The Big Ideas Math program can be integrated into the Canvas LMS platform, which allows for simple tool integration. Once your organization has completed the Canvas integration of LTI 1.3, adding new content links can be completed in a few short steps.
Please note Canvas is highly customizable and your district curriculum and technology team may change the design and layout of how you see a course within Canvas.
In order for your account and classes to sync to Big Ideas Math, your classes must be published within Canvas. Once published, users, classes, and any changes will appear the following day during our daily 4AM ET sync.
Deep linking and grade pass back between Big Ideas Math and Canvas is only available for programs with a copyright of 2019 and later.
To request an integration with Canvas, please contact Customer Support.
Recent updates
- An assignment can now be assigned to multiple classrooms through the external tool
- Cross-listing is now available for organizations integrating directly from Canvas
- Published scores will now include a status icon within Big Ideas Math
Adding Big Ideas Math content to a course
Making an Assignment to Multiple Classes
“This assignment is already assigned to the same student who is inactive in another class” Message
Accessing Big Ideas Content
Organizations who have integrated with LTI 1.3 can quickly access Big Ideas Math content from the Canvas Course Navigation. Important if you are integrated with Canvas your course has to be published, in order for your classes and students to be able to interact with our content.
By clicking the Big Ideas Math Link, in the left pane navigation, a new window will open and the user will be logged in directly to their Account.
*Please note that the browser experience will open this in a new tab. Popup blockers could stop the window from opening the new tab.
Adding Big Ideas Math content to a course
Big Ideas Math content links can be added to Canvas using Modules or available in Assignments.
Adding a Resource
Select Modules, then click “+ Module” to create a new Module. You can also select the “+” button to add content to an existing module
You will then be prompted to add an item to the module, which defaults to Assignment. From the dropdown, select External Tool.
Select the Big Ideas Math program as the External Tool. Please note that the name may vary depending on how your organization has set up Canvas.
You can select which Big Idea Resource you would like to add to the Module. Big Ideas Dashboard and Dynamic Student Edition are items that may only need to be added once to a Module. Resources, Video Library, Assignments and DAP will contain chapter specific resources.
Once you have the resource selected you will click Add in the Big Ideas Math window. The Item will be highlighted and once an item is selected the add button will be selectable.
Click the Add Item button to add this to your Canvas module. It is recommended that check the box to Load in a new tab for Big Ideas Math content.
Items will need to be published for users to see them in your Canvas Course.
Adding an Assignment
Big Ideas Math integration will allow you to make assignments directly from Canvas providing the ability to report scores back to your Grade Book.
Navigate to the Assignments section of the Canvas course. Click the +Assignments button.
Once the assignment page is open you will need to add an Assignment Name. You can also add details and information from the assignment on this page. Navigate to the submission type and make sure it is set to External Tool. Click Find to open the Big Ideas Math application.
Click Big Ideas Math
Select Assignments or DAP from the Big Ideas Math External tool Resources.
Once the assignment section is open you can FILTER the content by Type, Program, Book, Chapter or Lesson. Click the check box for the name of the assignment you wish to assign to your class. Click the Assign button at the top of the screen.
By default the name of the assignment will appear as listed in Big Ideas Math you can change the Assignment Title. Select the individual students or All Students you wish the assignment to go to. You can also modify date and time the assessment is available for the users to complete.
Additional settings that can be modified Submissions options, Tools, Question options and message to the user. Once complete click the Assign button.
The External Tool URL will be populated with a bigideasmath.com link. It is important to not modify that field or copy/paste it anywhere else. Students may encounter issues if you attempt to copy/paste or link the URL anywhere else than the default location we'll add it to in Canvas.
Set Submission Attempts to Unlimited to allow syncing multiple times if you update any scores and choose an Assignment Group. It is also recommended to select "Load this tool in a new tab".
Then click either Save and Publish or Save depending on if you are ready for students to see the assignment.
Do not modify the Assign section on this screen. Choosing which classes and users to assign to will be done in Big Ideas Math while creating the assignment.
Making an Assignment to Multiple Classes
Within Canvas you can now create an assignment for multiple classrooms at the same time through the external tool. If you are unfamiliar with how to make an assignment in Canvas please see the see Adding an Assignment section.
If you cross-list in Canvas, you will still need to add the assignment to every section in Big Ideas Math. If you attempt to assign to only 1 class in Big Ideas Math and change the assignees only on the Canvas side, then they will not be able to open it.
Click the Add Class button, then check the boxes to the classes you wish to add the assignment to. Click All Students or individual students you need by class.
Once the classes have been selected you can navigate between the different classes to manage the users and settings. Settings which can be applied to all classes are Date and Time, Submissions Options, Tools and Questions Options. Click the Assign button to add the link to the assignment in Canvas.
The External Tool URL will be populated with a bigideasmath.com link. It is important to not modify that field or copy/paste it anywhere else. Students may encounter issues if you attempt to copy/paste or link the URL anywhere else than the default location we'll add it to in Canvas.
Set Submission Attempts to Unlimited to allow syncing multiple times if you update any scores and choose an Assignment Group. It is also recommended to select "Load this tool in a new tab".
Then click either Save and Publish or Save depending on if you are ready for students to see the assignment.
Do not modify the Assign section on this screen. Choosing which classes and users to assign to will be done in Big Ideas Math while creating the assignment.
Sending Scores to Canvas
Once a student submits an assignment then their scores will pass from Big Ideas Math to Canvas. If something causes the scores to not send (red triangle icon) then we also attempt to resync those automatically at 2AM, 8AM, 2PM and 8PM ET each day. Teachers can also attempt to manually send those by opening their menu in the top right corner and clicking "Send scores to your LMS".
If your assignment has questions that need manually scored, please ensure to grade those for them to reflect within Canvas.
“This assignment is already assigned to the same student who is inactive in another class” Message
If you've added a student to an assignment already and then they've switched sections, you'll need to relink the assignment from their new section to them.
- In Canvas, navigate to your Assignments tab and click the “+ Assignment” button.
- Select the External Tool as your submission type and choose the Big Ideas Math app.
- Choose the “Assignments” option in the categories that appear in the pop-up.
- Navigate to the Assignments tab within Big Ideas Math and select the assignment that you would like to add a student to.
- Click on "+ Add Item" at the top. Confirm the action in the pop-up that appears.
- This will create a new link for this assignment in Canvas
- Back in Canvas, launch the Big Ideas Math app from your left navigation bar and go to your Assignments tab.
- Select that assignment you've just linked and click “Assignment Details”
- Select that student you would like to add to it and then save your changes.
Note: To reflect grades in the Canvas gradebook, users will need to launch the assignment or report from Canvas first.