Part 5: Using Canvas to Create Your Portfolio

ENGL 1101 Portfolio Instructions Navigation

Part 1: Overview | Part 2: Composing Your Portfolio | Part 3: Portfolio Creation Tips

Part 4: Sample Portfolios | Part 5: Using Canvas to Create Your Portfolio

Canvas e-portfolios are a way for you to showcase your learning process. You’ll create individual pages (one for the self- review essay and one for each artifact) and then make a collection out of the pages—the multimodal reflection portfolio is that collection.

Every Georgia Tech student has free access to Canvas at http://canvas.gatech.edu.

Note: While the Writing and Communication Program tries to keep these technical instructions up to date, updates to YouTube, Google Drive, and other platforms may cause these instructions to be out of date. In that case, first try finding a solution online; if that doesn’t work, please contact your instructor.

Setting Up A Portfolio In Canvas


To create your portfolio in Canvas, you first need to get started on your home screen.

  1. Click the “Account” icon located under the main menu tab on the upper left-hand side of the page. This icon resembles a person’s face. You should now see your name, followed by a short menu of options.
  2. Click on “ePortfolios,” which should be the last option on this menu.
  3. Click the “Create an ePortfolio” button on the upper right-hand corner of the screen. A new screen that reads “My ePortfolios” will appear, with an option to “Make an ePortfolio” in the center of the screen. Name your new e-portfolio using your FirstName LastName, the course number, and section letter. Example: “GeorgeBurdell1102-Z1 Reflection Portfolio.”
  4. Click the “Make ePortfolio” You should see a new screen with “Welcome to Your ePortfolio” at the top.

Creating Pages

Now that your portfolio is set up, you can start creating and adding artifact pages.

  1. Click the “Organize/Manage Pages” menu option on the right-hand side of your screen.
  2. Click on the existing “Welcome” page in the right-hand column and rename it something like “Reflective Essay” – this is the page where you will add your completed multimodal reflective essay.
  3. Click the “Add Another Page” link below the existing page to create a new page in your ePortfolio. Title each page as you go – you may choose to start with titles like “Artifact 1” and “Artifact 2” and then rename them something more specific later. Add as many pages as necessary. Hint: Your page title should clearly indicate to a potential reader of your portfolio which artifact is included on the page.
  4. Click the yellow “Done Editing” button to finish creating your page(s).
  5. Click on the gear to the right of the page name to access additional editing options. The pencil will allow you to rename the page; the trash can will allow you to delete a page. You can also re-order the pages by selecting the “Move to”

You’re now ready to start adding content!

Adding Content To Pages

There are four content options available in Canvas: Rich Text Content, HTML/Embedded Content, Course Submission, and Image/File Upload.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT use the “Course Submission” option when designing your e-portfolio!

  1. Click on the individual page that you’d like to edit.
  2. Choose the “Edit This Page” button on the right-hand side menu.
  3. On the right-hand side of your screen, you should see an “Add Content” menu. Choose one of these three options:
    • Rich Text Content lets you enter text directly on your page and will give you the option to edit as you go. This is the default way to enter content. This feature also lets you modify formatting, size, and the appearance of text. It also lets you insert images and link to URLs. Hint: Rich Text is ideal for your reflective essay, introductory paragraphs, and bullet point reflections.
    • HTML/Embedded Content allows you to link to media or embed media such as videos or podcasts within your portfolio. You may want to use this function to enhance the appearance of your site or contribute relevant content to your portfolio. Hint: HTML/Embedded Content is ideal for YouTube videos and Google-hosted documents.
    • Image/File Upload will let you attach additional work such as essay drafts or peer reviews. Hint: Image/File Upload is ideal for screenshots of process documents.
  4. Each time you add content, you need to add a new content box. If you have several files to upload, for instance, you will need to create a new content box each time. This rule applies for all of the content types.
  5. You can move content boxes/rearrange the order by hovering over the top left corner of the box and clicking down on the arrow icon to move. The boxes have a drag-and-drop function for reordering.
  6. You can delete any content at any time by selecting the trash icon to the right of the content label.

The “Preview” option will let you see if the page appears the way you want.

Be sure to click the “Save Page” regularly!

Submitting And Sharing Your Portfolio


IMPORTANT: If you submit the portfolio incorrectly, so that your instructor is unable to access it, or have incorrect settings on your portfolio so that your instructor is unable to access it, your instructor may penalize you according to the policies listed in the syllabus, including assigning a zero for the assignment.

You will need to share your ePortfolio with your instructor. Your instructor cannot access your e-portfolio until you have submitted it correctly. You must access your e-portfolio in order to find the private sharing link.

  1. Log onto Canvas and click on your name in the top right-hand menu.
  2. Select “ePortfolios” from your profile page on the left side bar.
  3. Click on the name of the portfolio you need to share with your instructor.
  4. Scroll down to find the link that says: “Copy and share this link to give others access to your private e-Portfolio.” (see screenshot below)
  5. Copy link and paste it into the Canvas assignment submission area on your course site. Submit that assignment to your professor as you normally would.

IMPORTANT:
While Canvas allows you to continue updating your portfolio after submitting the link, please note that any editing of the portfolio after the submission deadline will be considered a violation of the Georgia Tech Honor Code and may be referred to the Office of Student Integrity.

FAQ

Please see the WCP Assessment website for a suite of support materials that will help you design and build your portfolio. You can find materials that support the following FAQ’s of Canvas portfolio design in both slideshow and video format:

How do I create my ePortfolio and generate pages?

How do I rename my ePortfolio?

How do I generate an embed code with Google Docs? (updated December 2022)

How do I embed Video into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I embed .pdf files into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I embed Google Docs into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I embed live web pages into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I embed .mp3 files into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I embed Google Slideshows into my Canvas ePortfolio?

How do I share my Canvas ePortfolio?

Help And Troubleshooting

Functionality

If you come across an issue with Canvas functionality, please first consult:

As with all online platforms, Canvas performs better in some internet browsers than others. If you are experiencing functionality issues, consider trying a different browser (Firefox is recommended).

If the situation continues, contact your instructor as soon as possible, letting them know as many details about the issue as possible. They will work together with you, with WCP staff, and with technical support staff to get the issue corrected as quickly as possible.

Page Design

Access

  • When embedding or linking to any form of external media (Google Doc, YouTube video, Prezi), set the permissions in the original application (i.e., Google Docs, YouTube) to allow an outside reader (including your instructor) to be able to access your artifact. This most often means allowing anyone with the link to read/view the artifact.
  • Double-check access: Send the link to your portfolio to ask a friend or classmate and ask them to open your links to ensure they are able to view all of your embedded content.

Designing Sections For Readability

  • Use the Rich Text Content Editor tool to create separate sections/headers for each part of your artifact page. These sections/headers should be called Introduction, Artifact, Process Documents, and Reflection and should ideally match your sub-menu on the right. This will help improve the navigation capabilities of your portfolio.
  • Any embedded media should have a caption or label associated with it. Be consistent with your labeling (Figure 1, Figure 2) and provide context appropriate for readers who were not in the classroom with you on a daily basis.

Embedding Items (Images)

  • Click on the Image/File Upload tool on the portfolio page that you’re working on. You should now see 2 options listed. Click on “Choose File” to upload a file directly from your computer.
  • Click “Select/Upload File.”
  • Click on the “Rich Text Content” tool to add information associated with your image, like a title, caption, or contextual information.
  • Click “Save Page” and you should now see your image and text together on the page.

Embedding Items (Videos from a service such as YouTube)

  • Copy the embed code for the video that you would like to add to your page. The embed code is available on YouTube under the “Share” menu.
  • Go to the Canvas page on which you would like to embed the video.
  • Click on the “HTML/Embedded Content”
  • Paste the embed code from step 1 in the box that appears.
  • Add any reflections and/or additional content using the Rich Text Content tool.

Embedding Items (PDFs from Google Docs)

  • Convert a Word document into a pdf and save it to a personal Google Drive.
  • Click on the pdf, then click on the three dots in the corner. Click on ‘share.’
  • Make the pdf shareable to ‘anyone with a link.’
  • Open the pdf in a new window (this is an option under the three dots as well).
  • Click on ‘embed item’ and copy the HTML into the ePortfolio page.
  • Highlight and copy the HTML code.
  • Click on the “HTML/Embedded Content” tool on your Canvas page.
  • Paste the embed code from step 6 in the box that appears and resize if necessary by adjusting the code. For example: 
    <iframe src="“URL”" width="“640”" height="“480”" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe>
  • Save page.

Embedding Items (Prezis)

  • Make sure to have both the Canvas page and your Prezi open for easy access.
  • Get a “View Link” for your Prezi. This option can be found through “Share” in edit mode or “Link to this presentation” in view mode.
  • In Canvas, in the Rich Text Editor box, click the “Insert media”
  • In the “Embed” tab, type in 
    <iframe src="your_view_link/embed" width="550" height="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe>
  • Replace your_view_link with the view link you acquired in Step 2.
  • Click OK.

For additional help and troubleshooting, see the WCP Assessment Website Help Pages. Also, Canvas has a robust online help community and a series of FAQ guides related to their e-Portfolio system. Your instructor and peers may also have helpful suggestions on best practices for embedding different kinds of media into your Canvas portfolio, so be sure to ask!

ENGL 1101 Portfolio Instructions Navigation

Part 1: Overview | Part 2: Composing Your Portfolio | Part 3: Portfolio Creation Tips

Part 4: Sample Portfolios | Part 5: Using Canvas to Create Your Portfolio