Canvas Updates – Canvas /canvas Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:48:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 Accessibility Enhancements in Canvas /canvas/2026/03/12/accessibility-enhancements-in-canvas/ /canvas/2026/03/12/accessibility-enhancements-in-canvas/#respond Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:36:07 +0000 /canvas/?p=813 YuJa Panorama has replaced Blackboard Ally as our accessibility platform in Canvas. Panorama is a tool designed to enhance the accessibility experience of both faculty and students. It automatically scans course materials (pages, files, images, etc.), provides accessibility scores and guidance on how to fix common issues such as document structure, image alt test, and color contrast. Panorama also generates alternative formats of course materials to support diverse learning needs, allowing both students and faculty access to content in formats such as audio, HTML, electronic braille and more. To learn more, register for our vendor-led workshop, on Wednesday, March 18 at 1pm! Additional ITDS-led workshops will be held in April!

]]> /canvas/2026/03/12/accessibility-enhancements-in-canvas/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2026/03/yuja-panorama-banner.png.4.2x.generic-300x150.jpg Canvas Updates: Enhanced Rubrics /canvas/2026/02/19/canvas-updates-enhanced-rubrics/ /canvas/2026/02/19/canvas-updates-enhanced-rubrics/#respond Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:42:27 +0000 /canvas/?p=804 in Canvas offers an improved, modern interface for grading and assessment, streamlining workflows and providing greater flexibility. This upgrade allows for better organization of rubrics across courses and supports student self-assessment.

Key features of Enhanced Rubrics include:

  • Flexible Building: Drag-and-drop criteria for easy rubric creation.
  • Data Management: CSV import and export capabilities.
  • Organization: A rubric archiving function.
  • Display Options: Three display modes—traditional, horizontal, and vertical.

Enhanced Rubrics is currently a Feature Option and needs to be enabled in each course. Go to Course Settings > Feature Options > Toggle Enhanced Rubrics to on.

]]> /canvas/2026/02/19/canvas-updates-enhanced-rubrics/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/05/Canvas-Logo.jpg.4.2x.generic-300x131.jpg New in Canvas:IgniteAI /canvas/2026/01/21/new-in-canvas-igniteai/ /canvas/2026/01/21/new-in-canvas-igniteai/#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:33:05 +0000 /canvas/?p=795
  • IgniteAI𲹰:AI-enhanced course search in Canvas that lets students and instructors find content using natural, “meaning-based” queries, not just exact keywords.
  • IgniteAITranslations (for Discussions and Announcements):allows faculty and students to translate Canvas text in place, supporting multilingual participation without leaving Canvas.
  • IgniteAITranslations (for Canvas Inbox):translates private Canvas Inbox messages in place, available for both faculty and students.
  • IgniteAISummaries for Discussions:lets an instructor generate a quickAI-written recap of a discussion thread right inside Canvas.
  • IgniteAIInsights for Discussions:usesAIto scan individual student replies and flag how relevant and substantive they are compared to the original prompt.
    Feature Preview (free through 6/30/2026 and may incur additional cost in the future)
  • IgniteAIGenerator for Rubrics:within an Assignment, instructors can generate a draft rubric based on the assignment description, then edit and refine it before publishing.Enhanced Rubricsmust be enabled to use this feature.
    Feature Preview (free through 6/30/2026 and may incur additional cost in the future)

    • TheseAIfeatures are made available in all Canvas courses starting Spring 2026. Faculty have the option to enable or disable these features in their own courses via Settings > Feature Options. With the exception of Translations for Canvas Inbox, all tools must be enabled by faculty on the course level if they opt in to use them. For assistance, please visitITDS’ CanvasIgnitewebsiteor contact ITDS atitds@montclair.edu.

    We encourage faculty to explore and use theseIgniteAItools this spring. Your experience will help guide our next steps. At the end of the Spring term, we’ll send a brief survey to gather your feedback on which features are most helpful and whether we should continue offering them moving forward.

    ]]>     /canvas/2026/01/21/new-in-canvas-igniteai/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2026/01/IgniteAI_Tile_c-300x157.png     Canvas Updates: Padlet Workspace is Moving /canvas/2025/12/18/canvas-updates-padlet-workspace-is-moving/ /canvas/2025/12/18/canvas-updates-padlet-workspace-is-moving/#respond Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:16:41 +0000 /canvas/?p=735 Padlet has announced improvements to Padlet Workplace. As part of these updates, Padlet will move from to on December 24, 2025. This change will not affect existing users’ ability to sign in or new users’ ability to register. After December 24, 2025, all existing Padlet links and embeds in Canvas will be automatically redirected to the new domain. No action is required on your part, and your data will not be affected by the migration.

    ]]>     /canvas/2025/12/18/canvas-updates-padlet-workspace-is-moving/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/05/Canvas-Logo.jpg.4.2x.generic-300x131.jpg     Canvas Updates: New Image Annotation Feature Available for PDFs in Hypothesis /canvas/2025/10/30/canvas-updates-new-image-annotation-feature-available-for-pdfs-in-hypothesis/ /canvas/2025/10/30/canvas-updates-new-image-annotation-feature-available-for-pdfs-in-hypothesis/#respond Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:57:23 +0000 /canvas/?p=719 Hypothesis now supports in online PDFs (native and scanned), allowing faculty and students to comment directly on images when using Hypothes.is. With the new image annotation feature, users can place pins or selection rectangles on specific parts of images—just like highlighting text. These pins and/or rectangles connect directly to annotations in the Hypothesis sidebar, enabling focused discussions on visual elements like data points, diagrams, or scanned handwriting.

    is a collaborative web annotation tool that allows users to annotate digital text and now images. It is available for faculty to use in every Canvas course. More information can be found by viewing this or exploring the .

    Note: Although the initial release of the image annotation feature is limited to PDF documents only, support for other document types will be added soon.

    ]]>     /canvas/2025/10/30/canvas-updates-new-image-annotation-feature-available-for-pdfs-in-hypothesis/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/05/Canvas-Logo.jpg.4.2x.generic-300x131.jpg     Canvas Updates for Summer 2025 /canvas/2025/07/16/canvas-updates-for-summer-2025/ /canvas/2025/07/16/canvas-updates-for-summer-2025/#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:04:47 +0000 /canvas/?p=673
    The Files page now features a cleaner, more intuitive interface that simplifies file organization and management. Improvements like pagination, sorting, and streamlined selection tools enhance usability, especially for users working with large file sets. A temporary button allows users to switch between the new and original interface.


    On June 18, 2025, Instructure added a new feature to New Quizzes which allows instructors to “Disable Document Uploads”. When the “Disable Document Uploads” quiz setting is enabled, students are restricted from using the Insert Media and Insert Document option in the Rich Content Editor. This feature helps maintain quiz integrity by preventing file uploads and ensuring consistent, text-based responses.


    Canvas offers several built-in analytics, statistics, and reporting tools that allow instructors to access data about their courses. This data can help inform the ongoing course design process. The original analytics tool, Legacy Course Analytics, will be removed on July 19, 2025. This change simplifies the analytics experience and encourages adoption of, which offers enhanced insights and improved functionality.

    ]]>     /canvas/2025/07/16/canvas-updates-for-summer-2025/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/05/Canvas-Logo.jpg.4.2x.generic-300x131.jpg     Canvas Updates: Discussions Feature Settings /canvas/2025/03/05/canvas-updates-discussions-feature-settings/ /canvas/2025/03/05/canvas-updates-discussions-feature-settings/#respond Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:18:32 +0000 /canvas/?p=624 Instructors will now be able to configure the default view settings, when creating or editing a discussion. This includes thread collapse/expansion and sorting options for students, with the ability to lock these preferences if needed. This feature allows instructors to structure discussions in a way that aligns with their teaching approach, guiding student engagement and interaction.

    Visit the to learn more!

    Canvas discussion updates graphic

    Instructors can configure the default discussion view by setting the default thread state [1] and optionally locking it for students [2].

    They can also define the default sort order [3] and choose to lock it [4] if needed.

     

     

     

    ]]>     /canvas/2025/03/05/canvas-updates-discussions-feature-settings/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/06/canvas-logo-narrow-300x54.jpg     Canvas Updates: New Auto-Grading Feature Available for Hypothesis /canvas/2024/12/09/canvas-updates-new-auto-grading-feature-available-for-hypothesis/ /canvas/2024/12/09/canvas-updates-new-auto-grading-feature-available-for-hypothesis/#respond Mon, 09 Dec 2024 14:55:15 +0000 /canvas/?p=531 Faculty can now set up auto grading in a new assignment or an existing one when using Hypothes.is. The feature will synchronize with the Canvas Gradebook for a smoother grading process. Hypothes.is already works with the Canvas SpeedGrader and this much anticipated auto grading element is a significant enhancement.

    is a collaborative web annotation tool that allows users to annotate digital text. It is available for faculty to use in every Canvas course.

    More information can be found by viewing this or perusing the .

    ]]>     /canvas/2024/12/09/canvas-updates-new-auto-grading-feature-available-for-hypothesis/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/06/canvas-logo-narrow-300x54.jpg     Canvas Updates: Lucid Integration /canvas/2024/11/25/canvas-updates-lucid-integration/ /canvas/2024/11/25/canvas-updates-lucid-integration/#respond Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:51:07 +0000 /canvas/?p=525 Lucidfor Educationis now available to all Canvas users.Lucidfor Educationis a suite of two visual applications: Lucidspark and Lucidchart. Use Lucidspark for free-form whiteboard activities such as mind mapping, brainstorming, or collaboration. Leverage Lucidchart for detailed, structured diagramming activities such as flowcharts.Luciddocuments can be created by Canvas users, students can be assignedLucidactivities in Canvas, and classes can collaborate on aLuciddocument together. Visit ourwebsiteto learn more about how to accessLucidfor Education, activate your account, and create/shareLuciddocuments. Additionally, consider registering for a.

    ]]>     /canvas/2024/11/25/canvas-updates-lucid-integration/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2023/03/Canvas-Logo-300x131.jpg     Canvas Updates the “Assign To” Feature /canvas/2024/10/23/canvas-updates-to-assign-to-feature/ /canvas/2024/10/23/canvas-updates-to-assign-to-feature/#respond Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:32:02 +0000 /canvas/?p=514 Canvas has released enhancements to the “Assign To” feature which include an additional “Add” button to the top of the “Assign To” tray and the top of the “Assign To” list for Assignments, Discussions, Pages and Quizzes Edit/Create pages.

    This update allows instructors to provide more detailed and formatted feedback to students by emphasizing key points, organizing information clearly, and including external resources directly in their comments. This enhanced feedback improves communication, making it easier for students to understand the feedback and take action on it.

    Review the summaries and comprehensive release notes for more information on these items by visiting Instructure’s.

    ]]>     /canvas/2024/10/23/canvas-updates-to-assign-to-feature/feed/ 0 /canvas/wp-content/uploads/sites/260/2024/06/canvas-logo-narrow-300x54.jpg