Updates, changes, and/or new features native to Canvas (not LTIs); broadly applicable Canvas info and announcements.
We have now enabled Enhanced Rubrics, as mentioned in our blog post from July 30.
The new enhancements bring an updated user interface that allows for easier creation, streamlined management across courses, and new display options for Instructors.
Please review Adding Rubrics on the Creating Assignments page for guidance that includes these changes.
Questions? Email canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.
Starting on August 17, 2026, you will notice a change to the layout and capabilities of the Rubrics area in Canvas as we upgrade to Enhanced Rubrics. Current rubrics for your courses will appear in this new layout with no additional action on your part. The classic version of Rubrics will no longer be available.
Enhanced Rubrics bring an updated user interface that allows for easier creation, streamlined management across courses, and new display options for Instructors. The view and experience will remain essentially unchanged for students.
Please see Rubric Management to view a step-by-step video on the new features as well as how to create an enhanced rubric from scratch.
For assistance with enhanced rubrics, contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.
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.
Notebook- Student With this feature option enabled, students can highlight text on Pages directly within their course content. They can mark content as Unclear or Important, add notes, and manage their entries from a dedicated Notebook page in Course Navigation. Notes will only be accessible to the student as long as they have access to the course, and they cannot be exported. The feature is only available on Pages and will not work on embedded content such as PDFs or Word documents.
For more details, please see the release notes. This feature will be enforced for all users on August 15, 2026.
The feature above is currently opt-in. Local Service Providers (LSPs) should contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu to enable this feature in their subaccounts. Instructors should contact their LSP to see if the feature is available for their courses.
Canvas Production Release Notes: July 18, 2026
We have now enabled Performance and Usability Upgrades for SpeedGrader, as mentioned in our blog post from June 16.
The new enhancements include an updated drop down menu for sections, refreshed states for “No Submission” and “Empty Course,” alignment with the grade status selector, consistency with rubric display, and improved comment attachment workflow.
Please review Using SpeedGrader for guidance that includes these changes.
Questions? Email canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.
Performance and Usability Upgrades for SpeedGrader will be enabled at Penn on July 2.
Most of the changes are minor, with minimal tweaks to grading workflow and the look and feel of the feature.
These enhancements include:
On July 2, our Using SpeedGrader guide will be updated. For more details, please read the vendor’s documentation. We will post again when the feature goes live.
If you have any questions, please email us at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.
The Courseware Team is resharing the message below from Russ Composto, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, Vice Provost for Graduate Education:
“As of this morning, access to Canvas was restored for the Penn community. We ask that all instructors consider the following:
Instructors are encouraged to be proactive in communicating with their students about any impacts of the Canvas disruption on their courses and contact their schools with any questions.”
UPDATE: As of 8am Penn Canvas is accessible again. Please report any continuing issues to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu
UPDATE: As of 7:14 am Penn Canvas is still inaccessible this morning due to problems with authentication. We are working with ISC and Instructure to resolve this as soon as soon as possible.
UPDATE – This issue is still ongoing as of 12am on Friday May 8. We will provide an update once service is restored.
Canvas is currently down across many institutions. This issue is not limited to Penn.
Our team has notified the Canvas vendor, Instructure, and they are working to restore functionality.
Please visit CETLI’s Resources for Teaching During a Canvas Disruption for solutions to continue teaching during this time.
We will let you know once service is restored, and we apologize for the inconvenience. To check for updates, visit https://status.instructure.com/.
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 Canvas Info @ 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.
The feature above is currently opt-in. Local Service Providers (LSPs) should contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu to enable this feature in their subaccounts. Instructors should contact their LSP to see if the feature is available for their courses.
Canvas Production Release Notes: April 18, 2026
The ePortfolios (Legacy) tool is being discontinued on June 30, 2026. All ePortfolios will be permanently deleted on that date.
Please direct questions to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu
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 Canvas Info @ 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.
New Quizzes is currently an opt-in feature. Contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu if you’re interested in enabling it.
Canvas Production Release Notes: March 21, 2026.
