The Good News
I am pleased to inform you that the planned release has been successfully implemented. From version 7.0 and above, the Canvas Student application now includes the offline support feature. If the concept of mobile offline support seems unfamiliar, I recommend checking this blog post to get familiar.
This feature has been anticipated and we share in your excitement as we envision the benefits it will bring. The offline support “project” was an extensive undertaking, initiated approximately a year ago, and we are thrilled that it has now shaped the successful release of our first iteration.
We are currently in the process of collating feedback and identifying areas of enhancement. Depending on the insights we gather, there may be further iterations to refine. We continually strive to improve, and your feedback is essential in this ongoing process.
The Challenge
As previously alluded to, the process of research and development on this feature was complex and extensive. Due to the nature of the topic, it was challenging to break down the project into smaller, manageable iterations. Hence, the current deliverable represents the minimum viable product that we can confidently put forth.
However, it's not without its challenges. In order to ensure this release does not create any technical, accessibility, usability, legal or other issues, we have decided to house the feature behind a hidden flag. To enable the feature, assistance from your Customer Success Manager (CSM) will be required as they hold the capability to activate it.
Please be aware that this feature is still undergoing beta testing and might be prone to iterations based on feedback. Therefore, we recommend activating the feature only in test instances to familiarize yourself with it. Please proceed with keeping in mind its testing phase status.
Schedule
At some point, the switch for this feature won't be hidden anymore, and your school will be able to control it too. When this happens is really based on how the current testing by some schools goes, so let's not guess on a date at this moment.
Recommendation
I really recommend trying out this feature, even while it's still being tested. If you're curious, talk to your CSM about how to get started. We'd be super thankful if you could join the folks testing it and help us make something that works really well for you!
