Feature Q&A: Canvas Deploy Notes (2024-02-14)

[InstContentTeam]

Looking to discuss these features from the 2024-02-14 Deploy Notes? Post a reply and start a conversation!

Interface Updates

• Admin Tools: Restore Deleted User [Delayed as of 2024-02-15]
• Authentication: SMS for Authentication Provider Checkbox
• People: Deleted Users in Search Results [Delayed as of 2024-02-15]
• Settings: EduAppsCenter Token Validation

LTI Updates

• LTI 1.3: Module Item Migration Support

Feature Options

• New Analytics: User Interface Update
• New Analytics: Removal of Time and Date Stamp

ADD FEEDBACK FOR THESE FEATURES IN Q&A TOPIC

• This topic is for feature discussion only—Please share use cases, best practices, questions, clarifications, etc. regarding this feature.
• Please thread replies as possible to keep posts organized. This will help everyone to track discussions and to participate.

ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK—WHERE TO POST IDEA SUGGESTIONS AND SUBMIT BUG REPORTS

• Idea requests for the Product Team to consider should be submitted in ideas.canvaslms.com . This is the best way to ask for additional or alternative functionality than what is included in the release. Linking to the related idea here so others can find it is encouraged!
• Bug reports should be submitted to Canvas Support. This way, cases can be connected and uniform updates can be provided to those involved. Bugs will not be triaged in this thread

[stimme]

@InstContentTeam 

I am concerned that the data refresh timestamp is being removed from New Analytics rather than improved or replaced with a plainly worded message indicating that (1) the data presented by New Analytics are extracted/snapshotted, not live in Canvas, and (2) the data presented are between x hours and y hours out of date (24-48 hours if I'm reading the deploy notes explanation correctly).

The deploy notes state that current timestamp is inaccurate, presumably because it is too precise and represents the least stale the data could be rather than the most stale they could be. That could mislead teachers, which is a problem. But removing the explicit indicator that the data are out of date is more misleading.

[TrinaAltman]

I just popped in here to basically say the same thing as @stimme. By removing the timestamp entirely, I fear instructors who go to the page will assume the data is always current since there is nothing to indicate otherwise. A clearly stated message regarding the timeliness of the data presented as stimme suggested would set better expectations and understanding for the instructors when they are using this data.

[TrinaAltman]

I mentioned this upcoming change at a cross-team meeting this afternoon, and one of our online compliance specialists mentioned it could also lead to faculty prematurely dropping students from their course (e.g., just prior to a drop deadline) for lack of engagement. The faculty may assume the data is current since there would be no indication that it's not, and yet there may actually be recent student activity since the last update which would lead them to handle the situation differently if they understood the timeliness of the data.