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Canvas deploys contain code changes that are intended to fix bugs, improve performance, and prepare for new features, but they do not affect customer workflows. These deploys take place every two weeks and can be tested in the beta environment before the production deploy date indicated in the title of this document. Intended changes in workflow are noted in the Canvas Release Notes published monthly.
Deploy notes include notable fixed bugs and additional updates that do not affect existing user functionality.
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- Interface Updates
- Courses
- New User Tutorial Collaborations Text Modification
- Gradebook
- Deprecation Alert
- Modules
- External URL Module Items Link
- Fixed Bugs
- Accessibility
- Groups
- Attendance
- Assignment Grade Edits
- Attendance Report and Multiple Sections
- Cross-listed Sections
- Modules
- Submissions and UnpublishedAssignments
- Outcomes
- Not Graded Assignments and Mastery Results
- People
- User Initials Display Order
- Rubrics
- Safari 13 Page Scrolling
Interface Updates |
Courses
New User Tutorial Collaborations Text Modification
Summary
For institutions using the New User Tutorial feature option, the Collaborations tutorial has been updated to display more general text.
Change Benefit
This change updates the tutorial to remove mentioning any specific collaboration tools.
Affected User Roles
Instructors
For new instructors using the tutorials, the Collaborations tutorial sidebar has been updated to reflect a more general purpose for collaborations: “Provide a space for users to work on a single document simultaneously from within your Canvas course.”
Gradebook
Deprecation Alert
Summary
The Gradebook displays a deprecation alert notice notifying instructors that the existing Gradebook version will be replaced by an updated Gradebook on or before 18 January 2020.
Change Benefit
This change reminds instructors that the existing Gradebook will be updated or or before the end-of-life date.
Affected User Roles
Instructors
Instructors using the existing Gradebook view a persistent notice at the top of the page about the New Gradebook. This notice is not obtrusive and does not prevent instructors from performing any actions in the Gradebook. The notice includes a link to the New Gradebook customer guide and helps users learn more about the New Gradebook.
If instructors are allowed to enable the New Gradebook for their course, they can do so at any time to remove the notification and update to the New Gradebook.
Modules
External URL Module Items Link
Community Contribution: https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/10144-link-to-external-url
Summary
External URL module items set to load in a new tab automatically display to students in a new browser tab.
Change Benefit
This change minimizes the number of clicks required to view an external URL module item.
Affected User Roles
Instructors
When an external URL item is added to a module, and the Load in a New Tab checkbox is checked in the module item window, users who click the external URL in a module will view the URL in a new tab by default.
All Users
Any module item with the external URL icon indicating the link will open in a new window automatically displays in a new tab. Previously the link opened a new window that only displayed a button to view the external content. The button had to be clicked a second time to view the external content.
Fixed Bugs |
Accessibility
Groups
Gray text in the groups page displays a color contrast of 3:1 for the default Canvas interface and 4.5:1 for high contrast profiles.
Attendance
The Attendance tool is not currently supported in the beta environment.
Assignment Grade Edits
Attendance edits are updated in the Gradebook.
Explanation: When attendance had only been taken once per user, and an instructor edited the attendance for the day back to unmarked, the assignment’s score was not updated in the Gradebook as ungraded. Canvas code has been updated to update scores in the Gradebook to reflect attendance edits.
Attendance Report and Multiple Sections
The Attendance report displays section ID data to show which students are enrolled in multiple sections.
Explanation: When an instructor took attendance for a student enrolled in multiple sections, the attendance report did not reflect each student’s section, although the Attendance tool can be filtered by section. Canvas code has been updated to display separate attendance for each marked section in the attendance report. Additionally, the section includes a Section ID column.
Cross-listed Sections
Attendance data is displayed in attendance reports for cross-listed sections.
Explanation: When a user was added to two sections, and the user was later unenrolled from a section that was cross-listed into another section, the attendance report and the Attendance interface displayed different enrollment results as cross-listed enrollments were not included in reports. Canvas code has been updated to display cross-listed sections in attendance reports.
Modules
Submissions and Unpublished Assignments
Module assignments that have received submissions cannot be unpublished in the module.
Explanation: When an instructor opened the modules page before a submission was made to an assignment, the instructor was able to click the unpublish icon for the assignment. The assignment itself was not unpublished but the Modules page displayed the assignment as if it were unpublished. Canvas code has been updated to make the Modules page confirm if an assignment has received submissions before changing the display state of the assignment.
Outcomes
Not Graded Assignments and Mastery Results
Not Graded assignments associated with outcomes criteria display mastery results to students.
Explanation: When outcomes were used in a Not Graded assignment where an instructor included outcomes criteria, the results did not display for students unless the assignment was changed to a graded state and graded by the instructor. Canvas code has been updated to display mastery results for Not Graded assignments.
People
User Initials Display Order
When users do not have a profile image displayed in the People page, user initials are displayed
Explanation: When a user did not have a profile image for their account, the People page displayed initials in place of the image based on sortable name. Canvas code has been updated to display initials based on the user’s display name.
Rubrics
Safari 13 Page Scrolling
Viewing a rubric does not affect page scrolling in Safari 13.
Explanation: When a user accessed Canvas in Safari 13, viewed an assignment page with a rubric, and scrolled down the page, the user was automatically returned to the top of the page. Canvas code has been updated to not allow a rubric to affect the position of a page in the Safari browser.
| Date | |
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| 2019-11-20 | Removed—Fixed Bugs
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| 2019-11-18 | Added—Fixed Bugs
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| 2019-11-15 | Changed—Interface Updates
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| 2019-11-11 | Added—Interface Updates
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| 2019-11-08 | Deploy Notes Published |
