Parchment Award Digital Badges Release Notes (2025-11-17)

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Release notes outline upcoming customer-impacting changes that are expected to display in beta and/or production environments. Please note that features considered for future development are not included in the notes.

Unless otherwise stated, all features in this release are available in the Beta environment on 2025-11-10 and the Production environment on 2025-11-17.

• Subscribe to the Parchment Award Digital Badges release notes to be notified of updates.

Table of Contents

• Updated Features
• Canvas LTI Integration
• View-Only Role for Instructors
• Badges
• Enable Alt Text Editing for Badge Images

Updated Features

Canvas LTI Integration

View-Only Role for Instructors

Admin Instructor

Location to Enable Feature	Parchment Badges Deployment Preferences
Permissions	Instructor role within Canvas LMS
Affects User Interface	Yes
Affected Areas	Parchment Badges LTI
Related Ideas	None

Summary

In the Parchment Badges LTI Deployment Preferences, a View-only role is available for instructors and disabled by default. This feature allows instructors to view course badges, subscribed pathways, learner progress, and issuer details, while restricting the ability to modify credential settings.

Notes: 

• The View-Only role applies only to the Parchment Digital Badges LTI integration. It does not affect access or permissions in the standalone Parchment Digital Badges product.
• This deployment-level setting can be configured independently at the root account, sub-account, or course level.
• When View-Only is enabled, all instructor modification permissions are locked and disabled. When it is disabled, those permissions become editable again.
• Instructors in view-only mode can still export learner progress as CSV files for reporting purposes.
• Visual cues such as disabled buttons, greyed-out menus, and non-interactive icons indicate read-only access.
• Administrators retain full access and are not affected by this setting.
• The Admin tab remains hidden from instructors with view-only access to ensure privacy and data integrity.

Change Benefit

This feature strengthens instructional visibility and administrative control by allowing institutions to grant instructors view-only access to badges, pathways, and learner progress without edit permissions. It reduces the risk of accidental configuration changes, supports clearer collaboration between admins and teaching staff, and provides flexible governance through per-deployment controls at the root account, sub-account, or course level.

Feature Workflow

Deployment Preferences

In Deployment Preferences, Admin can enable the Instructors have view-only access toggle. When this permission is enabled, instructors can no longer create or edit badges or manage pathway subscriptions.

Additional Details

Feature Area	Visible Features	Disabled Features
Group Setup View	Group Details	Modify or Delete Actions
Course Objectives (Badges Tab)	All Badges, Canvas Course Badges tabs and Learner Progress	Add, Edit, Move, or Delete Badges
Subscribed Pathways	Subscribed Pathways	Add, Remove or Modify actions
Learners and Staff	List of People	Add, Remove or Manage Options
Issuers	Enabled Issuers	Modification Options
Progress View	Badge Progress, Learner Progress and Update Now button for manual sync	Data Modification
Leaderboard	Leaderboard Display	Edit or Configuration Options
Notifications	Full Access to notifications	N/A
Admin View	No Access	Hidden

Badges

Enable Alt Text Editing for Badge Images

Issuer

Location to Enable Feature	None
Permissions	Inherent to user role
Affects User Interface	Yes
Affected Areas	Images
Related Ideas	None

Summary

Parchment Digital Badges allows issuers and administrators to edit or replace automatically generated alternative text for badge images. Previously, alt text was derived from the badge title and could not be changed. With this update, users can review, modify, or remove the default alt text pattern (“[Badge Title] badge”) directly within the badge design or edit experience.

Notes: 

• This feature applies to both new and existing badges.
• Custom alt text is saved with the badge metadata and displays wherever the badge image is displayed.
• If no edits are made, the default alt text continues to be automatically generated.
• The update enhances screen reader performance and accessibility compliance without changing badge metadata or appearance.

Change Benefit

This update improves accessibility by giving issuers and administrators control over badge image alt text. It ensures compliance with ATAG 2.0 Success Criterion B.4.1.2, provides clear and contextually accurate descriptions for assistive technology users, and enhances consistency with accessibility patterns across Instructure’s ecosystem.

Feature Workflow

Auto Generated Alt Text

In the Badge Creation or Edit page, auto generated alt text displays [1]. To edit Alt Text, click the Edit link [2].

Edit Alt Text Modal

Enter the desired text in the Custom alt Text field [1]. Then, click the Save button to replace the default alt text [2] or the Reset to default button [3].

Note: If no custom text is added, the system retains the default format.

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