Canvas Updates

Whether it's fixing glitches or adding new tools like the accessibility checker, Canvas is constantly seeking ways to improve as an online learning management system. The Canvas Community produces frequent Release Notes that contain details on these updates, and we want you to know about how Canvas changes may affect and help you.

Following is a brief overview of recent Canvas Release Notes, with information from the Canvas Community; if you have any questions, please contact us

Next release: May 12, 2018

Updates for April 21, 2018

  • In Canvas's Conferences tool, instructors now have the ability to delete individual concluded conferences. These concluded conferences also show the date and time at which they concluded below their title on the Conferences page. 
  • In Canvas's Rich Content Editor, a word counter appears at the bottom right of the text window. 

To view more, see Release Notes or the Canvas Community's Screencast (below) concerning these updates.

Updates for March 31, 2018

  • Internet Explorer has transitioned from being a fully supported browser to a functionally supported browser. In other words, this browser can be used only in Windows, and Canvas in Internet Explorer may appear differently over time, but it will still work with Canvas. 
  • For those who use Learning Outcomes, outcomes can be imported into a course using a CSV file. For more on outcomes, visit Canvas Communities
  • In Speedgrader, you now have the ability to add comments to a student's assignment. 

Image of buttons to the upper right of a student assignment in the Speedgrader

From left to right, available options for making marks on a student assignment are:

  1. Selection allows you to select text and other annotations you have made
  2. Point annotation allows you to select a point within an assignment and then leave a comment
  3. Highlight annotation allows you to highlight text within an assignment 
  4. Freetext annotation allows you to click on any part of the project and type comments within a textbox
  5. Strikeout annotation allows you to draw a line through text by clicking and dragging across a word
  6. Free draw annotation allows you to draw on a student's assignment
  7. Area annotation allows you to create a box around an area, and leave a comment

Numbers 2 through 7 on the above list allow for you to customize markings with color, size, and more! When you are adding or clicking on an annotation, a trash can icon will appear in the annotation's edit window. This allows you to delete any annotation.

To view more, see Release Notes or the Canvas Community's Screencast (below) concerning these updates.