June 2023 Canvas Changes and Updates
Posted in News
Canvas releases updates to their platform multiple times a month. Here are a number of updates that have happened over the past several months and a few that are scheduled for release later this month.
Modules
Bulk Publish and Unpublish Module Items
Instructors can now bulk publish all modules and items within. Additionally, Instructors have the options to publish modules titles only (and not the items within the module), or bulk unpublish all modules and items. This can be accomplished through a new drop down menu at the top of the Module page, as well as on the specific module via the publish icon. This new menu includes the options to publish module and all items, publish module only or unpublish module and all items for individual modules.
Note: The ability to select multiple specific items to publish is not available.
More details around this change and screenshots can be found on the Canvas Community site.
Grades, Gradebook, SpeedGrader
Gradebook Filters
New to Canvas this fall semester are Gradebook filters. Instructors have all the functionality of the classic Gradebook (with fewer clicks), plus additional filtering options, such as the ability to create and save filters for future use.
SpeedGrader: Quick Links
SpeedGrader quick links are added to Options menus for Assignments, Graded Discussions, Modules, Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes. This update improves accessibility to SpeedGrader from various areas within Canvas.
Gradebook: Sort by First Name
When the Split Student Names Gradebook Setting is enabled, instructors can sort students by first name.
Gradebook: Sort Assignments by Excused Submissions and Unposted Grades
In the Gradebook, instructors can sort individual assignment columns and rows by excused submissions and unposted grades. This update provides instructors with more sorting options and improves efficiency when working in Gradebook columns.
Grades: Printing Individual Assignment Feedback Comments
This update improves visibility of assignment details and comments. For example, when printing individual assignment comments from the Grades page, comments display below the submission details.
Student Submissions and Publish Icon Update
When an assignment, discussion or quiz has student submissions and cannot be unpublished, the green publish icon status is updated to display a muted green color. This update allows instructors to visibly see which assignments, discussions and quizzes have student submissions and cannot be unpublished.
Rich Content Editor (RCE)
Rich Content Editor (RCE): Support for Pasting and Drag/Drop of Content
This update provides users with additional options when adding content to the Rich Content Editor. For example, students can copy and paste an image from a browser or photo viewing app in the RCE. Also, users can copy an image, audio, or video file from a file system directory viewer, such as the macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer and paste it in the RCE. Additionally, users can drag a file from the local filesystem and drop it in the RCE.
Note: Due to the security features in some browsers, pasting content might require the Command+V, Control+V or Paste from the browser’s context menu.
Note: When dragging and dropping an image from the web, an HTML IMG tag referencing the file at its location on the web is inserted into the RCE. This may or may not display the image for other users depending on the public visibility of the source image.
Rich Content Editor (RCE): Equation Editor Equilibrium Button
In the Rich Content Editor Equation Editor, an Equilibrium button is available.
Notifications
Email Notifications: Reply Warning for Groups Messages
When users in a group receive an announcement notification via email, a warning message is displayed that indicates any email replies posted to the announcement are seen by everyone in the group. This change allows users to be aware the reply will be seen by all users in a group; or conversely only the users in the group will see the reply.
Email Notifications: File Summary Descriptions
When users enable File notifications (not on by default) and multiple files are added to a course, the file titles are included in the notification summary. This change allows users to identify which files have been added to the course.
Note: If students have enabled the File notification setting in their Canvas account and the course is unpublished they will not receive these notifications.
New Quizzes
New Quizzes: Rich Content Editor (RCE)
This update provides instructors the ability to utilize the accessibility checker on questions and instructions, add media recordings within New Quizzes, and change the view between the HTML editor and classic view for advanced users. Users can also access a math editor. Additionally, this update provides students with the ability to record audio and video within the RCE of a New Quiz.
This update completes phase one and phase two of the RCE integration in New Quizzes. For more information on the RCE integration, see the Re-enablement of the Rich Content Editor (RCE) in New Quizzes (new window) blog.
New Quizzes: Rich Content Editor (RCE) Supports Third-Party Apps
This update allows users to include third-party tools (Panopto, ShareStream, etc,) to provide content in New Quizzes.
See our Guides for Integrated Tools in Canvas for more information about third-party apps in Canvas.
New Quizzes: Zero-Point New Quiz in Gradebook Checkbox
Instructors can choose to not display a column in the gradebook or student page when creating a zero-point practice New Quiz. This change allows instructors to remove unwanted content in the gradebook and prevent confusion for students related to zero-point practice quizzes.
New Quizzes: Grade Question-by-Question in SpeedGrader
SpeedGrader supports grading one question at a time in New Quizzes. When in Grade by Question mode the question navigation bar is available and the Update score button location has been updated. Additionally, hyperlinks have been added to questions requiring manual grading.
New Quizzes: Share Item Bank to Current Course
When creating a new item bank in the New Quizzes Build page, instructors can share the bank to the current course. This change reduces extra steps to share an Item Bank and improves instructor workflows when building New Quizzes.
New Quizzes: Outcomes Analysis Report Export
This change allows instructors to download a CSV of the Outcome Analysis Report.
Learn about other recent Canvas changes and updates at Georgetown.