Canvas operates on a monthly release cycle through which features are added or updated. Courseware Support posts highlights from Canvas’s production release notes, a link to these notes, and other relevant content to the Canvas at Penn a few days before the production release, which usually occurs on Saturdays. Please contact Courseware Support at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu if you have any questions about an upcoming production release.
October 16, 2021 Production Release Highlights
- Sticky Navigation Menus: The Account, Course, and User Navigation Menus remain sticky and always visible. When a long page is scrolled, the respective menu is retained in the sidebar. If the navigation menu is longer than the height of the screen, the menu can also be scrolled to view all menu links.
- Submission Status Label Edits (SpeedGrader):Submission status labels can be edited directly in SpeedGrader, the same way as in the Gradebook. Adjusting a status in SpeedGrader also applies to the Gradebook.
- Assignment Search (Gradebook): The Gradebook includes two search fields: one for student names, and one for assignment names. Using the Assignment search field displays any search results that match an assignment in the course.
- Course Notification Customization: The Notifications page includes account and course-level notification preferences. If a user has any active course enrollments, the menu displays the name of each course. Users can navigate between their courses and set specific notification options for each course.
Additional Notes
- Accessibility Checker Indicator (RCE): The default setting for the Rich Content Editor Accessibility Checker Indicator feature preview will be changed to On and Unlocked. The Accessibility Checker Notification displays an indicator when accessibility concerns are detected in the Rich Content Editor without needing to open the Accessibility Checker.
- New Quizzes was enabled for all Penn users on October 1, 2021. Instructors and TAs now have the option to select either Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes for their assessments. New Quizzes will eventually replace Classic Quizzes as the default quiz engine. Classic Quizzes can be used in Canvas courses until July 2022 when New Quizzes will be the only assessment option.