What is a Slack Course Workspace?

Slack is a communication platform that allows groups of people to easily collaborate.  Through the Slack/Canvas (CourseBot) integration, instructors can set up a Slack Course Workspace associated with their Canvas site.  A Slack Course Workspace is a Slack Workspace that is generated through Canvas and membership is linked to and managed by the enrollments listed in the People Tool of the associated Canvas site.  Slack Course Workspaces are time controlled spaces that will archive after 5 years in coordination with university retention policies.  

NOTE:  Slack Course Workspaces are only available for academic course Canvas sites.   Non-traditional and non-credit Canvas sites will not have access to the Slack/Canvas (CourseBot) integration.

Creating a Slack Course Workspace

Slack Course Workspaces are created through the Slack/Canvas (CourseBot) integration.  An instructor or TA will first have to enable and click on the Slack button in the Canvas course site navigation menu to initiate the Slack Course Workspace.  For more information, please see How to Create a Slack Course Workspace (via Canvas).

Joining A Slack Course Workspace

Once the Slack Course Workspace is created, anyone who is listed in the Canvas site's People Tool with roles other than Designer or Observer will have the ability to join.

When used with academic course rosters, Slack Workspaces will fall under the purview of FERPA guidelines.  As membership in a Slack Course Workspace is visible to other members of the Workspace, users who join must acknowledge and accept that they are willing to have their name listed within the Workspace.  If a user is not comfortable with these terms, they may opt out of joining the Slack Course Workspace.  Please see Slack Course Workspaces and FERPA for more information.

Accessing Slack Course Workspaces

After joining a Slack Course Workspace through Canvas, users can then access the Workspace directly through one of the following ways:

• Via the Brown University Slack Portal and clicking on the appropriate Workspace
• Via the direct URL for the Slack Course Workspace (will open the Slack Web App)
• Via the Slack Desktop App (must be downloaded an installed on the user's computer)
• Via the Canvas course site by clicking on the Slack button in the course navigation menu and opening via the Slack Web App or Slack Desktop App

Using Slack Course Workspaces

Slack Course Workspaces are essentially basic Slack Workspaces whose enrollment is managed through Canvas.  As you implement Slack into your teaching practices, there are likely some modifications you may want to make to your Slack Course Workspace to make it more applicable in your course setting.  Please check out our help articles on Slack Course Workspace Recommendations, Tips & Tricks.

Additional Resources

• Slack Course Workspaces (via Canvas)
• How to create a Slack Course Workspace
• How to join a Slack Course Workspace
• Canvas / Slack Course Workspace Role Mapping
• Slack Course Workspace Permissions
• Adding Other Members to a Slack Course Workspace
• Slack Course Workspaces and FERPA
• Slack Course Workspace Recommendations, Tips & Tricks
• Slack Help Center

Getting Help

For technical support using Slack:  Contact the Brown OIT Service Center.