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Microsoft Word Equation Import/Copy/???
Michael Rosenberger
asked this on May 16, 2012 11:02
I have a Chemistry instructor who has several dozen Microsoft Word document with lessons and assignments that I would like to add to their Canvas course as an actual lesson or assignment and not as a file attachment. I tried to copy and past from Word to the lesson or assignment, but the equations in the Word document do not copy. I tried entering the Word equations editor and copying the raw equations and then opening the Canvas Equation editor and pasting, but that is not working either. I can go through and recreate them in Canvas, but I was hoping there was a way to bring them in without retyping all of them.
Any pointers appreciated.
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Hi Michael. Do you have an example file that you could attach for testing? Also, I am a little confused as to where you are trying to paste them. Are you pasting them into 'assignment' directions, or are you pasting the equations into a quiz question?
Sorry for the double post Michael. I just realized I was logged in previously under a different admin account. My questions are posted above.
I will have an example and some more information here in a bit.
My rational for wanting to copy and paste the content from a Word Doc instead of just using an attachment is to honor the icon structure and reduce clicks for students. If I use an attached Word Doc file I only have two options for having a student access it. The first is to create an assignment and then add a link to the file in the assignment page. So two click for a student to get to the information. The second would be to add the file as a direct link in the module area or on a page, but then the Word Doc of an assignment only has a file icon instead of it being an assignment icon. So, if I can copy and past the text and equations out of a Word Doc and past it in a proper assignment or such, that would be helpful.
Does that make sense? Maybe there is a better process?
I completely understand. I like to reduce the clicks as well. If you can attach one of the documents to this conversation I will try a few things to test it here.
Excellent. Here is one of the lesson Word Docs that contains the equations. THANKS!
Michael, I converted your Word document into a PDF and then used the image capture program Snagit to convert the first page into an image. I then created an assignment and uploaded the image. This is what the assignment looks like.
Each page would have to be uploaded as a separate image, and students would have to scroll down to see the entire text of the document. It would be accessible through the Modules with the A+ (assignments) icon--one click, but a considerable amount of scrolling.
Will something like this work for you?
Thanks Stefanie. That would be another work-around if there is no way to import equations, and it will allow us to add it directly into a lesson without additional clicks. I can automate the graphics export from Word directly too. I am still hoping that equations will copy and paste directly into a lesson, but thanks for the option.