3.1.3 - Alternative Formats

Closeup of a woman reading an eBook page on a tablet.

Alternative formats for much of the course material is available in various locations in the course. The formats are available for an entire content page and certain document types, like PDF, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. Access to an alternative format can only be done through each page or document. A "bulk formatting" option for all the pages and/or documents in a course is not available.

Note: Due to the configuration, alternative formats are not available for downloading in this Orientation site.

Formats available include:

Audio - MP3 version for listening
BeeLine Reader - For easier reading using BeeLine Reader app or extension
Electronic braille - For reading on electronic braille displays
ePub - For reading on an eBook reader
HTML - An HTML file format for reading in a browser or on a mobile device
OCRed PDF - An Optical Character Recognition PDF that has searchable text
Tagged PDF - A PDF for documents with tags and elements (blockquote, paragraph, and headings) that add meaning to a page
Translated version - Machine-translated version in an HTML file format for reading in your native language

The list of format selections can be accessed on a course content page or in the preview for a file. Note: The format selections aren't available when using the Canvas Student app on a mobile device. However, you can access format selections on a mobile device using a mobile browser. Below are the mobile browsers recommended by Canvas:

Android - Chrome (default browser with limited Canvas support)*, Firefox
iOS - Chrome, Safari (default browser with limited Canvas support)

*Android default browser varies per mobile device.

Canvas Content Pages

To download an alternative format for a Canvas content page:

If downloading for a file, click the Alternative Formats button located next to a link and select Alternative Formats from the menu.

If downloading for a page, click the Alternative Formats button located next to title at the top of the page
In the Download Alternative Formats window, select the desired format and click the Download button.

Length of time for the download will depend on the amount of content on the page and the selected format. Generally, the download should take approximately 1 minute, though some downloads could take up to a few minutes to complete.

File Previews

To download an alternative format for a file preview:

After the file opens in the preview window, click the Alternative Formats button or link located next to the Download button.
In the Download Alternative Formats window for the selected file, select the desired format and click the Download button.

Length of time for the download will depend on the amount of content in the page and the selected format. Generally, the download should take approximately 1 minute, though some downloads, like for the audio format, could take up to a few minutes to complete.