Getting Started with Maizey Canvas Connector

Environment

U-M Maizey

Issue

How to set up a Maizey project in your Canvas course.

Resolution

Canvas courses come pre-provisioned with the U-M Maizey tool, allowing instructors to automatically create a Maizey chat app using course content as a data source. This chat app can respond to student queries based on available course materials.

Who can manage it: Users with the Canvas Teacher role can set up and manage the course Maizey.

Indexed content: Announcements, Assignments, Files, Lecture Recordings, Modules, and Pages. Hidden or locked content is not indexed until visible to students.

Supported file types: See supported file types for details.

Costs:

• Academic courses receive a $1,000 allocation per course, per semester, covering most usage scenarios.
• Non-academic courses follow the same setup process but require a Shortcode to cover Maizey project costs.

Note: Maizey workshops and workshop recordings are available.

Before you begin

It is recommended that you do the following prior to enabling the U-M Maizey tool in your course:

• Set up your Canvas course content as you want it to be on the first day of class.
  • If you add new content after enabling the tool, you will need to either manually reindex the data or wait for the weekly scheduled automatic indexing to occur in order for your Maizey chat tool to index the course data. More information about indexing is provided below.
• Publish your Canvas course.
  • If you create the Maizey chat tool in Canvas prior to publishing the course, Maizey will not be able to index your course data and will not function properly.
     

Enable the U-M Maizey tool in your course navigation

1. After opening your Canvas course, click Settings in the course navigation menu.
2. Click the Navigation tab.
3. Locate the U-M Maizey tool, click the three dots, and click Enable. If desired, click and drag the tool to a different location in the navigation menu.
4. Click Save.

The U-M Maizey tool now displays in your course navigation. 

Create your course Maizey project

5. Click U-M Maizey in your course navigation.

If prompted, authorize access to your Canvas data. A Maizey project is automatically created, the Project Details page opens in a new browser tab, and it automatically begins indexing your Canvas course data (indexing progress can be viewed in the Task Activity list).

6. Click Apps in the top-right.

7. Click the three dots next to your app and select Configure App.
8. Click Edit App.
9. Click the Published toggle to publish the Maizey app.

Note that the Public URL for your Maizey app is located at the top of the Project Details page. This is the direct URL for your course chat tool and can be used by anyone who has access to the chat tool.

Edit Scheduled Maizey Reindexing (optional)

By default, Maizey schedules automatic reindexing of your course data weekly. If you wish to change the indexing schedule, you can follow the instructions to edit scheduled reindexing of your course data. 

You may also delete the scheduled reindex however, this is not recommended as you will then need to manually reindex your Maizey project whenever you make updates to your Canvas course in order to incorporate these changes into your course chat tool’s dataset.

Accessing your Course Maizey project / chat tool

Individuals with the Canvas Teacher role can access the course Maizey project by completing the following steps:

1. Click U-M Maizey in the course navigation menu to open the chat tool.
2. Click the three dots in the top-right, then select Visit Maizey Project Settings. 

You can find instructions for customizing your Maizey project settings on the ITS website.

Individuals with the Canvas Student role can access the course Maizey chat tool by clicking U-M Maizey in the course navigation menu. Note that the first time students access the chat tool, they will be required to log into U-M AI Services and allow access to their Canvas account.

Testing your Maizey chat tool

You are strongly encouraged to thoroughly test your chat tool before making it available to students. Click U-M Maizey in the course navigation menu to open the chat tool in the sidebar next to the course content and enter test prompts to ensure the chat tool is responding as desired.

Additional Information

When Maizey is configured for a Canvas course, the user ITS AI Canvas Student is added to the course roster and will have the Observer role. This role is necessary for Maizey to index course content and it should not be removed or changed.

For individuals who are manually added to a Canvas course, there may be a delay of up to 12 hours before they can access a course Maizey tool. Canvas and U-M Maizey sync users every 12 hours.

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.