Environment
Canvas Learning Management System
Issue
How do I use the AI ALT Text Helper in Canvas?
Resolution
Powered by the UM-GPT Toolkit, the AI ALT Text Helper (located within the Instructor Tools menu) is designed to help you quickly remediate inaccessible images in your Canvas course. Unlike other tools that require you to locate images individually, this tool scans your entire course at once and suggests editable descriptions for every image found.
1. Scan Your Course
When you first open the Alt Text Helper, it will display the results of the most recent scan. This summary shows you exactly how many images need attention across Assignments, Pages, Classic Quizzes, and Classic Quiz Questions.
-
First-time use: The scan may run automatically or prompt you to start.
-
Updating the list: If you have added new content or images since last using the tool, click the Rescan Course button to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date information.
2. Start a Review Session
To begin fixing images, you must select a specific group of content to work on.
-
Scroll down to the Start Review section.
-
Click the Content Category dropdown menu.
-
Select the group you wish to remediate (e.g., Assignments or Pages).
-
Click Begin Review.
Note: If a category shows "0 images," no accessibility issues were found in that group, and the "Begin Review" button will be disabled.
3. Review, Edit, and Approve
Once the review starts, the tool will guide you through the images in that category one by one. For each image, you will be presented with an AI-generated description. You have three choices:
-
Approve: If the AI suggestion is accurate, keep it as is.
-
Edit: If the suggestion is inaccurate or missing context, click the text box to edit the description manually, then Approve.
-
Skip: If you do not wish to add alt text to a specific image right now, you can skip it.
4. Save Your Changes
Changes are not applied immediately as you click through the images. You must complete the batch to finalize the updates.
-
Page through all images in your selected category.
-
On the final screen of the review, click the Save Changes button.
-
Your updated alt text will now be live in your Canvas course.
Additional Information
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does this tool automatically change my course content? No. The tool only applies changes after you have reviewed the suggestions and clicked "Save Changes" at the end of the process.
- Will this update the alt text in all my courses where this image is published? No. The tool updates the alt text only for the specific instance of the image in the current course. This ensures you can control the description based on the specific context in which the image is used.
- Can I run the scan more than once? Yes. You can use the Rescan Course button as often as you like to check for new images or changes.
- How do I change the alt text after it is saved? Once you have saved changes in the Alt Text Helper, any further edits must be made directly in Canvas. Navigate to the specific Page, Assignment, or Quiz, open the Rich Content Editor, and manually edit the image options.
- Why is the "Begin Review" button greyed out? The button is disabled if the selected category contains 0 images or if the current scan found no issues for that specific content type.
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.