Rutgers.eduIn an effort to continually improve Canvas, Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, releases Canvas upgrades every third Saturday of the month along with Release Notes. Pertinent features and upgrades are listed below.
In this Canvas release (June 19):
- The Embedded Release Notes feature allows default release information to be viewed directly in Canvas.
- The Discussions Redesign (Beta) feature allows users to view individual discussion topics with an updated design and small usability enhancements. These changes ensure page responsiveness and prepare the interface for feature functionality improvements.
- For institutions using New Quizzes, item banks can be shared with the entire account as well as one or more courses. Additionally, item banks can be shared as view only.
This announcement lists pertinent updates that affect instructors and students and omits features that are not applicable for Rutgers Canvas.
View Full Release Notes on Instructure Website (6/19/2021)
New Features
Global Navigation Menu
Release Notes Interface
Users can view feature release information directly in Canvas. This change helps users know when a new feature is available in Canvas for their user role and promotes self-training for Canvas features.
All Users
The Canvas Help Menu displays an indicator when a release note has been published for the user’s role. Notes display a summary of a feature or multiple features available to the user and provides a link where the user can view more details. Users can choose to disable the indicator that displays when a new note is available.
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Discussions
Discussions Redesign
Discussion topics display an updated design with small usability enhancements. These changes ensure page responsiveness and prepare the interface for feature functionality improvements.
For full details about the Discussions Redesign feature, please see the Canvas Release: Discussions Redesign document.
Updated Features
New Quizzes
Item Bank Management
Item banks can be shared with the entire account as well as one or more courses. Additionally, item banks can be shared as view only. This change allows item bank editors to increase collaboration and disseminate quiz content in either a view-only or edit permission state.
Instructors
When instructors share an item bank, the item bank supports a new View permission, which can be given to a user and provides access to the bank as read only. The user who shares an item bank can continue to specify editing access for other users. Permissions are selected at the time that an item bank is shared.
Additionally, item banks can be shared with an account or a course. Only Admins can manage access for item banks shared at the account level. If given editing permissions, all instructors and TAs can edit an item bank that is shared with the course.
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SpeedGrader
Comment Library
Comments can be added and saved for reuse within SpeedGrader. This change allows graders to save frequently used comments in SpeedGrader and be reused across multiple students and assignments.
Instructors
When instructors and other graders access SpeedGrader, the comments field includes a Feedback icon that opens the Comment Library. Comments can be entered in the text field and added to the comment library.
- Comments can be edited in and deleted from the library at any time.
- Comments are saved per individual user regardless of course, so comments saved by a user in one course will also display when the user is viewing SpeedGrader in another course.
- The Comment Library functionality is not supported in the assignment submission details page.
Canvas Deploys
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 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. View last five full Deploy Notes: