Since its inception, Canvas has always been open and transparent about our business and our features. We believe in being open. We believe in allowing you to use Canvas the way you want to use Canvas. And branding is one component that we’ve been working hard to improve, specifically relating to the use of the existing style guide and Instructure UI (InstUI), Instructure’s own component library.

Branding Evolution

Web technologies continue to evolve, and over the last three years, we’ve been able to introduce the Theme Editor at the account level, which helps admins create custom templates without the use of custom CSS and JavaScript files, although those file types are still accepted.

Previously, Canvas engineers implemented a style guide to be used for internal engineering teams and ensure consistency throughout the product, hosted as part of each Canvas account (e.g. canvas.instructure.com/styleguide). Over time, we noticed that some of our customers started to leverage that style guide. We know that you enjoy being able to design your own Canvas-theme projects within the Rich Content Editor. Now, with the evolution of additional technology advancements, we’ve discontinued the use of the old style guide in favor of InstUI.

Why InstUI?

In order to use the styleguide, a developer or course designer would copy the HTML markup for a user interface pattern, such as tabs, and paste that markup throughout Canvas. However, HTML is only part that pattern. The style of those tabs is defined with CSS, and the interaction of navigating between tabs is enabled through Javascript. This architecture quickly became difficult to maintain. If we were to make a style enhancement or fix a Javascript bug that necessitated updating that HTML, every instance of those tabs—whether in Canvas, in a custom tool, or in course content—would have to be updated manually or remain broken.

To combat these maintenance challenges, we made the decision to move Canvas front-end development to React, a library developed by Facebook for creating modular user interfaces. React components encapsulate the HTML structure, the styles, and the Javascript together into a reusable, easily maintainable component. A bug fix to a React component propagates to every instance of that component with little to no effort, only needs to be made in one place, and every user immediately benefits.

InstUI, Instructure’s own UI component library, is built using React, which allows our developers to deliver new features more efficiently and makes all of Canvas easier to maintain and innovate. InstUI ensures consistent, accessible experiences throughout Canvas and delivers custom themes made with the Theme Editor to all interactions, just like the style guide intended. With React, those experiences are better tested, better maintained, and more reliable than ever for our users.

InstUI Availability

If you’re interested in using the InstUI components, InstUI is open source and available for you to use in your LTI tools. To get started, visit instructure.design. If you’re starting from scratch, InstUI works great with React boilerplates like Create React App.

We haven’t enabled the use of InstUI in the Rich Content Editor yet; however, other tools are currently available for integrating custom changes. Some options as noted in the community include H5P and other canvas embed tools.

Future Development

In 2019, the InstUI team will begin work to improve documentation and support for third parties.

Additionally, we recognize we don’t have an ideal solution for making changes in the Rich Content Editor. For now, we’re focusing on building a better Rich Content Editor to give you a better experience and give you more controls to design pages the way you want. This project is in the planning stages, and if you want to get more involved, watch for additional details to be posted in Canvas Studio.

If you’ve been using InstUI, let us know your thoughts in our InstUI Community Discussion.

If you’re not using InstUI but have used elements from the style guide in your pages, please let us know in the comments which elements you used and why they were helpful to you. Style guide feedback may be considered for future development.

Hi everybody --

I'd like to propose an InstUI style guide for instructional designers. For years, I have used the design patterns and CSS classes in the old (now deprecated) Canvas style guide to create pages that look like they belong in Canvas. I would like to do the same with InstUI. But it looks like it is only available for LTI designers using React. Instructure is not supporting the old styles, but it is also not giving us the resources to design using the new styles, which puts me -- and I'm sure a lot of other folks -- in a bad position.

At the very least, it would be helpful to have a list of classes and what they do, and a few examples of how to use InstUI to create common page components like columns, (faux-)buttons, tabs, and accordion boxes.

Any help?

In this Canvas release (April 20), the BigBlueButton Conferences interface has been redesigned using HTML5 for improved usability.

Feature Options

• The Content Security Policy allows institutions to enable a content security policy that restricts custom JavaScript for an institution’s Canvas account and whitelist up to 50 domains.
• For institutions using the New Gradebook, the Final Grade Override option is treated as a course setting and is persistent for all graders in the course. And in account-level Reports, the New Gradebook Final Grade Override scores are included in the Grade Export and Multiple Grading Periods Grade Export reports.

External Tools (LTI)

• For institutions using the Commons LTI, the Filter window in the Search page includes wider spacing between icons and for search filters. Additionally, status banners have been updated or removed for messaging clarification.

Release notes also include API updates and fixed bugs.

• Feature Options
• New Features
• Account Settings
• Content Security Policy
• Updated Features
• Conferences
• BigBlueButtonInterface Redesign
• New Gradebook
• Final Grade Override Setting Persistence
• Reports
• Final Grade Override Column
• Other Updates
• Commons
• Filter Tray
• Status Banners
• Course Import
• Pages Terminology
• Platform/Integration
• API
• API Change Log
• Plagiarism Detection Platform
• LTI Tool Assignment Associations
• Fixed Bugs
• Accessibility
• Course Import
• Dashboard
• ePortfolio
• Grades
• Grading Schemes
• Rubrics
• Theme Editor
• API
• xAPI with LTI Tools
• Authentication
• Authentication Refresh Tokens
• Browsers
• Firefox ESRMinimum RequirementBanner
• Commons
• Copyright Resource Additional Info Tooltip
• Course Import
• Copy a Canvas Course Option and Future Restricted Courses
• Rubrics
• Edge Page Jumps
• SIS Import
• Timestamp Update
• Abort SIS Import updates the updated_at column.

Release Notes Change Log

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Account Settings

Content Security Policy

This feature can be enabled in Canvas through a feature option in Account Settings. Please view the content below for additional details. For more information about feature options, please see the Canvas Release Notes FAQ.
                                        

Summary

Admins can enable a content security policy that restricts custom JavaScript for an institution’s Canvas account and whitelist up to 50 domains. Subdomains can inherit the policy and whitelist from the main account or create their own policy.

Change Benefit

This change allows admins to manage their own content security policy and domain whitelist.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Admins

When enabled, Account Settings displays a Security tab that manages an account’s content security policy and manage the whitelist. The whitelist can be enabled and disabled by the admin at any time.

Each policy includes a Whitelist section that can support up to 50 individual domain names. Using wild cards within a domain is recommended. Canvas and Instructure domains are included automatically and do not count against the 50 domain limit.

Domains from installed LTI tools are automatically added to the whitelist and also do not count against the 50 domain limit. To remove a domain for an LTI tool, the LTI tool must be removed from the account or subaccount. Associated tools are only listed once in the list of whitelisted tool domains, even if they have been installed in multiple subaccounts.

Subdomains can inherit the policy and whitelist from the main account or create their own policy.

Any courses that reside in a domain or subdomain with an enabled content security policy display a Content Security Policy checkbox. This checkbox can only be managed by a Canvas admin and can be used to disable the policy for selected courses.

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 Account Settings feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with account settings

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Conferences

BigBlueButton Interface Redesign

Summary

The BigBlueButton Conferences interface has been redesigned using HTML5 for improved usability.

The new Conferences interface is not supported on Internet Explorer or Edge browsers. For best results, BigBlueButton recommends using Firefox or Chrome on desktop and Safari or Chrome on mobile devices.

Premium tier customers can choose to opt out of the new interface by contacting BigBlueButton support. All other Canvas users with questions about using the new interface should contact their Customer Success Manager.

Change Benefit

This change makes the Conferences interface faster and easier to use and removes the requirement for extensions or plugins.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

All Users

The new BigBlueButton Conferences interface provides improved usability and performance for all users. Users can still participate in a conference using their computer microphone and webcam, communicate using public and private chat, share notes, and annotate presentations using the multi-user whiteboard. Users can select between viewing the presentation area or displaying webcams only.

Shared Notes includes additional functionality for formatting notes text. Users can also export their notes to an HTML, TXT, DOC, PDF, or ODC file. There is now a single Shared Notes window; opening additional notes windows is no longer supported.

The Conferences interface supports a Settings menu that includes new features for improved usability. Users can now enable icon animations that highlight conference participants who are speaking and audio and popup alerts for chat notifications. The Settings menu also includes options to disable webcams and desktop sharing to improve bandwidth. These data saving options are intended for use on mobile browsers but can be enabled on any device. Additionally the Settings menu includes previously-available options to select a default language and fault size.

The Settings menu also includes an option to enable closed captioning in a conference. Closed captioning options are not currently supported in the HTML5 client of the Conferences interface. These features will be supported in a future release.

Presenters

Presenters can upload a YouTube video to a conference. When the video is playing, all users will see the same playback time and speed that is selected by the presenter. However, users can enable their own captions. Shared YouTube videos will not appear in conference recordings.

When uploading a presentation file, presenters can upload multiple files at the same time.

Screen sharing is only supported through WebRTC. Previously, presenters could select to use WebRTC or Java for screen sharing. Screen sharing is only supported in Chrome and Firefox browsers on desktop.

Users may experience errors if the screen that is shared includes the Conferences interface. To correct these errors, simply share another window or application that does not display the Conferences interface.

Poll results are now only viewable to presenters after results have been published. Previously, poll results would display to presenters in real time.

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 Conferences feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with conferences

New Gradebook

Final Grade Override Setting Persistence

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

Summary

The Final Grade Override option in the New Gradebook is treated as a course setting and is persistent for all graders in the course. When enabled in the New Gradebook, the Override column displays for all other instructors who view the New Gradebook or the Individual View Gradebook.

Change Benefit

This change provides viewing consistency for all graders in the Gradebook.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Graders

When a grader such as an instructor or TA enables the Final Grade Override option in the New Gradebook Settings Menu, the setting is applied for all graders in the course. All other graders who view the New Gradebook will see the Override column if it has been enabled by another instructor. Likewise, the Override column will be hidden if disabled as an option by another instructor.

Feature Idea Contributions

Grade Override as a course feature

 

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

Reports

Final Grade Override Column

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

Summary

New Gradebook Final Grade Override scores are included in the Grade Export and Multiple Grading Periods Grade Export reports. Grades are displayed in the override_score column.

Change Benefit

This change helps admins view final grade overrides in grading reports if the Final Grade Override feature option has been allowed or turned on in an account.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Admins

When the Final Grade Override feature option has been allowed or turned on in an account, the Grade Export and Multiple Grading Periods Grade Export reports include the override_score column.

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 Reports feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with reports

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Commons

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.

Filter Tray

Summary

The Filter window in the Commons Search page includes wider spacing between icons and for search filters.

Change Benefit

This change improves accessibility with an updated design.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

When searching Commons, instructors can more easily filter resources with the updated filter design.

Status Banners

Summary

Status banners have been updated or removed for messaging clarification.

Change Benefit

This update simplifies and clarifies existing banner messages and removes redundant messages in Commons.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

Various messages have been updated or removed from the interface.

• Messages do not display for sharing a new resource or when an instructor views a resource that is still processing, including messages for successful and failed sharing.
• Success and Failure messages still appear in the Preview area while a resource is processing.
• Import status banner message text has been updated for clarity.

Course Import

Pages Terminology

Summary

In the Course Import Tool, Wiki Pages terminology has been changed to Pages.

Change Benefit

This change aligns consistency with Pages terminology throughout Canvas.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors, Admins

When an instructor or admin uses the Course Import Tool and selects specific content to import or copy, the Wiki Pages section heading has been renamed to Pages.

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API

API Change Log

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

• Submissions API
• Users API

Plagiarism Detection Platform

LTI Tool Assignment Associations

Summary

LTI tools that use the plagiarism platform in an account retain associations with assignments if the tool is removed and re-added at a later date.

Change Benefit

This change helps instructors save time from having to individually edit existing assignments and re-associate the LTI tool.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors, Admins

Admins or Instructors who remove and re-add an External Tool (LTI) that uses the plagiarism platform will not have to edit any assignments to re-associate the LTI tool.

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Accessibility

Course Import

The Content Import page error text and error report link can be read by screen readers.

Dashboard

Dashboard View menu items are read to screen readers according to their menu position.

ePortfolio

Keyboard users can add submissions to ePortfolios.

Grades

The Hide/Show Details button in the student Grades page does not include a custom aria-relevant label.

Grading Schemes

Grading scheme buttons include contextual labels for screen readers.

Rubrics

The Outcomes ratings table has been refactored as a data table for screen readers.

Theme Editor

The Create Theme Based on menu button can be read by screen readers.

The Delete This Theme window retains focus until either Delete or Cancel are selected.

API

xAPI with LTI Tools

Links within the xAPI with LTI tools documentation direct to their intended location.

Explanation: When a user accessed a link within the xAPI with LTI tools documentation, the links generated an error. Canvas code has been updated to correct the links within the page.

Canvas open source contributions: Update xAPI links

Authentication

Authentication Refresh Tokens

Newly generated refresh tokens return the correct access_token value.

Explanation: When a refresh token was generated multiple times within five seconds, a null access_token value was returned on subsequent calls after the first. Canvas code has been updated to return access_token values correctly.

Browsers

Firefox ESR Minimum Requirement Banner

The browser minimum requirement banner only displays for Firefox ESR browsers older than version 60.

Explanation: When a user accessed Canvas in a browser older than version 64 in Firefox, the browser displayed a banner noting that the browser did not meet the minimum requirements for Canvas. This behavior occurred intentionally to more closely aligned browser alerts with supported versions. To avoid alerting users of Firefox ESR, which is not officially supported but is used by some customers, Canvas code has been updated to only alert versions before Firefox 60. This change does not affect the supported versions in Canvas but removes the banner to improve the user experience. The banner will continue to alert users of Chrome versions older than 66, as Chrome does not have a specific ESR version designation.

Commons

Copyright Resource Additional Info Tooltip

In the Resource Details page, the license info for a copyrighted resource displays additional info in a tooltip.

Explanation: When a user hovered over the license info in the Resource Details page for a copyrighted resource, the additional info did not display. Canvas code has been updated to display tooltips for copyrighted resources.

Course Import

Copy a Canvas Course Option and Future Restricted Courses

The Copy a Canvas Course option uses active term dates to display available courses in the drop-down list.

Explanation: When a course was copied using the Course Import Tool, future courses that instructors did not have access to displayed in the drop-down list. Attempting to import content from a future course caused the import to fail. Canvas code has been updated to use active term dates to display available courses and disregard future courses. This behavior does not affect courses whose term dates have ended or future courses where instructors have access before the start date.

Rubrics

Edge Page Jumps

In the Edge browser, scrolling down a page with a rubric open retains the location of the page scroll.

Explanation: When a user was viewing a rubric and scrolled down the page using the Edge browser, the page jumped back to the top every five seconds. This behavior affected Edge version 42. Canvas code has been updated to retain the location of a page scroll when viewing a rubric.

SIS Import

Timestamp Update

Abort SIS Import updates the updated_at column.

Explanation: When an SIS import was aborted, the timestamp was not updated and did not show the time of import. Canvas code has been updated to update the updated_at timestamp.

Release Notes Change Log

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In this Canvas release (January 5), the Course Link Validator page includes design enhancements for link clarity, including identifying broken Course Card images. And the Course Details page has been updated to clarify term and course dates as well as the options to restrict students from viewing the course. No functionality has been affected.

LTI Tools

• For institutions using Commons, Commons has been updated to include a new Preview feature and to simplify the user interface when viewing the resource details page.

Release notes also include API updates and fixed bugs.

• Updated Features
• Commons
• Resource Previews
• Course Settings
• Course Link Validator Design Enhancements
• Course Dates and Functionality Clarifications
• Platform/Integration
• API
• API Change Log
• File Hosting
• Domain Update
• Style Guide
• Deprecation Banner
• Fixed Bugs
• Accessibility
• Announcements
• Assignments
• Calendar
• Global Navigation
• New Gradebook
• Modules
• Outcomes
• API
• Courses API
• Assignments
• Cached Due and Availability Date Seconds
• Blueprint Courses
• Front Page Title Edits and Home Page Settings
• Calendar
• Due Date Calendar Display
• Conversations
• Inactive User Group Messages
• Multiple Sections and Section-Restricted Users
• Courses
• Multiple Instructor Enrollments and Course Search
• Dashboard
• Event Date Order
• ePortfolios
• Embedded Images and Uploaded Files
• Notifications
• Anonymous Grading and Submission Comments
• Outcomes
• Student Details and Learning Mastery Gradebook
• Permissions
• Admin Roles and Student Context Card
• SIS
• Differentiated Due Dates and Assignment Duplication

Release Notes Change Log

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Commons

Resource Previews

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.
This feature is also part of a user group to collect feedback. For details about how to participate, please see the Feature Idea Contributions section.
 

Summary

Commons has been updated to include a new Preview feature and to simplify the user interface when viewing the resource details page. Resource Previews is currently an opt-in feature in Commons and must be enabled by an administrator.

Change Benefit

This change allows users to preview resource content before importing it into their course. Users will no longer need to import a resource from Commons to view all the contents of that resource. The user interface has also been simplified to make finding and importing Commons content easier.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Admins

Administrators in Commons can enable Resource Previews in Account Settings. This option allows users to preview resources in Commons from the Preview tab.

Instructors

When Resource Previews are enabled, instructors experience three significant changes to the user interface.

The resource details page has been separated into three tabs. The Preview tab allows instructors to preview resource content before importing into a course.

The Details tab displays information about the resource.

The Version notes tab displays any updates to a resource.

Feature Idea Contributions

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/1086-canvas-commons-preview 

Canvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.

• Participate in the User Group: Commons Preview
• View existing Commons feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with commons

Course Settings

Course Link Validator Design Enhancements

Summary

The Course Link Validator page includes design enhancements for link clarity, including identifying broken Course Card images.

Change Benefit

This change allows instructors and course designers to better understand the context of each broken link and how to resolve the link. Additionally, Course Card images that may be removed by Flickr can be identified and resolved.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

When instructors validate course content by clicking the Validate Links in Content button in Course Settings, the page content includes several design enhancements.

The page description content has been updated to clarify the validator searches course content for invalid or unreachable links and images. Invalid means the link or image is no longer valid and the content should be removed or replaced. Unreachable means the link or image could not be displayed because of a situation with the host server, which may be temporarily unavailable. Unpublished content in the course is also displayed in the validation results If the Show Links to Unpublished Content checkbox is selected.

Once the link validation process has completed, the page displays the following design enhancements:

• Content is grouped by object type (e.g. assignment, discussion, page)
• The object type is displayed below the link to each content item
• Each broken content item displays its relevant object type icon
• Broken external URL items in Modules are grouped by module
• Broken content within an object is identified as either a link or an image, with the appropriate icon displaying next to the broken content
• Broken content displays the name of the item as it displays in the Rich Content Editor
• Course Cards are a supported object type, which displays any course images added from Flickr that have been deleted

Feature Idea Contributions

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/13053-show-a-broken-link-s-display-text-and-url-in-the-link-va... 

 

Canvas features are always welcome to feedback. Product teams may make adjustments at any time via the Canvas Feature Idea process.

• View existing Course Settings feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with course settings

Course Dates and Functionality Clarifications

Summary

The Course Details page has been updated to clarify term and course dates as well as the options to restrict students from viewing the course. No functionality has been affected.

Change Benefit

This change helps instructors understand how individual course dates affect course access for students when used with term dates. Additionally, the options to restrict students from viewing the course before or after the start date are located after the course dates and add additional clarification.

Affected User Roles & Behaviors

Instructors

When viewing the Course Details page, instructors can view options to add or modify course start and end dates in a course. New and existing text clarifies functionality for all course date settings. Clarification also applies to section dates in the Sections tab.

The course date explanation text has been updated to suggest instructors verify the term dates before modifying course dates.

The checkbox to limit participation in the course includes clarification for how the checkbox affects the dates in the course.

The checkboxes to restrict students from viewing the course also includes clarification about whether the course or term dates are considered to be the course start and end date, depending on the course date settings.

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 Course Settings feature ideas
• For new ideas, please tag the idea with course settings

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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
• Conversations API
• Courses API
• Developer Keys API
• Enrollments API
• Files API
• Roles API
• SIS Imports API
• Submissions API
• Navigation Tools

File Hosting

Domain Update

This change will be deployed to the production environment on December 20.

Canvas file uploads are uploaded to a new hosted domain. To improve security, and to clarify that uploaded files are not provided by Canvas when they're downloaded, the file hosting URL has changed from clusterX-files.instructure.com to aX-clusterX.canvas-user-content.com, where cluster represents the server for an institution’s account.

Any institutions that operate a firewall where URLs are whitelisted based on domain should add *.canvas-user-content.com as a whitelisted URL so users can continue to view all content uploaded to Canvas—including course content and student submissions.

Canvas has also been implementing an improved file system that only affects API functionality as previously noted in the Uploading Files API Documentation. For these changes, *.inscloudgate.net should also be added as a whitelisted URL.

Style Guide

Deprecation Banner

The style guide page (e.g. canvas.beta.instructure.com/styleguide) includes a banner noting the style guide is deprecated. The banner links to the InstUI blog post, which provides additional information in the community about style guide usage through InstUI, Instructure’s component library.

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Accessibility

Announcements

When an announcement is created, the Post To field announces which sections are added or removed to screen readers.

The External Feeds button includes an aria label, and the Feeds heading has been changed to a H3.

Assignments

In the student File Upload submission window, previously uploaded files can be accessed by keyboard users.

Calendar

Agenda View retains focus for keyboard users within agenda items.

Global Navigation

The Global Navigation links include specific labels for screen readers to read the link that is being displayed.

New Gradebook

In the Submission Details tray, the icon for the text that notes a submission is not in any grading period does not include an aria-labelledby attribute or a title element.

The Missing submission grade, Deduct, For each late, and Lowest possible grade fields only read one label to screen readers.

Modules

External URL module items include a title attribute.

Outcomes

In the Create New Outcome window, the Describe this Outcome label in the Rich Content Editor is read to screen readers.

The Question Mark icon link next to the Criterion Ratings Question Mark icon has been changed to be read as a button to screen readers. Additionally, the title attribute for the link to learn about criterion ratings has been removed.

API

Courses API

This change will be deployed to production environment the week of December 17.

If a user has the Users - view primary email address permission, the List Users in Course endpoint always includes the email address.

Explanation: When a user with the Users - view primary email address permission tried to view the List Users in Course endpoint without using the include[email] parameter, the email address was not displayed. Canvas code has been updated to remove email from the include parameter and always include the email addresses as long as the user has appropriate permission.

Assignments

Cached Due and Availability Date Seconds

Cached 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 2018-11-17 release, Canvas code was updated to always record assignment times as hh:mm:59 if the minute value is set to 59. However, the seconds value was not updated for cached due and availability dates. Canvas code has been updated to record cached seconds as hh:mm:59 for minute values set to 59.

Blueprint Courses

Front Page Title Edits and Home Page Settings

Editing the title in a course front page doesn’t affect settings for the course home page.

Explanation: When a Blueprint course included a front page used as the home page, and the front page title was edited, the home page setting in the associated courses would revert to modules in the next course sync. Canvas code has been updated to not overwrite home page settings in course syncs.

Calendar

Due Date Calendar Display

Assignment due dates on or after 11:31 pm display the time in the assignment title.

Explanation: When an assignment included a due date on or after 11:31 pm (or 23:31), the time did not display next to the assignment title. Canvas code has been updated to display the time for assignments due on or after 11:31 pm.

Conversations

Inactive User Group Messages

Group conversation messages are not sent to inactive users within the group.

Explanation: When a conversation message was sent to a group, inactive users within the group were included in the message. Canvas code has been updated to not include inactive users in group conversations.

Multiple Sections and Section-Restricted Users

In conversation threads with multiple sections, section-restricted users view an error when replying to a user in another section.

Explanation: In conversation threads with multiple sections, when a section-restricted user replied to a user in a different section, the user isn’t notified that the user did not receive the message. Canvas code has been updated to display an error if a message cannot be sent to a user in another section.

Courses

Multiple Instructor Enrollments and Course Search

In large course enrollments, the Courses page displays up to 25 names in the Teacher column.

Explanation: When the first page of results for a course search included a large number of instructor enrollments, the page was unable to load and generated an error. Canvas code has been updated to display up to 25 names in the Teacher column.

Dashboard

Event Date Order

Calendar events are displayed among all To Do items in chronological order.

Explanation: When a event was created for a course, the event displayed first in the To Do list, regardless of date. This behavior prevented users from viewing the most current To Do items for their courses. Canvas code has been updated to display calendar events among other items in the To Do list in chronological order.

ePortfolios

Embedded Images and Uploaded Files

In the Embed Images window, the Canvas tab displays previously uploaded files and allows users to upload new files.

Explanation: When a user tried to embed images using the Rich Content Editor, the Canvas tab was blank. This behavior did not occur in the Rich Content Editor in any other Canvas area. Canvas code has been updated to view and select uploaded files or upload a new file in the Canvas tab.

Notifications

Anonymous Grading and Submission Comments

When anonymous grading is enabled for an assignment, submission comment notifications do not display a student’s name.

Explanation: When anonymous grading was enabled for an assignment, and students made comments on their submissions, submission comment notifications to the instructor displayed the student’s name. Canvas code has been updated to anonymize student names in submission comment notifications.

Outcomes

Student Details and Learning Mastery Gradebook

Outcome details calculate for all students in a course in the Learning Mastery Gradebook.

Explanation: In the Learning Mastery Gradebook, the outcome details chart only displayed the details for students in the specific page being viewed. Canvas code has been updated to display results for all students in the course.

Permissions

Admin Roles and Student Context Card

The Student Context Card loads for admins without the Course Content - View permission.

Explanation: If an admin without the Course Content - View permission tried to view a student’s name in a Student Context Card, the page displayed an error. Canvas code has been updated to load the Student Context Card for admins without this permission. However, the Users - View List permission is still required to view details within the card.

SIS

Differentiated Due Dates and Assignment Duplication

Post to SIS assignments can be duplicated for differentiated assignments.

Explanation: When a user tried to duplicate an assignment with the Post to SIS setting, and the assignment did not include a due date for Everyone Else, the duplication attempt generated an error. Canvas code has been updated to allow Post to SIS assignments to be duplicated for differentiated assignments.

Release Notes Change Log

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