In this Canvas release (November 17), students can directly upload and embed images in the Rich Content Editor, and observers can choose to view the names of their observees in graded notifications. Additionally, browser support has been updated for screen readers.
Feature Options
- For institutions using Anonymous Grading in the New Gradebook, anonymous assignments cannot be sorted in the New Gradebook.
- For institutions using Moderated Grading and the Learning Mastery Gradebook, learning outcome results are displayed after grades have been posted for a moderated assignment.
External Tools (LTI)
- For institutions using the Commons LTI, content can be marked as a favorite resource.
Release notes also include API updates and fixed bugs.
Release notes describe upcoming Canvas functionality and are subject to change.
- Follow the Canvas release notes space to be notified of updates
- For all release changes, view the Release Notes Change Log
- If you notice any contrary functionality compared to the outlined behavior in these notes, please file a Canvas support case according to your institution's support protocol
- Other questions? View the Canvas Release Notes FAQ
Feature Options
The following feature options are addressed in this release:
- Account: Student Context Card
- Course: Anonymous Grading, New Gradebook, Moderated Grading
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Available November 12 |
- Feature Options
- Updated Features
- Commons
- Favorite Content
- Moderated Grading
- Learning Mastery Gradebook Outcomes Display
- New Gradebook
- Anonymous Assignment Disabled Sort Column
- Notifications
- Observed Student Names
- Rich Content Editor
- Embedded Image File Uploads
- Other Updates
- Accessibility
- Screen Reader and Browser Support
- Platform/Integration
- API
- API Change Log
- Fixed Bugs
- Accessibility
- Assignments
- Course Settings
- External Apps
- Outcomes
- People
- Quizzes
- SpeedGrader
- User Settings
- API
- Response Header Links
- Users API
- Assignments
- Due and Availability Date Seconds Adjustment
- External Tool Submission Uploads
- Moderation Page Availability
- Blueprint Courses
- Quiz Statistics Multiple Choice Question and Blueprint Sync
- Calendar
- Allow Students to See Time Slots Scheduler Option
- Course Import
- MasteryPath Non-Assignment Import Locking
- Practice Quiz Quiz Statistics
- Question Bank Images
- Dashboard
- Alerts Dismissal Error
- Notifications
- Anonymous Grading Late Assignment Notifications
- Outcomes
- Student Learning Mastery Gradebook and Observer Roles
- Permissions
- SIS Enrollments
- Quizzes
- Question Bank Images
- Rubrics
- Trust Account Rubrics Visibility
- SIS
- Graded Item Deletion and Character Limits
- SpeedGrader
- Free-Form Comments Display
Updated Features |
Commons
Favorite Content
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 | N/A |
Configuration Details | |
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 |
Summary
Content can be marked as a favorite resource. This feature replaces the 5-star rating system in Commons. Favorited content displays the favorite icon in the content card.
Change Benefit
This update allows instructors to curate and easily find content in Commons by favoriting content and curating a list of favorites in the Favorites page.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Instructors
Instructors can mark content as a favorite to curate a list of favorite resources in Commons. Favorited items are found in the new Favorites tab in Commons. Items in the Favorites tab can be unfavorited to remove them from the Favorites page.
Feature Idea Contributions
Canvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.
- View existing Commons feature ideas
- For new ideas, please tag the idea with commons
Moderated Grading
Learning Mastery Gradebook Outcomes Display
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 | Assignments - Moderated Grading |
Configuration Details | |
Affected Canvas Areas | Outcomes |
Affects User Interface | Yes |
Affected User Roles | Instructors |
Summary
Learning outcome results are displayed in the Learning Mastery Gradebook after grades have been posted for a moderated assignment.
Change Benefit
This change ensures outcomes results are aligned with the final grade awarded to a student.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Graders
Graders in a course who grade a moderated assignment will not be able to view outcomes results until the assignment’s final grades have been posted. Outcome results for moderated assignments display the same as for other assignments in the Learning Mastery Gradebook.
Feature Idea Contributions
Canvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.
- View existing Anonymous & Moderated feature ideas
- For new ideas, please tag the idea with anonymous&moderated
New Gradebook
Anonymous Assignment Disabled Sort Column
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 | Assignments |
Configuration Details | |
Affected Canvas Areas | New Gradebook |
Affects User Interface | Yes |
Affected User Roles | Instructors |
Summary
Anonymous assignments cannot be sorted in the New Gradebook.
Change Benefit
This change helps preserve anonymity in the New Gradebook.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Instructors
Instructors can view anonymous assignments in the New Gradebook. By default, anonymous assignments are also muted. For anonymous assignments, the Sort By column is disabled.
Note: This change does not affect muted assignments that are not anonymous.
Feature Idea Contributions
Canvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.
- View existing New Gradebook feature ideas
- For new ideas, please tag the idea with gradebook_new
Notifications
Observed Student Names
Location to Enable Feature | User Navigation, Notifications |
Configuration Details | Notifications |
Affected Canvas Areas | Notifications |
Beta/Test Environment Support | Notifications are not sent from the beta or test environments |
Affects User Interface | No |
Affected User Roles | Observers |
Summary
Observers can choose to view student names in supported notifications.
Change Benefit
This change allows observers to personalize graded notifications with a student’s name, especially when an observer is observing multiple students.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Observers
Observers can view their Notification Preferences page and select a checkbox that will display the name of their observed students in notifications. When observers have enabled supported notifications, the notifications will include the name of the student.
Currently, names are only supported within Grading notifications. Other notification types will be updated in a future release.
Feature Idea Contributions
https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/9292-include-student-name-in-observer-notificationsCanvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.
- View existing Notifications feature ideas
- For new ideas, please tag the idea with notifications
Rich Content Editor
Embedded Image File Uploads
Location to Enable Feature | N/A |
Configuration Details | N/A |
Affected Canvas Areas | Rich Content Editor |
Affects User Interface | Yes |
Affected User Roles | Instructors, Students |
Summary
Users can directly upload a file to embed in the Rich Content Editor.
Change Benefit
This change allows users to upload and embed files without first having to upload the image to Canvas.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Instructors & Students
When embedding a file in the Rich Content Editor, such as when embedding an image in a discussion, users can view enlarged Course Files and My Files links for selecting an image. However, if a file has not yet been uploaded to Canvas, users can upload a file directly from their computer to their My Files folder.
Students must select the My Files folder to activate the Upload File button, as students are not allowed to upload files to the Course Files folder. Images will be uploaded to the root My Files folder unless a specific folder is selected.
Like with other image files, users can modify the attributes for the image, if necessary, then update the image.
Feature Idea Contributions
https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/1053-upload-an-image-directly-to-a-discussion-as-a-studentCanvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.
- View existing Rich Content Editor feature ideas
- For new ideas, please tag the idea with Rich Content Editor
Other Updates |
Accessibility
Screen Reader and Browser Support
Screen reader support has been discontinued for Internet Explorer 11 and Edge browsers. Windows users who rely on screen reader support should use Firefox as their supported browser. For full details about accessibility support, please see Accessibility within Canvas.
Platform/Integration |
API
API Change Log
The following changes have been made in the API Documentation change log:
API Calls
- Changes: Roles API
- Additions: LTI Variable Substitutions
- Removals: Planner API
API Responses
- Changes: Assignments API, Rubrics API
- Additions: SIS Imports API
Fixed Bugs |
Accessibility
Assignments
The moderated grading page no longer includes a table in the grader section for screen readers.
Course Settings
Course Setting Navigation menus retain focus for keyboard users.
External Apps
Viewing an app configuration window retains focus on the configuration button.
Outcomes
Buttons in the Outcomes page are not read twice by screen readers.
People
The Randomly Assigning Students window does not retain focus in the body text for keyboard users.
In the Edit Sections window, the Browse link retains focus for keyboard users.
Quizzes
MathML is generated for quiz question answers to be read by screen readers.
SpeedGrader
Closing the Media Comment window retains focus on the link for the media comment.
User Settings
The Ways to Contact link retains focus in the Set as Default option.
API
Response Header Links
Next Page headers are not returned when the next page is empty.
Explanation: When a search term is called at the account level, irrelevant rel=”next” response header links were returned when the number of results matched the per-page pagination limit. Canvas code has been updated to not return irrelevant links if the next page is empty.
Users API
The enable_sis_reactivation parameter restores deleted SIS users re-added to Canvas along with their previously set default communication channel.
Explanation: When a deleted SIS user was re-added using the Users API call with the enable_sis_reactivation parameter, the default email associated to the user was still retired from the previous deletion. Canvas code has been updated to activate the previous default communication channel for re-added users. The API documentation has also been updated with clarification about communication channels.
Assignments
Due and Availability Date Seconds Adjustment
Seconds for due and availability dates are recorded as hh:mm:59 if the minute value is set to 59 (e.g. 11:59 pm). However, any due or availability date times manually changed to a non-59 minute value (e.g. 11:30 pm) are recorded as hh:mm:00.
Explanation: In the 2018-09-15 release, Canvas code was updated to always record assignment times as hh:mm:59, even if the assignment was changed to a non-59 minute value. This behavior caused any manually changed assignments to allow to be submitted almost one minute after the due or availability date. Canvas code has been updated to the previous behavior for assignment submission times, which defaults the seconds value to hh:mm:59 for any minute set at 59, but sets the seconds value to hh:mm:00 for any non-59 minute times. Assignment times updated via the API retain the time noted in the API call.
External Tool Submission Uploads
Uploaded files can be submitted for external tool assignments.
Explanation: When a student tried to submit an assignment by uploading a file through an external tool, the screen generated an error and the file selection button was not displayed. Canvas code has been updated to display the file selection button for external tool assignments.
Moderation Page Availability
For moderated assignments, the final grader can select grades for students if the assignment has only been graded by the final grader.
Explanation: When a moderated grading assignment had only been graded by the final grader and no other graders in the course, the grade summary moderation page did not display options for the final grader to select final grades and post grades to the Gradebook. Canvas code has been updated to allow the grading options to display for the final grader.
Blueprint Courses
Quiz Statistics Multiple Choice Question and Blueprint Sync
Multiple choice answers display correctly in quiz statistics after a Blueprint sync.
Explanation: When a student started to take a quiz in a course, and an admin made a change to the Blueprint template quiz and synced the quiz to the course, the student’s answers in Multiple Choice questions displayed in the quiz group with no responses. Canvas code has been updated to preserve answers within quizzes for Blueprint syncs.
Calendar
Allow Students to See Time Slots Scheduler Option
The Allow Students to See Who Has Signed Up for Time Slots option in Scheduler clarifies that time slots will be shown if slots are still available.
Explanation: When a new Scheduler appointment was created with the option to allow students to see who has signed up for time slots, the option only allowed students to view the information until all time slots had been filled. This behavior confused instructors who were expecting their students to see that information even after the time slots had been filled. Canvas code has been updated to clarify the checkbox setting as only showing time slots if slots are still available.
Course Import
MasteryPath Non-Assignment Import Locking
MasteryPath non-assignment conditional items are locked after the course is copied into another course.
Explanation: When a MasteryPath course was copied or imported into another course, non-assignment condition items, such as pages, were not locked after the copy was complete. Canvas code has been updated to retain locked settings for conditional items on course copy.
Practice Quiz Quiz Statistics
Practice quizzes re-copied into a course retains quiz statistics.
Explanation: When a practice course was imported from a course and taken by students, re-importing the same practice quiz caused the quiz statistics page to display that 100% of attempts chose no answer, even though the moderate page retained the correct record of all attempts. Canvas code has been updated to preserve answers within practice quizzes on course copy.
Question Bank Images
Images in edited questions associated with a question bank are retained in course copies.
Explanation: When a quiz question was added from a question bank, the question was edited in the quiz, and then the course was copied or imported, any images in the quiz question were removed. However, images were not affected in the original course except that images were rendered inaccessible. Canvas code has been updated to not remove file verifiers associated with a quiz on course copy.
Dashboard
Alerts Dismissal Error
Quiz and Discussion alerts can be dismissed from the Alerts menu.
Explanation: When a student tried to dismiss a graded quiz or discussion in the Alerts menu, the menu generated an error message. Canvas code has been updated to dismiss alerts when dismissed by a student.
Notifications
Anonymous Grading Late Assignment Notifications
Late Assignment notifications for assignments that are to be graded anonymously do not display student names and include a link to the submission in SpeedGrader.
Explanation: When an instructor received late assignment notifications for students who submitted a late assignment, and the assignment was set to be graded anonymously, the notifications included student names and links to the assignment that could not be accessed. For non-anonymous submissions, notifications include the student name and a link to the student’s submission details page. Canvas code has been updated to anonymize student names in email notifications and include a link to the submission in SpeedGrader, which is also anonymized.
Outcomes
Student Learning Mastery Gradebook and Observer Roles
Observers can view individual alignments in the Student Learning Mastery Gradebook.
Explanation: For institutions using the Student Learning Mastery Gradebook, observers were able to view mastery level information for a submission, but they were not able to view individual alignments for their observees. Canvas code has been updated to allow observers to view individual outcomes alignments.
Permissions
SIS Enrollments
Account admins with the SIS Data - Manage permission can remove SIS enrollments created through SIS imports.
Explanation: When an admin with the Users - Add / Remove permissions tried to remove SIS users from a course, only admins with the Account-level Settings - Manage permission were able to remove the SIS users. Canvas code has been updated to allow users with the SIS Data - Manage permission to manage SIS enrollments.
Quizzes
Question Bank Images
Images in edited questions associated with a question bank are retained in the quiz question.
Explanation: When a quiz question was added from a question bank, and the question was edited in the quiz, any images in the question were removed. Canvas code has been updated to not remove file verifiers associated with a quiz in edited questions.
Rubrics
Trust Account Rubrics Visibility
For users in a trust account, instructors can view all rubrics regardless of the rubric’s originating account.
Explanation: When a user account was merged into a different account, and both accounts were linked to courses with rubrics, not all rubrics were available when the user wanted to find a rubric to add to an assignment, discussion, or quiz. Canvas code has been updated to display all rubrics for the user regardless of the rubric’s originating account.
SIS
Graded Item Deletion and Character Limits
Graded SIS items can be deleted from a course without being affected by SIS character limits.
Explanation: When an institution enabled the Post to SIS option and limited assignment names, requests to delete graded items generated an error and failed to delete. Canvas code has been updated to not verify SIS assignment settings when deleting an assignment and allow the assignment to be deleted.
SpeedGrader
Free-Form Comments Display
Free-form Comments display for reuse without having to refresh the page.
Explanation: When a user created a free-form comment in a rubric and saved the comment to be reused, comments did not appear to be saved until the page was refreshed. Canvas code has been updated to not require a page refresh to display saved free-form comments.
| Date | |
|---|---|
| 2018-11-05 | Release Notes Published |
If you'd like to discuss these updates with other enthusiastic Canvas users, RSVP to Release Notes (2018-11-17) Collaborative Chat! We'll meet on Friday, November 9th! 
Yes - it's happened.... half a decade after Canvas launches users finally have the ability to directly upload photos into RTE.
You know how InstructureCon has a hack night? At Instructure, the engineers have hack weeks every quarter and can work on whatever projects they want. One of our engineers spent several hack weeks working on that feature. We have some pretty good peeps around here.
Erin
Students can now use the RTE like their teachers......FINALLY!!!!!!!!
We are also happy to see the Due and Availability Date Seconds Adjustment fixed. That has been an issue for instructors and course designers. We do a lot of "due at the end of the X day" assignments with our online courses.
Anyone like cookies? These are my favorite and I like to share.
Just wondering, will this help page -- https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10720-67952720329 -- be updated to indicate that Firefox is the recommended browser for screen readers? That'd be helpful.
The new RCE images feature to upload images directly is terrific, however, the release seems to have disabled the ability to view image thumbnails. The thumbnails have been replaced by a generic icon. Teachers or designers who are not familiar with the image filenames are now forced to open the files area for a thumbnail.
Upvotes appreciated: https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/13031-restore-image-thumbnails-in-rce
The new RCE images feature to upload images directly IS NOT terrific...at least from what I have tested.
- Flickr is blocked by our district filters and so we discourage teachers and students from using it and so this is really not an viable option for us. (See pic 3)
- We use Chromebooks (32,000 devices)
- using the iOS app, this seems smoother
- LINK for my images (Slides)
ISSUE 1: Teachers can embed images directly from their computer, why can't students? [See image 1]
- Below you can see students DO NOT have ability to upload an image
ISSUE 2: It takes no less than 5 clicks for a student to embed an image using their Chromebook [See image 2]
ISSUE 3: Flickr is blocked by our filters, we discourage teachers and students from using it.
So, in my opinion, I don't see this as any improvement, save maybe 1 click.
Suggestions:
- Allow students to upload image just like teachers
- Allow students to upload other Media such as a image/screenshot like then can when using the video tool,
- Allow copy/paste in the RTE to work.
Comments.......
