These are the latest Canvas system updates that will become available from 14 – 17 August 2019. Please click on an update to expand and view the information. If you have any questions please submit a support ticket via the help menu in Canvas.

Please note that system updates are subject to change and may be subsequently updated.

Update 1: Discussions -  File Attachment Default. This update will be released on 14 August 2019 and is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, TA and Course Designer.

Summary

In Discussions, the option for students to add file attachments is enabled by default.

Change Benefit

This behavior aligns consistency with other Canvas features that allow attachments by default and resolves the common expectation by instructors that students can attach files to discussion posts.

Affected User Roles

Instructors

When instructors view the Discussions Settings for their courses, the option to Attach Files to Discussions is selected by default. If preferred, instructors can disable the option for students to add attachments in Course Settings or the Discussions Settings menu.

Other related guides for Instructors
· How do I create a discussion as an instructor?
· How do I view and sort discussion replies as an instructor?
· How do I attach a file to a discussion reply as an instructor?

Update 2: New Gradebook. This update will be released on 16 August 2019 and is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, TA, External Examiner.

Summary

The New Gradebook will be available for all staff with permitting access from 16 August 2019. 

Change Benefit

This change is providing enhanced functionality and flexibility to improve the grading experience. All the existing Gradebook functionality will remain.

Overview of New Gradebook video

For further information regarding the New Gradebook and its features, please see the following link: The New Canvas Gradebook.

Other related guides for Instructors
· How do I use the New Gradebook?
· How do I use the icons and colors in the New Gradebook?
· How do I select a grade posting policy for a course in the New Gradebook?
· How do I select a grade posting policy for an assignment in the New Gradebook?

Update 3: Conferences - Breakout Rooms. This update will be released on 17 August 2019 and is available for all Canvas roles.

Summary

Canvas Conferences supports breakout rooms as conference groups.

Change Benefit

This feature allows instructors to place students into groups for team collaboration during a conference.

Affected User Roles & Behaviours

All Users

Moderators

Moderators can create breakout rooms for students to collaborate during a conference. Breakout rooms can be created at any time during the conference. A minimum of two breakout rooms are required, and the moderator can create up to 8 rooms. Breakout rooms can either be assigned by the moderator manually or randomly, or attendees can choose which breakout room to join.

Once created, breakout rooms are displayed as their own tab for the moderator to manage and join breakout rooms. If breakout rooms are created before attendees join the conference, invitations can be sent by the moderator for attendees to join a breakout room. Once a participant has joined a breakout room, the participant cannot be assigned to or join another breakout room.

Participants

When participants are invited to join a breakout room, a message displays inviting the user to join the breakout room. Breakout rooms are opened in a separate tab in the browser and display the remaining time for the breakout session at the top of the window. Once the breakout room time has concluded, the tab will close and return the participant to the main conference automatically.

For additional information about breakout rooms, please see the BigBlueButton Moderator/Presenter Video.

Other related guides for Instructors
· How do I create a conference in a course?
· How do I start a conference?
· How do I use the Conferences interface as a moderator or presenter?

Other related guides for Students
· How do I use Conferences in a course as a student?
· How do I use the Conferences interface as a participant?

Update 4: Conferences - Closed Captions. This update will be released on 17 August 2019 and is available for all Canvas roles.

Summary

Canvas Conferences supports live closed captioning.

Change Benefit

This feature allows a stenographer to join a conference as an observer and provide live captioning to attendees.

Affected User Roles & Behaviours

All Users

Moderators 

Moderators can set up a page for closed captions to be written during the conference. When selected, the interface asks for the selected language.

Once created, captions are created as their own tab for the user who will be managing captions. Captions can be typed into a window that displays captions to conference users who enable captioning in the interface. More than one language can be created for captioning if desired. Captions display as subtitles within recorded conferences.

Participants

When closed captions are created for a conference, the Conferences interface displays a closed captioning (CC) button. Users can select their own caption preferences including text and background color, font, and text size.

Typed captions by a moderator are included directly in the interface. Users can view and hide captions at any time.

For additional information about closed captioning, please see the Closed Captioning Overview Video

Other related guides for Instructors
· How do I create a conference in a course?
· How do I start a conference?
· How do I use the Conferences interface as a moderator or presenter?

Other related guides for Students
· How do I use Conferences in a course as a student?
· How do I use the Conferences interface as a participant?

Update 5: Conferences - VPAT Support. This update will be released on 17 August 2019 and is available for all Canvas roles.

Summary

Canvas Conferences (BigBlueButton) is WCAG 2.0 AA Accessible, with some exceptions. For additional information, please see the BigBlueButton Accessibility Page.

Change Benefit

This change verifies BigBlueButton strives to comply with government standards for accessibility for Canvas Conferences.

Update 6: Course Settings - Unsplash Course Card Image Search. This update will be released on 17 August 2019 and is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, TA and Course Designer.

Summary

The Flickr image search has been replaced by Unsplash.

Change Benefit

This change replaces Flickr with Unsplash, which offers high-quality, safe images for use as course card images.

Affected User Roles & Behaviours

Instructors

When an instructor uses images for course cards, Unsplash image search replaces the existing Flickr search functionality. The Flickr logo has been removed from the interface. Existing images imported from Flickr will not be affected.

Other related guides for Instructors
· How do I use course settings?

Other recent updates: Internet Explorer 11 Browser Support.

3rd August 2019: Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported as a Canvas browser. This update is available for all Canvas roles.

From 3 August 2019, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported as a Canvas browser. Internet Explorer was previously downgraded to a functionally supported browser in March 2018.

Since the release of Microsoft Edge, more customers have been switching to more modern browser technologies. Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 11 will ultimately be discontinued. Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows 10 machines.

Other related guides for Instructors and Students
· Which browsers does Canvas support?

Other recent updates: Canvas Integration - Turnitin LTI.

New Update: 15 August 2019: Canvas anonymous setting flow to Turnitin. This update is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher and Teaching Assistant.

New anonymous Turnitin assignments setup in Canvas will automatically setup a Turnitin assignment as anonymous. Previously the anonymous setting required to be checked in Turnitin as well as Canvas.

2 August 2019: Important event notifications. This update is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, Teaching Assistant and Course Designer.

In the Instructor assignment inbox, there is now a section entitled Notifications. Turnitin will only use this section to send notifications about any upcoming Turnitin maintenance periods or to provide any bulk download links when they are ready. To learn more, please have a look at this guide.

25 July 2019: Rubric descriptions are now available on assignment creation. This update is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, Teaching Assistant and Course Designer.

If a rubric has a description attached to it, Turnitin will now show the description on the assignment creation screen to help you select the most appropriate rubric for your assignment.

17th July 2019: New social studies short answer QuickMarks and rubric available now. This update is available for the following Canvas roles: Teacher, Teaching Assistant and Course Designer.

Turnitin has just released a new rubric and accompanying QuickMarks set for social studies short answer questions, entitled ‘Social Studies Short Answer’. Available in American and British English, these resources may make it easier for teachers to score and provide meaningful feedback on pieces of writing in which students are briefly defending a claim about or explaining a historical topic.

Other related Turnitin guides 
· Turnitin within Canvas – Staff Guide
· Important notes for Staff – Turnitin Assignments
· Turnitin within Canvas – Student Guide
· Full Turnitin LTI Release Notes