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Canvas Release Notes (2019-08-17)

Canvas Release Notes (2019-08-17)

The Canvas release process is currently in transition. The following features will be available in the production environment on August 14, as code changes were completed before the new process was implemented:

In this Canvas release (August 17), the Conferences interface (BigBlueButton) supports breakout rooms and closed captioning. Additionally, Conferences is WCAG 2.0 AA Accessible, with some exceptions. In Discussions, the option for students to add file attachments is enabled by default. And in Global Navigation, LTI tools with user navigation placement display in the User Navigation Account Menu.

Feature Options

  • For institutions using course card images, the Flickr image search has been replaced by Unsplash.

External Tools (LTI)

  • For institutions using Commons, admins can display or hide featured content.
  • For institutions using New Quizzes, the Build page supports previewing New Quizzes assessments. Additionally, the Item Banks page supports sharing item banks with other users.

Release notes describe upcoming Canvas functionality in the production environment and are subject to change.

 

Feature Options

The following feature options are addressed in this release:

  • Course: Enable Dashboard Images for Course

Canvas release summary by user roleCanvas New Release ScreencastCanvas Release Collaborative ChatCanvas API Change Log


Release Notes Change Log

Updated Features

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Commons

Featured Content Management

This feature is used in conjunction with an external tool (LTI) in Canvas. Please view the content below for additional details. For more information about LTI tools, please see the Canvas Release Notes FAQ.

Location to Enable Feature

Commons LTI

Configuration Details   

Commons LTI

Affected Canvas Areas

Commons LTI

Beta/Test Environment Support   

Functionality affects content in the beta environment only; New/updated features not available until production deploy

Permissions

Course Content - add / edit / delete

Discussions - view

Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete

Affects User Interface      

Yes

Affected User Roles            

Instructors, Administrators

Feature Enhancement Ideas 

Existing Commons feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

Commons

 

Summary

Admins can display or hide featured content in Commons.

 

Change Benefit

This feature allows admins to manage how featured content displays in Commons.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Administrators

Admins can manage featured content visibility in the Account Settings page in Commons. Featured content is enabled by default. When enabled, featured content displays at the top of Commons search results. When disabled, feature content will still display in search results, but will not be featured at the top of the Search page.

Commons page Allow Featured Content button

Conferences

The following features are managed by a third-party provider. To provide feedback, please see the Feature Enhancement Ideas section.

Location to Enable Feature

N/A

Configuration Details

N/A

Affected Canvas Areas

Conferences Interface

Beta/Test Environment Support

No

Affected User Roles

Moderators, Participants

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Blindside Networks Contact Page

 

Breakout Rooms

Summary

Canvas Conferences supports breakout rooms as conference groups for all accounts. Previously this feature was only available to premium tiers.

Change Benefit

This feature allows instructors to place students into groups for team collaboration during a conference.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Moderators

Moderators can create breakout rooms for students to collaborate during a conference. Breakout rooms can be created at any time during the conference. A minimum of two breakout rooms are required, and the moderator can create up to 8 rooms. Breakout rooms can either be assigned by the moderator manually or randomly, or attendees can choose which breakout room to join.

Breakout rooms interface

Once created, breakout rooms are displayed as their own tab for the moderator to manage and join breakout rooms. If breakout rooms are created before attendees join the conference, invitations can be sent by the moderator for attendees to join a breakout room. Once a participant has joined a breakout room, the participant cannot be assigned or join another breakout room.

Breakout rooms management and invitations

Participants

When participants are invited to join a breakout room, a message displays inviting the user to join the breakout room. Breakout rooms are opened in a separate tab in the browser and display the remaining time for the breakout session at the top of the window. Once the breakout room time has concluded, the tab will close and return the participant to the main conference automatically.

Participant in breakout room


For additional information about breakout rooms, please see the BigBlueButton Moderator/Presenter Video.

Closed Captions

Summary

Canvas Conferences supports live closed captioning.

 

Change Benefit

This feature allows a stenographer join a conference as an observer and provide live captioning to attendees.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Moderators

Moderators can set up a page for closed captions to be written during the conference. When selected, the interface asks for the selected language.

Closed caption interface

Once created, captions are created as their own tab for the user who will be managing captions. Captions can be typed into a window that displays captions to conference users who enable captioning in the interface. More than one language can be created for captioning if desired. Captions display as subtitles within recorded conferences.

Closed captioning window

Participants

When closed captions are created for a conference, the Conferences interface displays a closed captioning (CC) button. Users can select their own caption preferences including text and background color, font, and text size.

participant caption selection

Typed captions by a moderator are included directly in the interface. Users can view and hide captions at any time.

Captions display directly in the conferences interface

For additional information about closed captioning, please see the Closed Captioning Overview Video.

VPAT Support

Summary

Canvas Conferences (BigBlueButton) is WCAG 2.0 AA Accessible, with some exceptions. For additional information, please see the BigBlueButton Accessibility Page.

 

Change Benefit

This change verifies BigBlueButton strives to comply with government standards for accessibility for Canvas Conferences.

Course Settings

Unsplash Course Card Image Search

This feature is used in conjunction with an existing feature option in Canvas. Please view the content below for additional details. For more information about feature options, please see the Canvas Release Notes FAQ.

Location to Enable Feature

Course Settings

Configuration Details

Enable Dashboard Images for Courses Feature Option

Affected Canvas Areas

Course Settings, Dashboard

Beta/Test Environment Support

Yes

Affects User Interface

Yes

Affected User Roles

Instructors

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Existing Course Settings feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

Course settings

 

Summary

The Flickr image search has been replaced by Unsplash.

 

Change Benefit

This change replaces Flickr with Unsplash, which offers high-quality, safe images for use as course card images.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

When an instructor uses images for course cards, Unsplash image search replaces the existing Flickr search functionality. The Flickr logo has been removed from the interface. Existing images imported from Flickr will not be affected.

Course Cards using Unsplash for images

Discussions

File Attachment Default

 

Feature Production Availability

August 14

Location to Enable Feature

Discussions

Configuration Details

N/A

Affected Canvas Areas

Discussions

Beta/Test Environment Support

Yes

Permissions

Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete

Discussions - view

Discussions - moderate

Discussions - create

Discussions - post

Related APIs

Discussion Topics API

Affects User Interface

Yes

Affected User Roles

Instructors

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Existing Discussions feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

Discussions


Summary

In Discussions, the option for students to add file attachments is enabled by default in new courses. 

Change Benefit

This behavior aligns consistency with other Canvas features that allow attachments by default and resolves the common expectation by instructors that students can attach files to discussion posts.

Affected User Roles

Instructors

When instructors view the Discussions Settings in new courses, the option to Attach Files to Discussions is selected by default. If preferred, instructors can disable the option for students to add attachments in Course Settings or the Discussions Settings menu.

Discussions Settings Menu with File Attachments Enabled by Default

Global Navigation

Account Menu LTI Navigation Links

 

Feature Production Availability

August 14

Location to Enable Feature

N/A

Configuration Details

Any LTI with User Navigation placement

Affected Canvas Areas

Global Navigation Menu

Beta/Test Environment Support

Yes

Affects User Interface

Yes

Affected User Roles

All Users

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Existing LTI feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

LTI

Idea Contributions

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/10876-lti-external-tool-user-navigation-placement 

 

Summary

LTI tools with user navigation placement display in the User Navigation Account Menu. 

Change Benefit

This behavior helps users access these LTI tools more quickly without having to open the User Settings page.

Affected User Roles

All Users

Any user with an account that included LTI tool navigation links in their User Settings page will also view the links in their User Navigation Account Menu.

LTI tools with user navigation placement display in the Global Navigation Account Menu

New Quizzes

Quizzes.Next will be known as New Quizzes. Updates to documentation, Community resources, and the Canvas user interface will take place over the next few months.

This change aligns New Quizzes with the terminology used to name other features in Canvas and will create a more seamless transition when New Quizzes eventually replaces the classic Canvas Quizzes feature.

These features are used in conjunction with an external tool (LTI) in Canvas. Please view the content below for additional details. For more information about LTI tools, please see the Canvas Release Notes FAQ.

Assessment Preview

Location to Enable Feature

Assignments

Configuration Details

New Quizzes LTI

Affected Canvas Areas

Assignments

Beta Environment Support

Yes 

Affects User Interface

Yes

Affected User Roles

Instructors

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Existing New Quizzes feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

quizzes.next

Idea Contributions

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/14366-preview-option-for-quizzesnext 

Summary

The Build page supports previewing New Quizzes assessments in the student’s perspective.

Change Benefit

This change allows instructors to view and test assessment questions and settings by viewing an assessment the way students see it.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

Instructors can preview a New Quizzes assessment from the Build page by clicking the Preview button. 

Preview button in the Build page

The preview displays most settings, including calculators, timer, question shuffling, and one question at a time. Assessment Preview does not support displaying student access codes and IP address filtering.

Assessment preview for students

Instructors can also submit an assessment and view their results in the preview. The preview results page supports any restricted student result view settings.

Restrict student view settings for students display in the preview for instructors

When viewing an assessment in Preview mode, the assessment displays a colored Preview border. To exit Assessment Preview, click the Close icon.

 

Item Bank Sharing

Location to Enable Feature

Assignments

Configuration Details

New Quizzes LTI

Affected Canvas Areas

Assignments

Beta Environment Support

After July 25

Affects User Interface

Yes

Affected User Roles

Instructors

Feature Enhancement Ideas

Existing New Quizzes feature ideas

Specified Tag for Feature Ideas

quizzes.next

Idea Contributions

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/12034 

Summary

The Item Banks page supports sharing item banks with other users.

Change Benefit

This change allows a user to gain access to another user’s item bank and use those items in their assessments.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

Instructors can open an item’s sharing window by clicking the Share link from the Item Banks page.

Share Banks button in quizzes

From the Sharing window, instructors can share the item bank with a user, view all users who have access to the bank, and remove access to the bank. Sharing an item bank gives users full access to the item bank, including adding items to the bank, sharing or removing users from the bank, and deleting the bank.

Users can see who has shared the quiz

Admins, teachers, and TAs can share item banks with any other admin, teacher, or TA in their main Canvas account.

Platform/Integration

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API

API Change Log

Adjustments have been made to the following APIs as noted in the API Documentation change log:

  • Assignments API

  • OAuth2

  • SIS Import Format Documentation

Release Notes Change Log

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Date
2019-08-08

Added—Updated Features

  • Discussions: File Attachment Default
  • Global Navigation: Account Menu LTI Navigation Links
2019-07-22Release Notes Published

Change Log

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