Instructure Ally FAQ
- What browsers are supported?
- Will Instructure Ally change my course appearance?
- What do students see?
- What happens when a course is copied? Does Ally go with the course copy?
- What does the instructor need to do to generate alternative formats for a content item?
- Is there a file size limit?
- What happens to my original files?
- Are alternate formats generated when a request to download is made?
- Does Ally generate alternative formats for student submissions?
- Which Braille code does Ally use for the Electronic Braille Format?
What browsers are supported?
Instructure Ally is supported on the same browsers as Canvas. Google Chrome™, Mozilla Firefox®, Microsoft Edge®, and Safari®
Will Ally change my course appearance?
The only difference you'll see within your course is that Ally provides an accessibility score for your files. The score is shown by a gauge icon next to your course files. Select the gauge to view and improve your file accessibility.
What do students see?
Students see a menu to the left or right of each document. From this menu, they can select Alternative formats to access available versions they can download. Although they can download alternative formats of your files, it is best to improve the documents through the instructor feedback.
What happens when a course is copied? Does Ally go with the course copy?
Yes. When you copy a course, all alternative formats and instructor feedback will also be available in the new course.
What does the instructor need to do to generate alternative formats for a content item?
Nothing. Ally automatically picks up on any existing or new materials, runs it through the accessibility checklist, and makes the alternative formats available to both the student and the instructor.
Is there a file size limit?
No, there is no file size limit. There may be cases where the algorithm fails to generate alternative formats for certain large files, but Ally doesn’t enforce a maximum file size.
What happens to my original files?
Canvas does not discard the original version of the document. Your original file is retained within the Canvas system and can be retrieved if necessary.
Are alternate formats generated when a request to download is made?
When a particular alternative format for a particular content item is requested for the first time, Ally generates this on demand. In most cases, this completes within 1-2 minutes.
As soon as it has been generated, the alternative format is downloaded. Ally then also caches the result, so any additional requests for the same alternative format can be served and downloaded from cache immediately.
Does Ally generate alternative formats for student submissions?
Ally currently only processes instructional content. For example, content added by someone with edit permissions in the course, such as the instructor or instructional designer. Ally currently does not process student content or student submissions.
Which Braille code does Ally use for the Electronic Braille Format?
Ally uses Braille Ready File (.brf) as the electronic Braille format. The braille code used depends on the language the document is in. For English documents, Ally uses Grade 2 Unified English Braille (contracted). The Braille Ready File (.brf) format can be used for both electronic braille displays and braille embossers (printers).