Canvas: DocViewer - In-Line Document Viewer

The DocViewer allows faculty to view, annotate, and provide feedback on students submissions. You can also provide feedback to your students with text or media comments. When the submission is opened in the Document viewer, the annotation tools are located on the top of the screen. See the graphic above for the examples of the various annotation options.

Features:

1. Page - Navigation icon to page through document or enter page number to move through document.
2. Rotate - Allows you to rotate documents or images by 90 degrees at a time.
3. Zoom - Increase or decrease size of document.  Enlarging the document to large will make it harder to see the comments on the right side.
4. Expand - Expand the view to full screen.  Use the escape key to minimize
5. Pointer - Works as a pointer only. Click on it to turn off annotation tools.
6. Point annotation  - Allows you to add comments that appears to the right the document.  Comment text is required.
7. Highlight - Highlight text using the selected color.  Entering a comment is optional.
8. Free Text - Places the comment wherever the annotation is on the document.  This option will overlay and hide the text or graphic or allows for transparent text box.
9. Strikeout - Place a line through text.  Entering a comment is optional.
10. Free Draw - Use to draw a continuous line. Once you stop using the tool you cannot add more lines to the drawing.   Entering a comment is optional.
11. Area with Comments - Draw a box around an area and then add the comment to the right the document.   Comment text is required. When the comment is added to the document a dotted line appears leading to the designated area on the document.
12. Color Selection -  You can select what color to use when marking up the document.  The color palette appears when you select the annotation tools.  Select a different color to emphasize various areas of feedback.  
13. Delete Comment -  When the comment is in edit mode or "active" you will see an icon of a trash can which allows you to delete the comment.   
14. Student Feature -  Students have the annotation tools available to them when viewing their assignment in the Feedback view.  Student can also reply to the faculty comments by selecting the comment and clicking on Reply.  The student name will appear next to their comment.
15. Download Annotated submission - The arrow on the top left above the submission downloads the submission with your annotations.
16. Download Student Submission -  The download student submission is located on the top right of the screen below the Submitted Files heading. 

Outcome:

Be able to use all of DocViewer's features.

Further reading:

• Your students will see the comments by going to their Grades and selecting the assignment to open their submission. On the submission page, they will click on the Feedback link to view the Annotated document. For more details, read this article: View Annotated Comments from Faculty
• For more details about DocViewer, see the article Canvas User Guide about using the DocViewer in SpeedGrader.
• For details about how to enter grade while in the SpeedGrader, see the article How do I enter and edit grades in the SpeedGrader

Need additional help?

Please use this link to the Technology Help Desk to locate your local campus contact information.  Use the “Submit a Question” for your campus to enter an online support request.