What's New in Canvas
What's New in Canvas
How Often Do Updates Occur?
Canvas releases will occur monthly. Be sure to check the release notes to stay updated on any changes in Canvas. See the workshop schedule posted on the Faculty Commons course site for the latest information on Canvas training opportunities.
Coming Soon!
Updates that are coming soon. Below are some of the upcoming features listed in the roadmap Links to an external site..
- (January 18, 2025; Discussion checkpoints has been disabled. ) Students engage in deeper, more meaningful discussion with classmates with clear checkpoints to guide their way. This will be re-enabled on May 16, 2025. See following blog post for details, Discussion Checkpoints: Update Based on Your Feedback! Links to an external site.
- (25 Q1) New Quizzes, Hotspot questions in New Quizzes will offer enhanced interactivity and assessment flexibility by allowing for multiple correct answer areas within a single image.
- (25 Q1) New Quizzes will now allow instructors to gather anonymous student feedback, collect insights, and improve the learning experience.
Important Notes on Recent Changes
Below are some of the more recent changes to Canvas. Click an item to view or use the expand all option to see all items in the list.
Import Screen Changes
On March 15, 2025, Canvas update Links to an external site., the Import Content page was updated. The import button text is updated to Add Import to Queue and when an instructor's timezone differs from the course timezone, both the local and course timezones are displayed. This update enhances the user experience by updating the Import Content page providing a modern and consistent design. It also clarifies the import process with updated button text, improving workflow efficiency.
Discussion Checkpoints
In the January 18, 2025 release, the discussion checkpoints was released. This update allows instructors to apply two separate due dates to graded discussions. Note: Discussion checkpoints have been disabled. Discussion Checkpoints will be available in production behind an admin-level feature option on March 12, 2025. For the Lake Land College production site, we will wait until the spring semester is over to enable it. We have determined that May 16, 2025, is the best day to enable discussion checkpoints.
Links to an external site.
Release Video
Studio
There have been many updates to Studio.
- New recording options - The new recording option is only available in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. All users can continue to use screencasting software in other browsers.
- Auto captions - ALL media will be auto-captioned after the March 26, 2024 update. It is recommended that the captions be reviewed and edits made where needed. You must still request captions for any media uploaded before the March 26, 2024 update.
- New Studio Navigation - The Studio interface was upgraded in January 2025. The new interface is an opt-in option until the end of March 2025. See the following blog post to learn more.
See Studio Updates to learn more. Note: If you have been using the DesignPLUS Studio Resources page template, this has been updated to reflect the Studio changes.
DesignPLUS
The new DesignPLUS sidebar is now the default. All faculty are encouraged to upgrade their content to use the new sidebar. Content can be upgraded in bulk or by page.
Starting in February 2025, faculty can use the QuickStart Wizard to access DesignPLUS templates and content blocks.
See the following link for more DesignPLUS details.
Rubric Update
The admin and course-level Rubrics page is redesigned, allowing admin and instructors to search and sort rubrics, view the location where rubrics are used, duplicate and archive rubrics, and more easily edit existing rubrics. Additionally, the rubrics create and edit interface has been redesigned. The rubric will have multiple viewing options in SpeedGrader. Note: This update does NOT update the interface when adding a rubric to a graded discussion or quiz. Create rubrics from the Rubric page to see the new interface. For the latest updates, see the Enhanced Rubrics: Release Change Log Links to an external site..
- July-Canvas-Update-rubric.pptx Download July-Canvas-Update-rubric.pptx
- How do I manage rubrics in a course using Rubric Enhancements? Links to an external site.
- How do I add a rubric in a course using Rubric Enhancements? Links to an external site.
- How do I align an outcome with a rubric in a course using Rubric Enhancements? Links to an external site.
- How do I use a rubric to grade submissions in SpeedGrader using Rubric Enhancements? Links to an external site.
Release Video
New Quizzes
New Quizzes has had many updates over the past year. Here are some of the highlights.
- Share New Quizzes to Canvas Commons - Instructors can now share quizzes created with new quizzes to Commons
- Quiz Result Options - Instructors can choose what students see with quiz results.
- Custom Feedback - On the settings page, instructors can enable this option to provide students with custom feedback.
- Build on Last Attempt (New Feature) - This is a new feature for quizzes setup for multiple attempts
- Export Quizzes as QTI Files - You can now export quizzes as QTI files
- Downloadable Reports - You can now download New Quizzes reports as a CSV file
- Grade by Question - Essay questions can be graded by question in SpeedGrader
- Practice quizzes - Quizzes can be setup as practice quizzes that do not display in the gradebook
- Rich content editor Update - The rich content editor in new quizzes now matches what you see in all other locations in Canvas. Note: The DesignPLUS sidebar is NOT available when editing new quizzes.
- Bulk migration is now available! - Please note the bulk migration option is available on the course import screen. When checked, this option will convert ALL classic quizzes to new ones in the new course you are importing content into. The classic quizzes will remain in the course you imported from.
Please review the timeline for the most recent updates.
Inbox Updates
You can now create a signature and add an auto-response for Canvas messages. See the following guide.
Release Video
Lucid Chart
There is a new Lucid Chart Integration with Canvas. You can now embed Lucid Chart in Canvas pages or setup as an assignment. See the following page for details on how to set up your account.
AI Integration
There are few AI integrations in Canvas, and more will be coming soon. See the following blog posts for more details.
- Product updates shared at InstructureCon 2024 Links to an external site.
- 2 New Ways We’re Using AI to Streamline Workflows in Canvas Links to an external site.
Discussion Summaries
Instructors can now summarize long and complex discussion threads in a single click.
Smart Search
Instructors and students can find content faster than ever in Canvas with the Smart Search link in the course menu.
Khanmigo Teacher Tools
Now available in Canvas! See Khanmigo Tools (Instructor Only)
AI Translation Available in Discussions and Inbox (delayed)
Coming January 18, 2025! See January 18, 2025 Release Notes Links to an external site.
Assign To Changes
Please review the PowerPoint presentation for details on the workflow changes. See the information on the blog post linked below.
- July-Canvas-Update-assign-to.pptx Download July-Canvas-Update-assign-to.pptx
- Updates to the Assign To Interface Links to an external site. - posted July 31, 2024. This blog has an updated video on how it will appear after the deployment update.
- Canvas Deploy Notes (2024-08-28) Links to an external site. - See details of the changes to assign to option on assignments and pages
Video Tutorial
Assignment Assign To Settings
In Assignments, discussions, and quizzes, the Assign To user interface is redesigned in a tray. You can also access the Assign To options without editing the assignment. On the assignment page, click the Assign To button. Click the options menu on the index pages (Modules, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes) and select Assign To. Important Note: When you assign an assignment to select students, only the students assigned can see the assignment, and you can only enter grades for the assigned students. Use the Add option to create a new set of dates to assign students who need different due dates. Students will only see the dates they are assigned.
- How do I assign an assignment to everyone in a course? Links to an external site.
- How do I assign an assignment to an individual student? Links to an external site.
- How do I view differentiated assignments with different due dates in a course? Links to an external site.
Pages
Pages can now be assigned to select students. You can apply Available From and Until dates in the Assign To settings. You can also access the Assign To options without editing the page. On the page, click the Assign To button. Click the options menu on the Modules and Pages Index pages and select Assign To.
- How do I create a new page in a course? Links to an external site.
- How do I edit a page in a course? Links to an external site.
Modules
Modules can now be assigned to select students with similar assign to options. When you edit a module, the settings will appear as a tray with a Settings and Assign To tabs. The edit tab options have not changed. You can assign the module to select students in the Assign To tab. Module content items can also be assigned to select students from the options menu. Students will only see the content they are assigned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are commons questions about Canvas updates. Click an item to view or use the expand all option to see all items in the list.
How Do I Get Help with Canvas?
All users can submit tickets directly in Canvas. Click the help icon in the global menu and select Report a Problem. Be sure to give details of your issue. You can also call Information Systems and Services. See links below for more details.
How Will Updates Affect My Workflows?
Occasionally, Instructure releases big projects over the summer that change user workflows, or Information Systems and Services integrates new software with Canvas. It is important to understand how these changes may affect your work to build and maintain your course and how these changes may affect your students' workflows. When there are big changes in Canvas, Academic Operations staff will offer workshops to support faculty and students in understanding the changes. Please review the release and deploy notes regularly so you are aware of upcoming changes.
How Can I Provide Feedback on New Features?
In the Canvas Community, instructors and students can submit feature ideas to help improve Canvas. Please review the following links below to understand the development process better.
How Can I Learn More About New Features?
It is important to stay up to date on the latest Canvas changes. Workshop sessions are offered throughout the year. You can view the session schedule in the Faculty Commons. To join the Faculty Commons, click the Help (question mark) icon in the global menu and select Join the Faculty Commons. The upcoming sessions are listed in the Zoom link. Instructors can also request individualized training sessions. Please contact instructional support.