Using the Zoom LTI in Canvas, you can create a Zoom chat channel, which works as a group messaging space for your course. From within the chat channel, you also have the option of starting a Zoom meeting (with or without video), and inviting all of your students to the meeting, with just one click!

While this feature can be useful for quick communication during a live class session, such as sharing worksheets, links, or other resources, we do not recommend using it as a substitute for Canvas Announcements or email. Those tools remain the most reliable methods for communicating important or time-sensitive course information with students.

QILT does not provide support for Zoom, Zoom Carts, or Zoom Rooms, however, we are able to advise on using it as part of the course design process. With further technical support questions or issues, submit a QU IT ticket.

To create a chat channel:

1. In your Canvas course navigation, select “Zoom” to open the Zoom LTI.

2. Select the three vertical dots on the right side of the Zoom page (1), and select “Create a Zoom Chat channel” (2).

3. Check the box to automatically refresh channel members, select “Daily,” and then select the blue “Create” button.


It’s important to automatically refresh channel members, otherwise students will not be added or removed based on add/drop. Daily sync ensures membership management happens regularly.


4. Open the Zoom app on your computer, tablet, or phone (or install it if needed), sign-in with your QU credentials if not already, and locate the chat channel in the sidebar. The chat channel will be titled: Course Name (CodeSection_Term).

5. Review the chat channel members by opening the channel members area, and take note of any students that are not appearing in the list. Inform the students that do not appear, that they will need to download, install, and sign-in (with their QU credentials) to the Zoom app on their computer, phone or tablet. Once that’s complete, when the channel syncs, they will be added.

Do not manually add students to the channel from this area. The channel syncs membership with the student enrollments in your Canvas course.

That’s it! The chat channel is ready for use. If you have other courses you’d like to set up a chat channel for, follow the steps above from within those courses.

You may choose to review these points with students before using it in your course:

• Important or time-sensitive information will still be communicated to them using an announcement in the Canvas course or via email.
• Both you and your students can send messages in, and see all messages in, the chat channel. Make sure you let students know their messages there are not private.
• Messages in the chat channel are not delivered via e-mail. Message notifications come through the Zoom app only, which must be signed-in to and open in the background (either on a computer, tablet, or phone) to send notifications.
• Files uploaded into the chat channel do not connect to submissions in the Canvas course.

QILT does not provide support for Zoom, Zoom Carts, or Zoom Rooms, however, we are able to advise on using it as part of the course design process. With further technical support questions or issues, submit a QU IT ticket.

Additional Resources