[ARCHIVED] "Hidden" Feature Options

[tdelillo]

Looking at this week's release notes, I realized that the Scheduler option does not actually appear on our list of Account or Course Feature Options in the root level Settings, even though we have it enabled. I've often wondered why the Profiles feature isn't listed there, either (this has been asked about before - Where is information about "Profiles," please? - but not really answered).

When I looked over these guides: What feature options are currently available at the course level?‌ and What feature options are currently available at the account level?‌, the two above are not mentioned.

Other there other "hidden" feature options that I've forgotten about? Should they be added to the aforementioned guides,  @InstContentTeam ‌? 

[kona]

What about Chat? I know it's mentioned on the guide itself - What is Chat? - but I don't see it mentioned on the guides you linked to above.

"The Chat tool must be enabled for your institution before it can be used in Canvas courses. If you are an admin, contact your Customer Success Manager for assistance."

[artistworksonli]

Does Canvas chat work if the students are taken to a different platform when they watch lessons?  For our ArtistWorks Music Students, they are taken onto our own platform which includes chat.  Would they both be working?!

[awilliams]

Not unless you figure out a way to integrate your specific chat tool with Canvas. When you see "the chat tool" in the community it means the default chat tool that comes with Canvas (which is getting updated this Friday, yay!).

[kona]

Here's another one - Faculty Journal - What is a faculty journal and what is it used for? &

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[kona]

I'm on a roll... with Roll Call Attendance! What is the Roll Call Attendance Tool? 

The Attendance tool must be enabled for your institution before it can be used in Canvas courses. If you are an admin, contact your Customer Success Manager for assistance.

So the theme seems to be "things that your CSM has to enable BEFORE an Admin can then enable them."

[tdelillo]

You ARE on a roll! Thanks, this is great. I wasn't even thinking of Chat or Attendance because I tend to forget they're not "standard" Canvas.

To your point about trying to pinpoint a theme, there are others, though, that a CSM must enable that ARE listed in those guides, like Post Grades to SIS and Require Usage Rights for Uploaded Files...

[lekern]

As someone who is configuring and administrating a new instance of Canvas, it has been challenging to find all of the feature options that require CSM support to implement. We've been discovering them one by one as our faculty find references to them, or bring knowledge from other schools and ask where the function is. Sure would be swell to have a maintained checklist of items that are CSM-enabled and in the documentation, along with those that are CSM-enabled and not in the documentation ... BTW, the list that you have generated so far has pretty much covered my recent hit parade of surprises.

[kona]

 @lekern ‌, It would be nice if it was part of the initial config/on boarding process when you get Canvas set up for your school!

[lekern]

Yes, indeed, Kona.

[kona]

That way you could plan training, course design, etc WITH these features in mind, not after the fact.

[ysmalls]

Very true Kona, we also had some "fun" figuring some features out ourselves. 

[kmay]

Our school isn't new to Canvas but I am. For those of us new to administrating Canvas, it would be great if there was a list of all the "ask your CSM" features posted somewhere, like in the Admin group. 

[kona]

Absolutely!

Since you're new, do you have any recommendations of things you wished you would have known or things you are still wondering?

[rake_9]

Oh, please, yes!  Though since we are nearly done with our migration, this is mostly for the sake of other new institutions.  There were a lot of things enabled on our preview / evaluation instance that weren't turned on in production when we got it.  Really hit-and-miss to figure out what we needed to specifically ask for.

[mnieckoski]

A quick note for everyone on the new Scheduler.  I was anxious to get the new one running and had it enabled by my CSM.  I flipped the switch and within minutes started receiving panicked calls from faculty that the scheduler had disappeared!  What actually disappeared was the SCHEDULER button on the calendar.  The new scheduler is accessed via a tab within the + event button, so the old button was no longer needed...

I returned it to the old mode and will re-enable the new scheduler after the end of the semester.

Be aware and let users know the new process!  

--mike

Michael Nieckoski

Keene State College

[kona]

Thanks for sharing! This is good information to have for anyone else considering turning scheduler on for their school.

[kblack]

Indeed!  This is specifically why I chose not to have it enabled right now during the frantic last month of classes when panic (about everything) ensues.  I will hold off until early summer.

[kona]

Came up with another one! Allowing users to opt-out of the Inbox! I think this goes along with the ability to turn off the Inbox - which you need your CSM to do for you.

[natalie_norton1]

 @kona   I did not know that! Do you have any more info - is it individual opt out, or opt out at sub account do you know? Thanks!

[kona]

 @natalie_norton1 , per this discussion - Turn off inbox messaging or get it forwarded:

Allow users to opt out of the Conversation's Inbox. This will cause all conversation messages and notifications to be sent as ASAP notifications to the user's primary email, hide the Conversation's Inbox unread messages badge on the Inbox, and hide the Conversation's notification preferences.

For additional information you'd want to talk with your CSM.

[tdelillo]

Huh, that's a thing? Who knew! Good one, though.

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi, all,

Not all features in Canvas are feature options. Many features are managed through plugins or additional account settings that must be enabled by a CSM.

The full list of integrations that can be enabled in Canvas can be viewed in What integrations are supported in a Canvas account? This lesson keeps evolving but the goal is to make it more useful in the future. But you can always discuss this list with your CSM, who will know how each of those items should be enabled. 

The feature option lessons (previously linked above) show what feature options are available and whether or not they have to be enabled by your CSM first before they show up in your account. And How do I use account settings? shows you every account setting that you can manage at any time.

Hope that helps!

Erin

[kona]

Profiles! If you want profiles turned on for your school you need to ask your CSM to enable them for you.

Profiles allows you to update your name, preferred contact methods, and any personal links for your account. Your profile information can be viewed by all users in your courses. - https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1865 

[QC99_tsilvius]

One feature that I consider to be hidden is the "...instructure.com/courses/<coursenumber>/undelete" feature. This has saved many of the Ts with whom I work. Being able to restore back to a course anything that was accidentally deleted has been a very helpful feature that is hidden. I searched the course feature options doc, the account feature options doc, and this page for "undelete" and dont' see it. Although it doesn't have an Admin toggle to enable it like a "feature" it still is a valuable "feature" to share out and perhaps worth an honorable mention on the course level hidden feature doc? Thoughts?

[lekern]

Todd, I just learned about this yesterday by searching the forums. It's a great feature that can really save the day. 

[tdelillo]

Definitely worth a mention, even though it's not exactly where I was going with this thread. I remember being annoyed at first that "undelete" is undocumented, but over time I've come to appreciate that it's an Easter egg that you kind of have to stumble upon yourself. 

[kona]

And another one... https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10808-4214108675 

[tdelillo]

Interesting! I had long since forgotten that Admin Tools had to be enabled by the CSM. Or maybe it didn't used to be that way. Good one, though!

[kona]

It's amazing the strange ones that pop up here and there that I've forgotten about!

[RobDitto]

A few business schools have been testing a hidden feature option which allows the Canvas administrators to arrange with their Customer Success Manager to increase the calendar limit.  We have it at Penn, set to a maximum of 15 calendars, and it has been working well.

[kona]

Thanks for posting this!!

[mvandevelde]

Anyone interested in this topic may also like an idea I've added, to have a document created that has a comprehensive list of tools that require a Customer Success Manager to activate.

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/10238‌

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