Canvas operates on a three-week 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.
5/13/17 Production Release Highlights:
- Dashboard Color Overlay: The “Dashboard Settings” drop-down menu allows users to switch between two views: “Recent Activity” and “Course Cards.” When “Course Cards” is selected, users also have the option to remove the color overlay from any course cards that include an image. Like all Dashboard options, this feature allows users to view course cards in the Dashboard according to their personal preference. Dashboard features cannot be enabled for an entire institution. The “Course Cards” view displays the color overlay option by default. When a user chooses to remove the color overlay option, the transparent course color is removed from any course card that contains an image. However, the color of the course card displays as a circle behind the card’s “More Options” icon.
- Front Page Individual Setting: In an individual page, the page settings menu supports the “Use as Front Page” option. This update allows a front page to be set from any individual page. A page can still be set as the front page by opening the “Pages Index” Page and selecting the page’s settings menu.
- Section End Date and Past Enrollments: In the “Courses” list, the “Past Enrollment” section displays courses with section end dates. This change aligns functionality with the end date in “Course Settings,” which was updated in the April 1st release. Previously, sections with override dates were only considered to be concluded if the end date accompanied the Users can only participate in the course between these dates (or Users participation) checkbox.
- Student Context Cards: Student context cards provide insights and context about the student. Context cards are meant to be a simplified overview of a student’s progress. The context is generated from grades in the Gradebook and standard “Page Views” and “Participation” activity in course analytics. Mobile data is not included unless a user accesses Canvas directly through a mobile browser, or if a user accesses content within the mobile app that redirects to a mobile browser. For more information, please see: How do I view a context card for a student in a course?
For a complete production release update, please see:
Canvas Production Release Notes: May 13, 2017
2017-05-13 New Feature Screencast from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.
View the script for this video.
Canvas operates on a three-week 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.
5/13/17 Production Release Highlights:
- Dashboard Color Overlay: The “Dashboard Settings” drop-down menu allows users to switch between two views: “Recent Activity” and “Course Cards.” When “Course Cards” is selected, users also have the option to remove the color overlay from any course cards that include an image. Like all Dashboard options, this feature allows users to view course cards in the Dashboard according to their personal preference. Dashboard features cannot be enabled for an entire institution. The “Course Cards” view displays the color overlay option by default. When a user chooses to remove the color overlay option, the transparent course color is removed from any course card that contains an image. However, the color of the course card displays as a circle behind the card’s “More Options” icon.
- Front Page Individual Setting: In an individual page, the page settings menu supports the “Use as Front Page” option. This update allows a front page to be set from any individual page. A page can still be set as the front page by opening the “Pages Index” Page and selecting the page’s settings menu.
- Section End Date and Past Enrollments: In the “Courses” list, the “Past Enrollment” section displays courses with section end dates. This change aligns functionality with the end date in “Course Settings,” which was updated in the April 1st release. Previously, sections with override dates were only considered to be concluded if the end date accompanied the Users can only participate in the course between these dates (or Users participation) checkbox.
- Student Context Cards: Student context cards provide insights and context about the student. Context cards are meant to be a simplified overview of a student’s progress. The context is generated from grades in the Gradebook and standard “Page Views” and “Participation” activity in course analytics. Mobile data is not included unless a user accesses Canvas directly through a mobile browser, or if a user accesses content within the mobile app that redirects to a mobile browser. For more information, please see: How do I view a context card for a student in a course?
For a complete production release update, please see:
Canvas Production Release Notes: May 13, 2017
2017-05-13 New Feature Screencast from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.
View the script for this video.
Last Updated: 24 Jan 2019