Utilization of White Space on Assignments and Discussions

[Chris_Hofer]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

At work, I have two wide-screen monitors with resolutions set at 1920x1080.  I'm not sure of the reasoning (maybe there is a valid reason that I'm not aware of), but when I view an Assignment (as a student) or a Discussion topic (any role), there is an area of white space that isn't used...as in these examples:

Notice the gray horizontal line across the top extends well beyond the actual content displayed below it for both the Assignments and the Discussions.  However, if you look at content in Pages, this white space is actually used:

My suggestion would be to allow both the Assignments and Discussions content pages to utilize the white space along the right side of the page as it does with actual Pages content. (If there are reasons for the white space, I would be interested in knowing why.)  The result would potentially create less scrolling for students for longer pages.

Comments from Instructure

This feature was announced in Canvas Beta Release Notes (2017-07-05)‌ and was affected by the New User Tutorial feature, which was announced as being enabled by default for all institutions in the 2017-07-15 release.

The Canvas product team ultimately delayed enabling this feature and was not included in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-07-15)‌. However, this idea will still apply for users whose institutions have enabled the New User Tutorial feature.

The New User Tutorial feature will be enabled by default in a future Canvas release.

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @Chris_Hofer ​

Great idea! I am not a coder, but I strongly suspect that space is reserved for the future need of more of those annoying, real estate hogging right sidebars. I would love to see right sidebars completely eradicated from Canvas, and submitted a shot-down-in-its-youth FI for this some time ago. Modern web page design folks: drop-down menus steal real-estate from the main content of the page. Maybe, just maybe, keep them for the build process, but never for display.

If your idea opens for voting, and I am sure it will, you have my support.

Agent K

[tdarrow]

Great idea! There is one syllabus page in every one of my courses which is incredibly text-heavy, and the white space on the right side of my monitor just adds to the scrolling process. The more I can maximize that white space, the better.

[Renee_Carney]

This idea has moved to the next stage and will be open for voting among the Canvas Community, from Wed. September 7, 2016 - Wed. December 7, 2016.

Check out this doc for additional details about how the voting process works!

[scottdennis]

We appreciate you, and the submission of your idea. Your dialogue helps our product teams prioritize feature development. Unfortunately, this idea has been archived because it did not meet the 100-vote threshold within the 3-month voting period. Learn more at: How does the voting process work for feature ideas?

Can archived ideas still become a feature?  Potentially, yes. Archived ideas can be resubmitted by Community members. As people’s needs change, previously submitted ideas may gain additional traction. Feature ideas are evaluated as a whole and influence product direction.

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi, Chris,

You're in luck; with some of our upcoming changes to Canvas, content no longer includes a maximum width. The UI team is also working to make Canvas more responsive as well, so any areas that aren't already more responsive should be in the future.

Thanks,

Erin

[Renee_Carney]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas 

This feature was announced in Canvas Beta Release Notes (2017-07-05)‌ and was affected by the New User Tutorial feature, which was announced as being enabled by default for all institutions in the 2017-07-15 release.

The Canvas product team ultimately delayed enabling this feature and was not included in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-07-15)‌. However, this idea will still apply for users whose institutions have enabled the New User Tutorial feature.

The New User Tutorial feature will be enabled by default in a future Canvas release.

[Renee_Carney]

 @Chris_Hofer  Thank You  for submitting this idea, as well as,  @kmeeusen  Thank You  &  @tdarrow  Thank You  for your contributions. Your investment in this idea helped refine a feature which is now part of Canvas! 

[janderson11]

Mastering gestalt and communication design are important tools for disseminating information. Too many times Ive seen good information badly displayed drag down the potential for seamless learning and even diffuse teachable watershed moments due lack of clear communication. Its good the widget bar will be/is done away with on the right. As focus on the data grid of academic content is the end-user's focus but be sure to still break up your content so it is self-empowered to be best digested by hungry minds.

• Clear Structural Communication:: (this real world GRAD experience) a class semester's "Final Exam" for class/course credit grade being titled only "Practice Quiz for Certification" that the class is geared toward training for the professional certification that you can optionally on your own take beyond the course and final exam itself.
  
  
• Gestalt/Spacing:: The featured Wiki-esque Lorum Ipsum  copy deck block as pictured though it maximizes utility of space width, may not still IHMO be optimal for teaching certain material. For instance if narrow portrait screens reflow hopefully and do not cut off pertinent content a student may not realize to wipe to the right to see... Hopefully it wraps.

Sure in understand these considerations may be realized better outside the scope of this original functionality proposed; I just wanted to humbly contribute and positively share to be cognizant in respect to designing useful information to the student experience we aim to serve as this width expands.

[GideonWilliams]

I cannot see that this solution has changed anything? Here is a recent Q&A I asked in Canvas..https://community.canvaslms.com/message/103045-re-discussion-box-dimensions-and-empty-space