The Microsoft Teams integration with Canvas allows faculty to create a Class team in Teams from any academic Canvas site. After the initial manual sync, the Canvas roster will automatically add people from the Canvas course into the Class team allowing instructors, teaching assistants, and students to engage with each other through the robust Chat functionality of Teams. A quick link to the Class team will also be present in the Canvas course navigation menu.
Note: While the Teams integration will be available in non-academic Canvas sites, only ONID users can access the OSU Teams environment. Non-OSU individuals in these Canvas sites will not be able to access the associated Class team in Teams.
Enable Microsoft Teams in Canvas
Step 1: Enable Microsoft Sync
- Navigate to your course site in Canvas
- Click Settings in the course navigation menu
- Click Integrations near the top center of the page
- Enable Microsoft Sync to by clicking the toggle located under State
- Click Sync Now to begin the roster sync
It may take several minutes for the Microsoft Sync process to finish. You will not be able to access the course in Teams or by clicking on Microsoft Teams in Canvas course navigation until the first sync process is complete.
Step 2: Enable Teams in Canvas course navigation
- Navigate to your course site in Canvas
- Click Settings in the course navigation menu
- Click Navigation near the top center of the page
- Locate Microsoft Teams in the list of disabled tools
- Enable Microsoft Teams and click Save at the bottom of the page
Learn more about managing your Team and Team channels.
Allow Microsoft Domains in your browser settings
After enabling Microsoft Sync and Microsoft Teams in your Canvas course, clicking on Microsoft Teams in the Canvas course menu should display a Teams card for your class team. You will need to allow specific Microsoft domains in your browser if you see a message about changing your browser settings or allowing trusted domains.
Role Mapping
The five base Canvas roles map to the two Teams roles as follows:
| Canvas Role |
Teams Role |
| Teacher |
Owner |
| TA |
Owner |
| Designer |
Owner |
| Student |
Member |
| Observer |
Member |
Q&A
- Q: Can I add non-OSU guests to my team linked to a Canvas course?
A: Any team connected to Canvas has to abide by FERPA since it an extension of the academic course site. Because of FERPA requirements, you may not be able to add external guests to your Canvas linked team. Consult with the Office of the Registrar (OtR).
- Q: My course extends over multiple terms. Will I be able to re-link to the same Team from a new Canvas course in the following term?
A: No, Teams connected to Canvas are automatically created and connected through the integration process. There isn't an option to choose a previously created Teams to connect to the Canvas course.
- Q: I want to create a Team from a crosslisted course. Will that cause any problems?
A: No, if you create the Team from your crosslisted 'X' site in Canvas, the Team will pull in everyone from the 'X' site roster regardless of their section within the course.
- Q: What is the primary difference between a non-Canvas Team vs. a Team created through Canvas?
A: Non-Canvas Team rosters must be manually populated/managed by the Team owner. Canvas-created Teams will automatically update the Team roster to align with the Canvas course roster.
Assistance
For assistance, contact the Service Desk.