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Add Google Docs or Slides to a Lesson Activity
Add Google Docs or Slides to a Lesson Activity

Link to a Google Drive document to an activity within a lesson.

Brooke Fodor avatar
Written by Brooke Fodor
Updated over a week ago

Do you have a Google Drive Document you'd like students to use in a lesson? You've come to the right place! Please take a look at the information below, before moving on to the instructions for adding Google Docs or Slides.

General Information

  • You and your students must be logged into Otus using Google SSO to have access to your Google Drives.

  • If you are the co-teacher of a class, the main teacher must login with Google SSO at least once in order to enable the features of the integration for you.

  • Make sure your sharing settings are set appropriately for that Google Doc.

  • This process will essentially provide students with a link to the Google Doc within their Google Drive. It does not automatically embed a copy of the document in the lesson (see next note).

  • If you'd like Otus to automatically make a copy of the Google Doc for each student and allow them to work on it directly within Otus, you'll want to use a Rubric Assessment to do that.

  • There is a way to manipulate the link so that you can force students to make their own copy. If you'd like more information on this, see the Individual Student Copies section below.

  • You can only attach a single link to an activity; you are unable to attach a folder.


Adding the Google Doc/Slide

  • Step 1: After you've created the lesson, add an Activity and select Add Resource.

  • Step 2: Select the Google Drive button.

  • Step 3: Choose the Google Doc you'd like to attach. *if you don't see anything available, please make sure you have logged in using Google SSO.

  • Step 4: Select Save.

  • Step 5: Add a title and directions.

  • Step 6: Add an image (optional). For best results, use an image with a ratio equivalent to 300 length x 200 width. *If this ratio is not used, the image will be seen in full by the student but a blurred background of the uploaded image will be added to fill the blank space. See below 👇 .

  • Step 7: Select Save.

When the student accesses this activity, they will select the button that says Open Google Drive.


Individual Student Copies

When you share a link to the Google Doc, there is a way to manipulate the link so that it forces the students to make a copy. Please note the following:

  • Creating individual copies this way does not give you (the teacher) immediate access to the documents. Students will need to use the document sharing settings in their Google Drive to share the document with you. Once they share it with you, it will be in your Shared with Me folder of your Google Drive.

  • The document will be housed in the student's Google Drive; it is not located directly within the Lesson or in Otus. Students will only be able to access the document from within their Google Drive.

If you want students to have their own copies of the Google Doc, follow the steps listed below:

  • Step 1: While in the desired document in your Google Drive, select Share.

  • Step 2: Make sure to change the link settings to "Anyone with the link".

  • Step 3: Select Copy Link.

  • Step 4: While in your Otus Lesson, add a link activity.

  • Step 5: Paste the link and at end of the link, remove edit?usp=sharing and replace it with the word copy (see example below).

  • Step 6: Name the link and select Save.

When the student clicks on this link, they will be forced to make a copy of the document (see example below):

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