How to Enhance Student Engagement in Canvas with Annotation Tools

Canvas LMS is a powerful platform for organizing curriculum, distributing materials, and collecting student work. But when it comes to student interaction with content, many educators find that Canvas’s built-in tools fall short, especially in the realm of annotation.

That’s where tools like Jotit come in. By integrating directly with Canvas, Jotit allows students to handwrite, highlight, draw, and even voice record responses across any assignment, not just those that use the limited built-in "Student Annotation" feature. The result? Higher engagement, deeper learning, and more authentic student expression.

What Is Annotation and Why It Matters in K–12 Learning

Annotation is more than marking up a page. It’s a cognitive strategy that helps students:

• Process and personalize what they’re reading or learning

• Highlight essential concepts and vocabulary

• Ask questions, make connections, and track their thinking

• Communicate ideas visually through symbols, drawings, or notes

In both paper and digital formats, annotation enables students to take ownership of their learning, particularly in subjects that require close reading, problem-solving, or detailed observation.

According to research published in Learning and Instruction  (2022), students who regularly annotated digital texts demonstrated stronger comprehension and improved performance on open-ended assessments compared to peers who didn’t annotate.

The Limitations of Built-In Canvas Annotations

Canvas does include a native Student Annotation assignment type, which allows teachers to upload a document (usually a PDF) and have students annotate it directly within the platform.

However, this built-in tool has significant limitations:

• Works only with one specific assignment type

• Students can only annotate a PDF if the teacher has set it up that way

• Annotation features are basic—limited to simple text comments, drawing, and highlighting

• No support for handwriting with styluses on PDFs submitted via other assignment types

• Lacks more advanced features like audio feedback or math/science paper templates

In short, annotation in Canvas is the exception, not the norm—unless you're using an external tool like Jotit.

How Jotit Expands Annotation Across All Canvas Assignments

Jotit turns Canvas into a fully interactive learning environment by allowing annotation on any assignment, not just those explicitly created for annotation. In fact, with Jotit, teachers will likely never use the Canvas annotation assignment ever again.

With Jotit, students can:

• Handwrite directly on PDFs: Perfect for reading responses, math problem-solving, or lab reports

• Attach handwritten work to any assignment: Whether it's a file upload, quiz, or discussion, students can respond with handwriting

• Highlight text to emphasize key points

• Record voice notes to explain reasoning or respond verbally

• Use shape recognition for clean diagrams and geometric work

• Choose from various paper types: Graph paper, wide-ruled lines, music staff paper, Cornell notes, etc.

This functionality is especially helpful on 2-in-1 Chromebooks and iPads, where students can write naturally using styluses, making learning more tactile and accessible.

Why This Matters for Student Engagement

Canvas is often used as a content delivery tool, but with annotation capabilities, it becomes a space for active learning. Jotit brings that interactivity to life, helping:

• Visual learners express understanding through drawings and highlights

• Struggling writers demonstrate knowledge in non-linear ways (e.g., diagrams or voice)

• Math students work out problems step by step in their handwriting

• ELA students annotate texts just like they would on paper

• Teachers gather authentic formative assessment through student mark-ups

• Don't want a student using AI to write an essay? With Jotit, you can ask students to write out their thoughts by hand.

By letting students interact directly with the content, Jotit makes Canvas assignments more personal, flexible, and inclusive.

Easy Integration with Canvas, Immediate Impact

Jotit integrates with Canvas via LTI, which means:

• No need for additional logins

• Teachers continue to use Canvas as they have in the past (no additional training); however, students access, complete, and submit their work through the award-winning Jotit application.

• Submissions are saved and synced for easy grading.

• Students can work offline on their Canvas assignments through the Jotit application, prioritizing accessibility.

Schools can enable Jotit district-wide or teacher-by-teacher, and start seeing results immediately, especially when paired with touchscreen devices.

Conclusion: Expand What’s Possible Inside Canvas

Canvas provides a strong foundation for classroom management and digital learning, but actual engagement comes when students can interact directly with the content.

Jotit transforms Canvas from a static submission platform into a dynamic, student-centered workspace. It extends annotation across all assignment types, adds powerful tools for handwriting and expression, and helps students connect with their learning on a deeper level.

Want to See It in Action?

Book a demo or explore how Jotit integrates with Canvas at www.jotit.io.