for grade tracking only
  • Add Assignment Due Dates and allow for assignments to open in a new window in Canvas
  • Excluding Grades for Completion from the Canvas Gradebook Calculations

Create a new Vantage course or copy an existing Vantage course

Before you can add deep links or grade sync items to your Canvas course, you must create your Sage Vantage course.

1. Login or sign up for Vantage here. If you are not sure what your password is, you can click the "Forgot Password?" link to reset it.
2. Then, to create your course visit How do I create my Vantage course?

If you have created a Vantage course in the past, you may wish to copy that course to use for another section in the same term or for a new term. This is also useful to use with additional course sections.

• Login to Vantage and visit How do I copy my Vantage course? 

Once you have created your Vantage course, make any adjustments editing Chapters and Assignments, it can be paired with your Canvas course.

Create deep links and grade sync Vantage in a new Canvas course 

Introduction

Assignment points and due dates will sync to Canvas when you create your grade links, but changes will not automatically update after the fact. Therefore, we recommended you set your point values and due dates in Vantage before pairing with Canvas.

We recommend creating links in the Modules area of your course, although you may also use the Pages area. Using Modules tends to give the smoothest user experience.

You can add a module specifically for your Sage Vantage content or include the Vantage links within existing modules (for example, if you set up your Canvas course with a module for each chapter). The layout of your Canvas course depends entirely on your instructional design preferences.

You do not need links for each section of Vantage content. Once students are in Vantage, they can access all Chapters and Assignments in the courseware.  

A link is required, however, for each grade you want to sync from Vantage to Canvas. Depending on how many Assignments you want to capture grades for, this can make for a lot of links in your course. Therefore,  it can be beneficial to separate links into those you want students to see on the Canvas Home or Modules pages, and those you wish to have hidden from students in terms of course navigation, but still have available for grades in Canvas.

Adding links for students to see

1. Choose the module where you would like to add a Vantage link. Next, click the "+" button to add new content to the module.

Note: If you are adding Vantage content through Pages instead of Modules, create or edit the Page where you wish to add content. Click the Apps icon in the toolbar and select the Sage Vantage tool. Adding links will mirror the process outlined below for Modules.

2. In the "Add" dropdown menu, select External Tool from the list. You will see a list of available tools. 

Choose the tool for Sage Vantage.

Note: Your Canvas administrator can choose the name of the tool when installing it. While the tool name may be simply Sage Vantage or Vantage, it also could be named something such as Sage Vantage Link Selector.

3. Locate the Vantage course you wish to pair with, then choose Select. If you only have one Vantage course in your account, it will automatically be selected for you.

4. After selecting your Vantage course, the link selection page will load. Three dropdown menus are available to help you filter content in your Vantage course. They will help you narrow content selections to more easily pick links and grade sync items. We recommend using only one filter at a time.

The dropdown menu options are:

• Resource Types – Filter by a single resource type such as Readings, Chapter Quizzes, etc
• Chapters – Filter content by a single chapter
• Assignments – Filter only assignments or by assignment status (assigned for grade / completion or unassigned

5. Once you filter the content, the sorted list will show only those items matching your selection. You can choose items from the resulting list to create deep links and/or grade syncs in your Canvas course.

For each item in the list, there are two columns on the right of the page. The left column (Link to Course) refers to the deep link that is added to your Canvas module. The right column (Grade Sync) determines if an assignment is synced with your Canvas gradebook.

If an item is not gradable –  such as a chapter reading – the grade sync column will not have a checkbox. It will instead have a dash indicating it cannot be synced. If you have previously grade synced an assignment, the Grade Sync column will show a dash as well indicating it's already synced.

Create both links and grade syncs at the same time per resource type:

Create both links and grade syncs at the same time per chapter.

Create content links in your course 

To create a link in your Canvas course, choose one or more items you wish to

add by ticking the checkbox in the "Link to Course" column for that item. If you previously selected an item for grade sync (such as Knowledge Checks, Video Activities or Chapter Quizzes), the Grade Sync column will display a gray check mark confirming it is grade synced.

You can use the "Select All" checkbox above the "Link to Course" column to add a link and grade synch for all items in the sort list. This will select both the link to course and grade synch boxes. All checkboxes will be ticked, a link added to the Canvas course module and the grade synch will add an assignment to the assignment area and a column in the grade book. You only want to do this for the different resource types except for Chapter Readings

You can use the Go Back button to choose more content if you forgot to add items. When you review, you will see all choices you have made.

Once you have picked all links you want to add to your Canvas module, click Continue on the "Confirm LMS Selection(s)" page to return to the Canvas Module and see the deep links you just created.

If you only add only one link after you click continue on the confirmation page in Vantage the process will stop at the add item page. Scroll down until you see the URL and Page Name fields. You can change the Page Name if you wish. We recommend that you select the Load in a new tab checkbox. Click Add Item to finish.

The deep links will appear in your module. Links without grade sync will have a link icon. Links with a grade sync will have the assignment icon. If necessary, publish your module / content so students can access it.

If you have selected multiple links to add to your course module, you will not have to click the add item button to add the links to the module because the links will be added automatically to the selected module after a very brief pause on the add item to module page.

Links without a grade sync will appear in Canvas with the link icon to the right of the assignment link. Links with a grade sync will appear with the assignment icon to the right of the assignment link.

You need to be in modules to edit the links with the link icon.

Click the 3 dots to the right of the link assignment's title to open the action menu. 

Select Edit from the list of options. You will be able to edit the title of the link and check the box in front of “Load in a new tab” which gives students a better reading experience.

You can edit the links with the assignment icon either in Modules or in Assignments. In Modules click on the assignment link and then click on Edit Assignment Settings. In the Assignment area click the 3 dots to the right of the assignment's title to open the action menu. 

Select Edit from the list of options.

When adding grade sync items, assignments are created within the Assignments area of Canvas as well as adding assignment columns in the gradebook. Visit your Canvas gradebook to see the new columns that were added to your assignment selections. Visit the assignment area to see the newly added assignments you can group and assign weights.

TIP: It is always a good practice to click on at least one Vantage link to assure connection.

Adding links for grade tracking only

 The easiest (and fastest) way to add grade links for grade tracking only is to create a dedicated Module in Canvas for your additional Vantage assignments that are not linked elsewhere in your course.  For example, if you have a reading link and a Chapter Quiz link in each of your modules for that week’s chapter, but you want to capture grade for Quizzes, Knowledge Checks, and Video Activities, then you would link your Knowledge Checks and Video Activities in the “extra” module that’s only for Assignments.

The linking process itself is the same as for links you want students to see, the only change is in how you set up the Module.

1. Create your placeholder module.
2. Add the Vantage assignments links.
3. Publish the module and all assignments.

        4. Unpublish the module, leaving the individual assignments as published. Canvas requires that assignments be                     published before it will accept grades from Vantage. Hiding the module while leaving the assignments published                      means that grades will flow to Canvas, but students will not see the assignment links on their Home or Modules page.

Add Assignment Due Dates and allow for assignments to open in a new window in Canvas

After you grade sync Vantage assignments, you can assign due dates in Canvas and have the assignment open in a new window. Doing so allows students to take advantage of the native features in Canvas to monitor their upcoming tasks and have a better reading and learning experience.

        1. In the left navigation menu, click on Assignments. Next to the first assignment, you would like to update, click the 3                 dots to the right of the assignment's title to open the action menu. Select Edit from the list of options. 

            2. Click on more options.

            3. Scroll down to Submission Type and check the box in front of “Load This Tool In A New Tab,” add the Due Date                     and then click on “Save & Publish” or “Save.”

            4. Repeat this process to add a date and open in a new window for all Vantage assignments in Canvas.

            5. Once the assignment dates are added, you and your students can see the assignments listed on the course Home             page in Canvas. They will appear in the "Coming Up" area on the right side of the page.

Students can also see upcoming assignments in the "To Do" list of their Canvas dashboard, by selecting the assignment icon of their course card on the dashboard, or in the Canvas calendar.

Excluding Grades for Completion from the Canvas Gradebook Calculations

Knowledge Checks, Video Activities, etc. are often assigned for completion instead of a grade in Vantage. If you choose to grade sync these assignments, the gradebook column in Canvas will record the point value to show the assignment was completed.

While you may want your Canvas gradebook to show these assignments were completed, you may not want to include these points in the final grade calculations. You can exclude these assignments from the final grade, but still allow them to display in the gradebook to show the assignment was completed.

1. In the left navigation menu, click on Assignments. Next to the first assignment you would like to update, click the 3 dots to the right of the assignment's title to open the action menu. Select Edit from the list of options.

        2. Add the due date, then click Save.

        3. Scroll down the page about halfway. Tick the checkbox next to Do not count this assignment towards the final                 grade.

        4. Click Save on the bottom right of the page. 

        5. Repeat this process to exclude any assignments that you don't want to include in the final grade calculations.