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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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Using Praxis AI Custom Tools

Praxis AI Custom Tools enhance your Canvas courses with AI-powered assistance through two main features: creating custom AI assistant buttons and enabling contextual AI responses through content highlighting.

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Assistant Button Creator

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Creating AI Assistant Buttons

1

Access Page Editor

Navigate to any Canvas page and click Edit to enter the page editorFaculty Onboarding Page Editor Web
2

Locate Button Tool

Find the Praxis AI Button Creator in your editor toolbar (appears after tools installation). It will appear as a magic wand Faculty Onboarding Assistant Helper Button Location Web
3

Configure Your Button

Faculty Onboarding Assistant Helper Button Web
Set descriptive, action-oriented button text that clearly indicates the AI’s purpose:
  • Examples: “Get Biology Help”, “Writing Assistant”, “Math Problem Solver”
  • Styling: Use btn btn-primary (default) to maintain consistency with your Canvas theme, or customize with alternative Bootstrap button classes
Choose which specific AI assistant will be activated when users click the button. Ensure the selected assistant aligns with the button’s intended purpose and course content.
Compose a brief welcome message that the AI will display when the button is pressed. This message should:
  • Greet the user appropriately
  • Set expectations for the interaction
  • Provide context for the assistance available
Conversation ID:
  • Use your course code to launch conversations within the existing course thread
  • Set to -1 to create a new, separate conversation thread for each button press
Conversation Name: Define how the conversation thread will be labeled and stored in the AI system for future reference and organization.
Visible Launch: Enable this option to show the assistant interface when activatedSilent Launch: Disable to have the assistant respond without displaying the full interface
4

Save and Publish

Save your page - the button is now available to students

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Best Practices for Assistant Buttons

Strategic Placement

Place buttons where students naturally seek help - near complex concepts, assignments, or problem sets

Clear Labeling

Use descriptive text that indicates the button’s purpose (e.g., “Math Problem Solver” vs. “Click Here”)
Effective Button Examples:
  • “Ask the Course AI” - General course assistance
  • “Assignment Help” - Specific to assignment pages
  • “Concept Clarification” - Near complex topics
  • “Study Guide Generator” - On review materials

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Content Highlight AI Launcher

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How It Works

The highlight tool allows both you and your students to get instant AI assistance on any Canvas content.
1

Highlight Text

Select any text content on Canvas pages (readings, assignments, discussions)
2

Launch AI

Right-click the highlighted text or use the highlight menu to access AI options
3

Get Contextual Help

AI analyzes the highlighted content and provides relevant explanations or assistance

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Faculty Use Cases

  • Highlight complex passages to generate simplified explanations
  • Create supplementary content for difficult concepts
  • Generate discussion questions from readings
  • Demonstrate how to use the tool during class
  • Encourage students to highlight confusing terms or concepts
  • Model effective questioning techniques

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Implementation Tips

  1. Test First - Try both tools in a practice course before rolling out
  2. Train Students - Show students how to use the highlight feature in your first class
  3. Strategic Placement - Add assistant buttons to high-traffic pages (syllabus, major assignments)
Remember to set clear expectations about AI tool usage in your course policies and academic integrity guidelines.
Do:
  • Place buttons contextually near relevant content
  • Use descriptive, action-oriented button text
  • Encourage students to highlight unfamiliar terms
  • Model appropriate AI interaction during class
Don’t:
  • Overload pages with too many buttons
  • Use vague button labels like “Help” or “AI”
  • Assume students know how to use the tools without instruction

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Quick Troubleshooting

  • Verify tools are installed in your Canvas theme
  • Check that you’re in page edit mode
  • Contact IT if tools aren’t visible after installation
  • Ensure you’re highlighting actual text content
  • Try right-clicking after highlighting
  • Clear browser cache if issues persist
Need help with installation or have questions about specific use cases? Contact your Canvas administrator or check the complete installation guide in your faculty resources.

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Overall 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.
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