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Getting Started

When your Canvas administrator places a generic digital twin in your course, you have two options:
  1. Create a new digital twin instance - Start fresh with course-specific customization
  2. Reuse an existing digital twin instance - Connect to a previously created digital twin that has been associated with your email
Canvas Onboarding Page Web

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Creating a Digital Twin

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Initial Setup Process

When you first access your digital twin through your LMS, you’ll be welcomed by the Digital Twin wizard that guides you through the creation process.
1

Access the Digital Twin

Navigate to your course in your Learning Management System (LMS) and click on the digital twin icon, typically located in the bottom-right corner of your course page.Faculty Onboarding Location Gi
2

Start the Creation Wizard

Click the + Digital Twin button to create a personalized instance of your AI assistant.
Digital Experts and Digital Twins use identical creation workflows but fulfill distinct roles. Digital Twins are personalized AI assistants that mirror your individual expertise, knowledge base, and teaching methodology, while Digital Experts offer specialized domain knowledge without personal customization. The key differentiator is the personalization prompt you provide during setup—this determines whether the AI reflects your unique perspective or maintains a more generalized expert persona.
Canvas Digital Expert Creation Web
3

Configure Your Digital Twin

In the New Digital Twin dialog, enter:
  • Name: Choose a name for your twin (e.g., “Professor Smith’s Assistant”)
  • Picture URL: Provide a publicly accessible image URL (without CORS issues)
  • Animated Picture URL (GIF): Provide a publicly accessible animated GIF URL that will serve as your digital twin’s animated avatar (without CORS issues)
  • UI Background URL: Select a background image for the user interface
4

Complete Setup

Click Let’s GO! to finish creating your new digital twin instance.
For detailed information on AI personalization and prompting, refer to the Personalization Guide.
Once you select an existing instance for a course, this association cannot be changed unless you first unlink the digital twin from that course.

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Unlinking a Digital Twin

You may need to unlink your digital twin from a course if you want to:
  • Associate a different digital twin instance with the course
  • Create a completely new digital twin for that course
  • Remove the digital twin entirely

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Unlinking Process

Faculty Onboarding Unlink Profile Gi
1

Access Your Profile

Navigate to your digital twin interface and go to your Profile page.
2

Locate LTI Section

Scroll down to find the LTI section in your profile settings.
3

Unlink Instance

Click the Unlink from Current Instance button to disconnect the digital twin from the current course.
4

Confirm Action

Confirm the unlinking action when prompted. This will remove the association between your digital twin and the current course.
After unlinking, you’ll need to go through the setup process again the next time you access the digital twin in that course.

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Uploading Course Materials

It is suggested to supplement your digital twins knowledge by uploading course materials. This way, if Canvas ever fails to connect your students will always have access to pertinent information. COurse files to upload are the syllabus, policies, assignments etc.

Method 1: Direct Upload Files to IP Vault

1

Access IP Vault

2

Select Files

3

Upload Files

4

Organize Content

Method 2: LMS Integration

      • Course syllabi
      • Assignment descriptions
      • Discussion forums
      • Gradebook information
      • Course announcements
Contact your IT administrator to configure LMS integration for automatic course content access.

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Supported File Types

Your digital twin can work with various types of course materials:
  • Documents: PDF, Word documents, text files
  • Presentations: PowerPoint, Google Slides
  • Spreadsheets: Excel, Google Sheets, CSV files
  • Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF files
  • Audio/Video: MP3, MP4, and other multimedia formats

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Best Practices for Course Materials

Organize by Topic

Group related materials together and use clear, descriptive file names.

Include Context

Add descriptions explaining how each material fits into your course structure.

Update Regularly

Keep materials current by uploading new content and removing outdated files.

Quality Content

Ensure uploaded materials are clear, well-formatted, and relevant to student needs.

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Specialized Assistants

Your digital twin platform includes access to various specialized AI assistants designed for specific educational tasks.
1

Open Assistant Menu

Click the Assistant button located at the bottom-right of your screen.
2

Browse Available Options

Review the list of specialized assistants available for your institution.
3

Select Assistant

Click on the assistant that best matches your current educational need.
4

Begin Interaction

Follow the assistant’s prompts to start your specialized educational task.
You can even create your own custom assistants!

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Integration with Course Materials

Specialized assistants can access and utilize your uploaded course materials to provide:
  • Contextual responses based on your specific curriculum
  • Personalized feedback aligned with your teaching objectives
  • Course-specific examples drawn from your materials
  • Consistent messaging that matches your pedagogical approach

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Best Practices

Start Small

Begin with one course and gradually expand your digital twin usage as you become comfortable.

Engage Students

Introduce your digital twin to students and explain how it can support their learning.

Monitor Performance

Regularly review how your digital twin is being used and adjust settings as needed.

Stay Updated

Keep informed about new features and capabilities as the platform evolves.