Upcoming Canvas Changes
Rich Content Editor Sidebar: July 1–15
During the first part of July, enhancements to the Rich Content Editor Sidebar (Content Selector) will be enabled in all Canvas features for all Canvas institutions. These enhancements already exist in Pages and the Syllabus using the Remote Version of the Rich Content Editor and Sidebar account-level feature option. Learn more about the Rich Content Editor Sidebar in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-01-07).Modules Home Page: July 15
On July 15, the Modules Home Page feature option will be enabled for all Canvas institutions and removed from the feature option list. This feature replaces the Recent Activity Stream as the Course Home Page default, though instructors can still choose any home page in a course. Learn more about the Modules Home Page feature in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-04-22).New User Tutorial: July 15
On July 15, the New User Tutorial feature option will be enabled for all Canvas institutions. On August 5, the feature option will be removed from the feature options list. This feature replaces the existing Course Setup Checklist in Canvas courses and displays to new Canvas instructors. Learn more about the New User Tutorial feature in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-04-22).
In this production release (June 24), admins and designers can create and maintain course design templates for an entire institution.
The Box previewer and Crocodoc annotation tools throughout Canvas have been replaced with Canvas DocViewer, which provides improved performance for a variety of document and image types.
For institutions using custom JavaScript, accordion widgets are no longer supported as a jQueryUI component.
For institutions using student context cards, student group leader names in a group set display context card details.
Other small changes have been made to the Rich Content Editor content selector and the Course Settings sidebar buttons.
Production release notes also include fixed bugs.
Canvas New Feature Screencast (2017-06-24)
Next release schedule
- Beta release and notes: July 3
- Production release notes: July 10
- Production release and documentation: July 15
Production release notes indicate Canvas updates that will be included with Saturday’s release and are subject to change. However, some features may already be deployed to production as indicated in the release notes.
New features may differ from those available in your beta environment. Learn more about the Canvas Release Schedule.
Account-level features are not available in Free-for-Teacher accounts.
For advanced JavaScript users: This release includes changes to Canvas that may affect styles and code in custom applications. Please make sure to view your Beta environment for any customization conflicts.
- NewFeatures
- Blueprint Courses
- Canvas DocViewer
- Updated Features
- People
- Group Leader Context Card
- Rich Content Editor
- Content Selector Page Links
- Other Updates
- Course Settings
- Sidebar Links
- Grades
- Assignment Groups and Total Points
- Platform/Integration
- API
- Account Reports API
- Files API
- Outcomes API
- JavaScript
- Accordion jQueryUI Component
- LTI Variable Substitutions
- Launch Parameter Privacy Configurations
- Fixed Bugs
New Features |
Blueprint Courses
Blueprint Courses are managed by the Blueprint Course feature option, which applies to the entire account. Admins can enable Blueprint Courses in Account Settings.
Blueprint Courses makes it easy for administrators or designers to deploy, update, and maintain course design templates or components across any number of courses or instructors. For an individual institution, Blueprint Courses allows Canvas admins to create content and learning objects, lock specific settings or content items, and push updates to all associated courses through course syncing.
Any items that are not locked can be managed individually by a course instructor. Content that can be managed by an instructor is not overwritten when the Blueprint Course is synced to associated courses, and new content created in any associated course is also not affected.
For more information about Blueprint Courses, please see the Canvas Release: Blueprint Courses document.
Canvas DocViewer
In the Beta environment, DocViewer must be re-enabled each week by our engineering team. Tools may not be available immediately on Monday mornings.
DocViewer automatically converts common documents types into web-viewable and interactive learning experiences. This feature replaces the current Box previewer and Crocodoc annotation tools in Canvas and provides improved performance.
For more information about Canvas DocViewer, please see the Canvas Release: Canvas DocViewer document.
Updated Features |
People
Group Leader Context Card
This feature requires the Student Context Card feature option, which applies to an entire account. Canvas admins can enable this feature in Account Settings.
Group leader links support student context cards. When an instructor opens a group set in a course and clicks the name of a group leader, the student’s context card displays in the sidebar. If the Student Context Card feature is not enabled for an institution, clicking the group leader’s name links to the student’s user details page.
Rich Content Editor
Content Selector Page Links
This update applies to institutions using the Remote Version of the Rich Content Editor and Sidebar account-level feature option, which is already enabled in Pages and the Syllabus but is currently optional in all other Canvas areas. Canvas admins can enable full Canvas availability for the Rich Content Editor Sidebar in their account by contacting their Canvas Customer Success Manager.
In the Content Selector Links tab, the Link to New Page link only displays to users who can edit pages. The Content Selector displays in any area of Canvas with the Rich Content Editor, such as course discussions. When a student views a discussion and creates a reply, the student cannot view the Link to New Page link unless the student can edit a course page. This change does not apply to groups, where students are always given access to edit pages.
Other Updates |
Course Settings
Sidebar Links
The buttons in the sidebar have been changed for consistency with other sidebars and lists throughout Canvas. This change also improves accessibility in the Course Settings page.
Grades
Assignment Groups and Total Points
In the Student Grades page, the Out of column displays assignment group point values in courses where students are allowed to view total grades.
If a student is not allowed to view total grades, the assignment group displays the total percentage for the assignment group only. Total grades can be restricted by an instructor in Course Settings by hiding the totals in the student grades summary. For courses involved in Multiple Grading Periods, admins can choose to not display totals when students view the All Grading Periods option.
When a student opened the Grades page and tried to hover over an assignment group percentage total, the assignment group did not display a percentage as tooltip text. Canvas code has been updated to display the group point values and total number of points in the Out of Column.
Platform/Integration |
For details about using Canvas API documentation, please see the Canvas API Policy page.
API
Account Reports API
In the Account Reports API, the report object includes the current line count being written to the report and updates every 1000 records.
Files API
In the Files API, the Delete File endpoint provides clarification about deleting a file and how the call is irreversible. Moreover, content can only be deleted from the production environment.
Outcomes API
In the Outcomes API, the Update an Outcome endpoint allows users with the Manage Learning Outcomes permission to update text fields via the API, even if the Outcome has already been assessed. Previously, any Outcome with an associated student assessment could not be updated or edited. Supported fields include title, display_name, description, and ratings[][description]. Any other changes generate an error message.
JavaScript
Accordion jQueryUI Component
As announced in Canvas Production Release Notes (2017-02-18), JavaScript modules are loaded into Canvas using Webpack instead of RequireJS. As of this release, accordion widgets are no longer supported as a jQueryUI component.
Admins who are not able to make any JavaScript adjustments can maintain any existing accordion styles by adding widgetize-canvas-lms-user-content code to their Theme Editor JavaScript file. This code does not turn content into a widget but simply maintains accordion styling.
JavaScript files that still rely on Canvas jQueryUI will still view a deprecation warning when using .dialogue, .draggable, .resizable, .sortable, or .tabs widget class names, all of which will eventually no longer be supported in future releases.
Ultimately, institutions who rely on custom code should add their own UI library to the custom JavaScript file uploaded to the Theme Editor.
LTI Variable Substitutions
Launch Parameter Privacy Configurations
Updated content item launch lis_launch parameters are now sent depending on the configured tool’s privacy level. Prior to this update, privacy information had to be added using variable expansions in the tool configuration.
Fixed Bugs |
Accessibility
Conversations
When a user clicks the Close, Reply or Reply All buttons, focus is retained on the Close icon.
Modules
In the Module Edit window, focus is retained on the Close icon.
Rich Content Editor
In the Table properties modal, the General and Advanced tabs indicate focus with tab outlines.
The Rich Content Editor displays the state of the toolbar focus with arrow indicators.
Rubrics
H1 headers are displayed in individual rubrics.
Admin Tools
Restore Courses Tab
The Restore Courses tab only allows an admin to search for a deleted course by ID.
Explanation: When an admin opened the Restore Courses tab to restore a deleted course, the tab included a drop-down menu to select a course by name, which never populated with any courses. Canvas code has been updated to remove the courses drop-down menu and require admins to search for deleted courses by ID.
API
Assignments API
In the Assignments API, the Edit an Assignment API call returns a 200 success status.
Explanation: When a user used the Edit an Assignment API endpoint, the API call returned an HTTP 201 error. Canvas code has been updated to return a 200 success status.
Calendar
Daylight Savings Time
Events display dates according to the user’s time zone.
Explanation: When a user set a time zone that does not observe Daylight Savings Time, calendar events display one hour ahead when the event extends into the next month. Canvas code has been updated to display dates according to the user’s time zone.
Conversations
Self-Sent Messages
Users can send messages to themselves without any other recipients.
Explanation: When a user tried to send a message with his or her name as the recipient, the message would not send and silently failed. Canvas code has been updated to allow users to send messages to themselves without any other recipients.
Course Import
Canvas Export Syllabus Page
Canvas exports do not export a blank Syllabus.
Explanation: When a user exported a Canvas course that included no changes to the Syllabus, reset the course content, and then imported the file that was exported, the Syllabus was overwritten with no content. Canvas code has been updated to not export a blank Syllabus in a course export.
Course Home Page Announcements
Imported announcements are listed in the course home page when the Show recent announcements on the course home page feature is enabled.
Explanation: When an imported course included the setting to show recent announcements on the course home page, announcements did not display on the course home page. Canvas code has been updated to show home page announcements in imported courses.
Moodle Special Characters
Moodle imports support special characters.
Explanation: When a Moodle import package included a special character, the special character was ignored in the import. Canvas code has been updated to support special characters in import packages.
Grades
Assignment Groups and Total Points
In the Student Grades page, the Out of Column displays assignment group point values in courses where students are allowed to view total grades.
Explanation: When a student opened the Grades page and tried to hover over an assignment group percentage total, the assignment group did not display a percentage as tooltip text. Canvas code has been updated to display the group point values and total number of points in the Out of Column.
Grading Periods
Grading periods can be edited for terms with large numbers of courses.
Explanation: When an admin edited a grading period for a term that included more than 2000 courses, the grading period generated an error message. Canvas code has been updated to reconfigure grading period changes for terms with large numbers of courses.
Groups
Group Leaders
Group changes are saved when a group leader is removed from a group.
Explanation: When a student group leader was removed from a group, the leader appeared to be removed but was re-added immediately afterward. Canvas code has been updated to save changes to groups when a group leader is removed from a group.
Modules
Custom Roles and Published Module Color
Users with custom instructor-based roles view module icons in Student View the same way students can view them.
Explanation: When a user with a custom instructor-based role accessed Modules using Student View, some published modules displayed in gray instead of green. Canvas code has been updated to correct user caching for custom instructor-based roles in Student View.
Module Drag and Drop
Module items are retained in the order they are reordered.
Explanation: When module items were reordered by the drag and drop option, the first module item was placed in the zero position instead of the first position. Canvas code has been updated to retain the order of each module item.
Muted Assignments and Minimum Score Requirements
Students cannot view scores in muted assignments in the assignment hover text.
Explanation: When a muted assignment was part of a module with a minimum score requirement, and a student hovered over the assignment name, the student was able to view the score as part of the hover text. Canvas code has been updated to not display module score requirements for muted assignments.
Notifications
Announcement Notifications and Section Dates
Notifications are not sent to students in a concluded section.
Explanation: When a course was concluded by section dates but the term was still active, announcement notifications were sent to students. However, if the term ended before the section end date, notifications were not sent. Canvas code has been updated to not send notifications to students in a concluded section.
Rubric Assessment Submission Reminders and Assignment Names
Rubric Assessment Submission Reminder notifications display the current name of the associated assignment.
Explanation: When an assignment name was edited, Rubric Assessment Submission Reminder notifications were not updated to the new assignment name. Canvas code has been updated to display current assignment names for reminder notifications.
Quizzes
Decimal Point Values
Quizzes with decimal answer values do not trigger a quiz re-grade.
Explanation: When a quiz included questions with decimal answer values, the quiz total rounded to a number larger than the nearest hundredth. This behavior caused the quiz to trigger a re-graded even if no changes were made to the quiz. Canvas code has been updated to correct decimal point values in quiz totals.
Lock this Quiz Functionality
Quizzes can be locked immediately for quizzes assigned to everyone.
Explanation: When the Lock this Quiz Now option was selected in a quiz, the notification showed the quiz was updated successfully but the quiz did not lock and update the option to allow the quiz to be unlocked. Canvas code has been updated to lock the quiz. This change only affects quizzes assigned to everyone and does not apply to differentiated assignments.
Reports
Grade Export Report
When including deleted items, the Grade Export report includes inactive enrollments.
Explanation: When a Grade Export report was generated with deleted items, the report did not include inactive enrollments. Canvas code has been updated to include inactive enrollments in the Grade Export report.
Subaccount Provisioning Report and Course-Level Group Memberships
Subaccount provisioning reports display course group membership data.
Explanation: In the subaccount provisioning report for group_membership, the report only included account-level groups and not course-level groups. Canvas code has been updated to show course groups for subaccount provisioning reports.
Rich Content Editor
Safari 9.1 Content
Canvas content displays to users in Safari 9.1.
Explanation: When users viewed Canvas in Safari 9.1, the majority of Canvas content displayed as a blank page. Canvas code has been updated to display Canvas content in Safari.
Toolbar Selection
The Rich Content Editor displays the state of the toolbar focus with arrow indicators.
Explanation: When a keyboard user accessed the Rich Content Editor toolbar, the focus indicator was the same size and shape as the indicator for the selected and active states. Canvas code has been updated to display the state of the toolbar focus with arrow indicators instead of relying on color.
User Settings
Profile Pictures and Trust Accounts
Profile pictures are saved for users in trust accounts.
Explanation: When a user account was created in one account and added to a second account through a trust setup, and the user logs in to the second account and adds a profile picture, the profile picture was not saved. Canvas code has been updated to save profile pictures for users in trust accounts.
Users
User Details Page and Trust Accounts
Admins can view the User Details Page for a user in a trust account.
Explanation: When an admin viewed the User Details Page for a user in a trust account, the user ID was rounded up and displayed the page view information for the wrong user. Canvas code has been updated to associated the correct user ID for a user’s page views.
