2018 Release Notes

Canvas Tutorials2018 Release Notes

Getting Started Module

2018 Releases Notes

December 8, 2018 Links to an external site.

Course Settings, Navigation Home Link Menu Removal - In the Navigation page, the Home link does not include a Settings menu. This change aligns consistency with intended functionality of keeping the Home link at the top of the Course Navigation Menu.
Dashboard, Card View Course Ordering - Course cards can be manually ordered in the Card View Dashboard. This change allows users to place course cards in a specific order.
Rich Content Editor, HTML5 Media Recorder - HTML5 is used instead of flash within the Rich Content Editor in Firefox and Chrome browsers. This change allows recorded media without requiring flash within the Firefox and Chrome browsers. Internet Explorer and Safari are not supported.
SpeedGrader, Anonymous Moderated Marking Audit Trail - SpeedGrader can display an audit log that records all changes that affect an assignment submission. This change allows users with the auditing permission to verify how grades were awarded and how changes were made.

November 17, 2018 Links to an external site.

Commons, Favorite Content - Content can be marked as a favorite resource. This feature replaces the 5-star rating system in Commons. Favorited content displays the favorite icon in the content card.
Moderated Grading, Learning Mastery Gradebook Outcomes Display - Learning outcome results are displayed in the Learning Mastery Gradebook after grades have been posted for a moderated assignment.
New Gradebook, Anonymous Assignment Disabled Sort Column - Anonymous assignments cannot be sorted in the New Gradebook.
Rich Content Editor, Embedded Image File Uploads - Users can directly upload a file to embed in the Rich Content Editor.

October 27, 2018 Links to an external site.

Analytics Beta LTI - Analytics Beta is an LTI tool that provides improved analytics for tracking student data using an interactive chart or table. Analytics Beta will eventually replace current course and account analytics. However, Analytics Beta and the current course Analytics functionality can be used concurrently. Analytics Beta LTI will be added to all production environments on Monday, October 29.
Commons, Approved Content - Content uploaded to Canvas can be approved by account admins or curators. Approved content is indicated by a banner and image, both of which can be customized by an administrator.
Commons, Curator Permission - Admins can add users as content curators in Commons. Curators and admins can mark resources in Commons as approved.
Commons, Default Search Filters - Admins can configure default search filters in Commons. Search settings include showing only approved content and filtering content based on grade/level or publicity settings.
Dashboard, List View Dashboard Calendar Event View - In the List View Dashboard, the link for an event displays a summary window that includes the event date, location, and event details.
Dashboard, List View Dashboard Grades Link Update - In the Grades menu, the course link directs to the Grades page instead of the home page.
Dashboard, Student Dashboard Sidebar Updates - In the Card View and Recent Activity Dashboard sidebars and the Course Home Page sidebar, the Coming Up section has been removed for students. The To Do list displays up to seven items instead of five, and items may be included that are due more than two weeks in advance.
Gradebook History Anonymity - Student names do not display in the Gradebook History if an assignment was graded anonymously.
Moderated Grading, SpeedGrader Maximum Grader Access - (Feature option) Graders can access SpeedGrader in a read-only state after the maximum number of graders for a moderated assignment has been reached.
New Gradebook, SIS ID Filter - The New Gradebook search filter supports searching by SIS ID.
Rich Content Editor, HTML5 Media Recorder - HTML5 can be used instead of flash within the Rich Content Editor in Firefox and Chrome browsers.
Dashboard Pages Icon Update - The Pages icon has been updated in the List View Dashboard and the To Do List sidebar in the Card View and Recent Activity Dashboards.
Student Context Cards, Profile Initials - Student Context Cards displays profile initials for students without profile pictures. Initials are based on the first name and last name of the student’s display name.

October 6, 2018 Links to an external site.

(This will be released on October 27) Analytics 2 - This will be released on October 27. See Canvas Release: Analytics Beta (Course Grade Links to an external site.) for details. After October 8 instructors can login to beta to check out Analytics 2. Please note the new Analytics 2 will be course navigation item that is by default hidden. Review the following guides on how to access the beta instance and make analytics 2 available in a course.
- How do I access the Canvas beta environment as an instructor? Links to an external site.
- How do I manage Course Navigation links? Links to an external site.
Account Settings, Anonymous Instructor Annotations Feature Option - Instructors can choose to turn on this feature in the course settings.
Dashboard, List View Dashboard Dismissed Alerts (Students only) - In the List View Dashboard, the Alerts Menu displays both new and dismissed opportunities.
Dashboard, List View Dashboard Peer Review Items (Students only) - Peer Review assignments are included as to-do items in the List View Dashboard.
Discussions, Section-Specific Discussions Workflow Update - The Discussion Details page includes an updated workflow for section-specific discussions.
DocViewer, Document Rotation - DocViewer supports manual image and document rotation. Files that are viewable in DocViewer can be manually rotated in DocViewer using the Rotation button. Rotation is available on a per-page basis in documents with multiple pages.
Grades, Non-Scoring Rubrics Feature Option Enforcement - The Non-Scoring Rubrics feature option has been enabled for all Canvas institutions and applies to all users. This feature allows rubrics to be created without point values. Additionally, improvements have been made to the Learning Mastery Gradebook and Student Learning Mastery Gradebook interfaces for a simplified user experience.
Languages, Right-to-Left Language Support Enforcement - The Right-to-Left language feature option has been enforced for all Canvas accounts.
Outcomes, Student Learning Mastery Gradebook Unassessed Aligned Outcome Items - The Student Learning Mastery Gradebook displays alignments for assessed and unassessed alignments.
Rich Content Editor, Mark Text Element - The Rich Content Editor supports the mark text element.
SpeedGrader, Anonymous Grading SpeedGrader Options - Assignments that have enabled anonymous grading as part of the assignment settings do not display the SpeedGrader settings option to hide student names.
User Navigation, Profile Initials - The User Navigation Menu displays user profile initials for users without profile pictures.

September 15, 2018 Links to an external site.

Design Tools September Release Notes - There are new improvements in Design Tools.
Conferences, WebRTC Web Screen Share - Conferences supports WebRTC (web real-time communication) screen sharing for presenters in Chrome and Firefox desktop browsers. Internet Explorer and Edge browsers are currently not supported.
Assignments, Bulk Select Final Moderated Grades - This feature is part of the moderating grading feature option that must be enabled in a course. If an individual student’s submission has only been graded by one grader, the moderator can select all the grades from that grader as final grades.
Moderated Student Name SpeedGrader Links - This feature is part of the moderating grading feature option that must be enabled in a course. In the Moderation page, student names are linked to their submissions in SpeedGrader.
DocViewer, Anonymous Grading Annotated Comments - This feature is part of the anonymous grading feature option that must be enabled in a course. DocViewer supports annotated comments in anonymously graded assignments.
Gradebook, CSV Import Custom Column Support - Gradebook CSV import files support updates for custom columns.
Learning Mastery Gradebook, User Pagination - This feature is part of the Learning Mastery Gradebook feature option that must be enabled in a course. The Learning Mastery Gradebook supports user pagination. Filtered outcomes and student results are also paginated.
New Gradebook, Integration ID Secondary Info Option - This feature is part of the new Gradebook feature option that must be enabled in a course. In the Student Name menu, the Secondary Info column can be filtered by integration ID.
New Gradebook and SpeedGrader Section Filtering - This feature is part of the new Gradebook feature option that must be enabled in a course. New Gradebook section filtering is synced with SpeedGrader. Note: This only affects cross-listed courses.
People, Profiles Last Attended Date - In a student’s Profile page, instructors can note the date that a student last attended in the course.
SpeedGrader, Submission Comments PDF Export - The SpeedGrader sidebar includes a link to export submission comments as a PDF when the assignment is visible to students. This functionality is not supported for anonymous assignments until the assignment is unmuted.
Moderated Grading Rubric Review - This feature is part of the moderating grading feature option that must be enabled in a course. SpeedGrader displays all assessed rubrics to moderators. This change allows moderators to view and compare rubrics scored by different graders, especially if free-form comments are enabled.
Calendar and Dashboard, Default Course Color Values - The default course color hex values have been updated to display a color contrast of 3:1 for the default Canvas interface. This change improves color contrast in the Canvas interface.

August 25, 2018 Links to an external site.

Design Tools September Release Notes - There are new improvements in Design Tools.
Calendar, Scheduler External Feed Appointment Details - For instructors using the Scheduler tool in the Calendar, the Calendar Feed link includes Scheduler appointment details in the calendar feed export. Appointment details include scheduled student appointments, the associated course, and any student comments.
Dashboard, List View and Mark as Done Module Requirements - The Mark as Done module requirement synchronizes with the student Dashboard List View and Card View to-do list to automatically complete items that have been marked as done.
Gradebook, Learning Mastery Gradebook Filter Options - The Learning Mastery Gradebook includes filters to hide outcomes with no results and hide students with no results. Selected filters persist for the course within the same browser. Note: The Learning Master Gradebook is a feature option in a course.
Grades, Student Learning Mastery Gradebook Outcome Icons - In the Learning Mastery Gradebook, outcomes include an information icon that display details about the outcome including last assessment, calculation method, and mastery level (if applicable). Please note this is also feature option in a course and is used in conjunction Learning Mastery Gradebook.
SpeedGrader, Anonymous Assignment Hidden Submission Details - When an assignment is anonymous, SpeedGrader does not display submission details until after the assignment is unmuted. Please note the anonymous feature is feature option that must be turned on a course before it will display in the assignment settings.

August 4, 2018 Links to an external site.

InstCon18 Product Announcements Links to an external site.- Release notes from InstructureCon.
Dashboard, Student To Do List View (Student view only) Links to an external site. - The Dashboard includes an option to view all course tasks in a list format. This view is currently only available to students. In addition to displaying automatically populated graded To Do items, the List view allows instructors to add non-graded items to the To Do list and students to add their own items to the To Do items. See How to Add Content to Student List View page for more details.
Calendar, New Scheduler Workflow Enforcement - The New Scheduler feature option has been enabled for all institutions currently using the Scheduler feature in the Calendar. Institutions using Scheduler view an updated Scheduler interface with improved functionality. Institutions not using the Scheduler will not be affected. Note: This was enabled last spring. See Using the Calendar as an Instructor and Using the Calendar as a Student
DocViewer, Stacking Replies - Comment replies are stacked together and can be expanded to view the entire comment thread. See Grading Assignments for more details.
New Gradebook, Minimum Column Width Change - New Gradebook assignment columns support a minimum width of 10 px. See Details on the New Gradebook for more details on the new gradebook.
Rich Content Editor, Longdesc Whitelist - The Rich Content Editor supports the longdesc attribute for image HTML element. This attribute supports image URLs that direct to a detailed description of an image.
SpeedGrader, Moderated Grading Excused Assignment Exemptions - Only final graders can excuse students from assignments in SpeedGrader. Please note moderating grading is feature option that must be turn on in a course.
Assignments, New Quizzes (Quizzes.Next) Beta Label Removal - The beta label has been removed from the Quiz/Test button in the Assignments page. Please note Quizzes.Next has not been enabled in the Lake Land College instance. See New Quiz Tool Overview page for details on new quiz feature.

July 14, 2018 Links to an external site.

Assignments, Anonymous Moderated Grading - The current anonymous and moderated grading features have been updated to provide improved assignment flexibility with fully anonymized, multiple grader anonymity, and moderated options. Additionally, moderated grading has been simplified for a better user experience. More information can be found here, Canvas Release: Anonymous Moderated Grading Links to an external site..
Grades, Non-Scoring Rubrics - Rubrics can be created without point values to create a non-scoring rubric. This feature promotes learning engagement by helping students focus on assignment feedback instead of point values. Additionally, improvements have been made to the Learning Mastery Gradebook and Student Learning Mastery Gradebook interfaces for a simplified user experience. More information can be found here, Canvas Release: Non-Scoring Rubrics Links to an external site..
Canvas Commons, Grade/Level Search Filter Design Update - In Canvas Commons, the Grade/Level search filter includes an updated design using checkboxes to filter search results. This change allows users to select specific grade levels when searching for resources in Commons and provides improved accessibility for all users.
Pages, Wiki Terminology Update - To ensure additional consistency throughout Canvas, Pages terminology has been changed from wiki to page(s) in the following locations: Content menus (e.g. Modules), Page titles, Email notifications, Rich Content Editor sidebar.
SpeedGrader, Menu Icon Changes - In the SpeedGrader menu, the Keyboard shortcuts and Help links have been moved to the Settings menu. This change helps consolidate icons in the menu and provide more space for assignment information.
DocViewer, Single Page Comments - DocViewer comments have been updated to improve comment usability and management. Comments remain on the same page as the annotation. If there are too many comments to display, comments near the top or bottom of the page are automatically hidden, and comments become scrollable within the page. An indicator shows how many comments are hidden on the page.

June 23, 2018 Links to an external site.

Calendar, Event Duplication - When calendar event details are added through the More Options button, the calendar edit page displays the Duplicate checkbox. Like other items duplicated in Canvas, duplicated events are independent from each other, and once created, must be managed individually.
Discussions, Courses Page Design Updates & Section-Specific Discussions - The Discussions page includes an updated design to improve accessibility for all users. Most functionality has not been affected. Additionally, when creating a non-graded discussion, instructors can create section-specific discussions in their courses for all sections, one section, or multiple sections.
Modules, Modules Duplication - Entire modules can be duplicated within a course. The duplication option is located in the Settings menu for every supported module item. When a module is copied, the word Copy is added to the end of the module name. Note: If a module has a linked quiz, the quiz will not be duplicated.
New Gradebook, Grade Detail Tray Access Button - In the New Gradebook, the Grade Detail Tray can be accessed in concluded enrollment as well as assignments in closed grading periods. This change allows instructors to more easily view grade details regardless of assignment or enrollment type. The Grade Detail Tray always displays a message for assignments in closed grading periods or if an enrollment has been concluded. These grades are still displayed to instructors as read only and cannot be modified.

June 3, 2018 Links to an external site.

Discussions, Courses Page Design Updates - This feature update was originally introduced to the beta environment in the Canvas Beta Release Notes (2018-04-09) Links to an external site.. The Discussions page includes an updated design to improve accessibility for all users. Most functionality has not been affected. Additionally, when creating a non-graded discussion, instructors can create section-specific discussions in their courses for all sections, one section, or multiple sections.
DocViewer, Image Support - DocViewer annotations can be added to BMP, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, and TIFF images in SpeedGrader and the Submission Details page. Large images are scaled to a lower resolution so the entire image can be displayed without having to scroll.
DocViewer, Instructor Annotation Management - Instructors can delete any annotations or comments for any user. This change allows instructors to remove annotations or comments that may be inappropriate or incorrect within a document. Any custom role based on the instructor permission can also delete annotations, as well as any admin. When a user with annotation management permissions deletes a user’s annotation or comment, the annotation or comment is deleted from view for all users except for the owner of the annotation or comment. The owner can retain the deleted items or remove them by clicking the Remove icon. Deleted comments still support replies.
DocViewer, Non-Author Annotation Comments - Users can comment on annotations if they are not the author of the annotation. This change allows any user to comment on annotations made by another user if a comment does not already exist.
DocViewer, Comment Truncation - Comments are truncated if they are longer than five lines long. Previously comments were truncated after one line. When a comment is selected directly, the full content of the comment all lines of content.
DocViewer, Comment Display Order - Comments always align with their associated annotations. This change resolves a fixed bug in Canvas. When multiple comments existed in a document and a user clicked a comment, comments did not align with their associated annotation and instead rearranged with the most recent comment at the top of the page. Canvas code has been updated to retain vertical order of all comments. so that when the student views them, comments appear in the same order as the parts of the text to which they apply.
DocViewer, Comment Padding - Comment padding has been decreased in each comment box. This change contributes to continual improvements being made to the commenting experience.
User Settings, Gradebook CSV Separator Preferences - Users can select how they want to view separators in Gradebook Export CSV files, depending on their locale or user preference. Instructors can enable these feature options in User Settings.
Outcomes, Import Error and Warning Functionality Clarification - Imported outcome errors and warnings are more distinctive through clarified functionality. This change helps admins and instructors more clearly understand if import behavior is considered an error or a warning.
Rich Content Editor, Sidebar Course Navigation Link Name Consistency - In the Rich Content Editor sidebar, the Links tab Course Navigation section reflects the same name as displayed in Course Navigation. This change helps align terminology consistency throughout Canvas.
Rubrics, Account and Course Order - When a rubric is added to an assignment, the Find Rubrics window displays account and course names alphabetically. Previously the account and course names did not display in any specific order.

May 12, 2018 Links to an external site.

Announcements, Comment Setting Persistence - When users are allowed to comment in announcements in a course, the Allow Users to Comment option is persistent and displays the same option set in the previous announcement. This change assists instructors so they don’t have to change the comment option for each announcement they create.
DocViewer, Comment Group Order - Comment groups retain vertical order when an annotation is clicked. Previously groups could be displayed in any order according to the annotation being viewed.
DocViewer, Comment Padding - Comment padding has been decreased in each comment box. This change contributes to continual improvements being made to the commenting experience.
DocViewer, Instructor Annotation Management - Instructors can delete any annotations or comments for any user. This change allows instructors to remove annotations or comments that may be inappropriate or incorrect within a document. Any custom role based on the instructor permission can also delete annotations, as well as any admin.

April 21, 2018 Links to an external site.

Conferences, Individual Recording Deletion- Conference recordings can be individually deleted. Previously, only the entire conference could be deleted, which would also remove all conference recordings. This change helps instructors who manage long-running conferences and create multiple recordings. Additionally, concluded conferences display the date and time the conference was concluded.
Discussions, Courses Page Design Updates (Removed from production release notes)- The Discussions page includes an updated design to improve accessibility for all users. Most functionality has not been affected. Please review the release notes Links to an external site. for all the details on changes.
Discussions, Section-Specific Discussions (Removed from production release notes) - When creating a non-graded discussion, instructors can create section-specific discussions in their courses for all sections, one section, or multiple sections. Please note semester courses only have one section.
Rich Content Editor, Inline Preview Document Height- When an auto-open inline preview file link is displayed in a Rich Content Editor browser window, the preview expands to a default height of 800px and displays the full file preview. Previously the preview only expanded to a default height of 400px.
Rich Content Editor, Word Counter- The Rich Content Editor displays a word counter within the editor browser window. This change can help users know how many words they have typed in a discussion, page, assignment text entry, or other content location where the Rich Content Editor is supported.
SpeedGrader, Outcomes Extra Credit- When an instructor grades a submission in SpeedGrader and uses a rubric for grading that includes outcomes, outcomes support excess points above the maximum point value. This change allows instructors to provide extra credit and award more points than allowed by the outcome.

March 31, 2018 Links to an external site.

Outcomes, Bulk Import- Outcomes can be imported for an account or course using a CSV file. This feature allows users to manage a large number of outcomes and import them at the same time.
Outcomes, CSV Import- Outcomes can be imported in the Outcomes page by any user with permission to manage learning outcomes. This permission is available for both account and course roles.
Outcome Edit Functionality- Outcome edits are updated in outcomes for both assessed and unassessed rubrics. Updates include text (title, label, description), ratings, calculation, and mastery points.
Unassessed Rubric Confirmation- When the outcome has not yet been used to assess a student, saving the outcome displays a confirmation message noting that the outcome edits will apply to all rubrics that have not yet been assessed. This confirmation also displays for any rubric that is only aligned with one assignment.
Unassessed Rubric with No Confirmation- If a confirmation message does not display for an outcome, the outcome is in a rubric that is associated with more than one assignment. Although the outcome can still be edited, edits will not be updated for that rubric.
Assessed Rubric Confirmation- When the outcome is associated with an assessed rubric, the outcome displays a message above the Edit button, noting that the outcome has been used to assess a student.
Manage Rubrics Button Update- The Manage Rubrics button displays directly in the Outcomes page. Previously, the Manage Rubrics button could be viewed by clicking the Options menu icon, which has been removed from the page.
DocViewer, Non-Author Annotation Comments- Users can comment on annotations if they are not the author of the annotation. This change allows any user to comment on annotations made by another user if a comment does not already exist.
DocViewer, Annotation Comment Icons- Individual comments include an icon that displays the type and color of the annotation. This change helps associate each comment with its annotation. The annotation icon displays next to the commenter’s name and only displays in the primary comment for an annotation. Replies to a comment do not include the icon.
DocViewer, Free Draw Stroke Widths- The Free Draw annotation supports varied stroke widths. This change allows users to choose one of three different widths for line annotations. Each ink annotation can only have one width. Individual annotations must be saved before creating a new line with a different width.
New Gradebook, Filter Persistence- When a filter is applied to the Gradebook and later removed, all filters are cleared from the Gradebook. This change requires instructors to not have to clear filters individually before removing a filter.
New Gradebook, Display Grade Assignment Grading Scheme- For each grading scheme or letter grade assignment, the New Gradebook confirms and displays the grading scheme set for the assignment. Previously the New Gradebook always used the default Canvas grading scheme, regardless if a grading scheme was set for the course. Any grade entries that were not supported in the default Canvas grading scheme were removed from the New Gradebook.
New Gradebook, Grading Scheme Entry Menu- Grading scheme assignments include a menu to select a value in the grading scheme, along with Excused. This change allows the grading scheme values for the assignment to be viewed directly in the New Gradebook. Grades can also still be entered directly in the cell.
New Gradebook, Complete/Incomplete Entry Menu- Complete and incomplete assignments include a menu to select a value for the assignment: Complete, Incomplete, Ungraded, and Excused. This change makes complete/incomplete assignments easier to grade in the New Gradebook for all users.
New Gradebook, Grade Detail Tray Final Grade Calculation Warning Icon- The Grade Detail Tray displays a warning icon for assignments that are not calculated as part of the final grade. This icon displays for assignments that have selected the option to not count the assignment toward the final grade, or if the assignment is within a weighted assignment group with no weighted percentage.

March 10, 2018 Links to an external site.

Announcements, Courses Page Design Updates- The Announcements page includes an updated design to improve accessibility for all users. Most functionality has not been affected.
Announcements,Section-Specific Announcements- When creating an announcement, instructors can create section-specific announcements in their courses. When creating an announcement, instructors can select to send the announcement to all sections, one section, or multiple sections.Note:Semester courses only have one section.
Announcements, Allow Comments Option- In announcements, comments are disabled by default. This change helps manage expectations for announcements while still allowing users to participate.
Outcomes, Menu Icon Update- The Outcomes menu icon has been changed from a horizontal options icon to a vertical options icon. This change applies to both account and course levels and helps align consistency throughout all Canvas areas and mobile apps.

February 17, 2018 Links to an external site.

Assignments, GPA Scale Grading Type Removal- In an assignment, GPA Scale is no longer included as a grade display option in the Canvas interface. This change supports upcoming grading scheme enhancements in the New Gradebook. GPA Scale assignments can still be created through the Assignments API, though the existing GPA Scale parameter has been deprecated. Any existing assignments set to a GPA scale will not be affected with any grade calculations.
Group Assignments, Individually Graded Group Assignment Comment Options- When an instructor creates a group submission with individual grading, group assignment include specified options that clarify how to send submission comments. This change helps clarify comment distribution in group assignments with individual grading. Previously if a student didn’t select the option to send the comment to the entire group, instructors were not able to view the comments in SpeedGrader.
Conversations, Autocomplete Courses Menu- The Conversations Courses Menu has been updated as an autocomplete menu. This change improves accessibility for all users. This menu change is also located within the Compose Message window.
Course Home Page Student View Button- The Course Home Page includes a Student View button. This change allows instructors to access student view without having to open Course Settings.
New Gradebook, Entered Grades Calculation Value- Instructors can enter grades in the New Gradebook in any format without having to confirm the grade display originally set for the assignment. See new gradebook details page for more information about the new gradebook.
People, Last Attended Date- In the User Details page, an instructor can note the date that a student last attended in the course.
Reports, Grade Export Unposted Columns- The Grade Export report includes additional columns at the end of each row to represent unposted (muted) current and final scores.
MGP Grade Export Unposted Columns- The MGP Grade Export report includes additional columns at the end of each row to represent unposted (muted) current and final scores. Along with the existing current and final score columns, this report also includes individual unposted current and final score columns for each grading period.
Scheduler Design Updates- In the Calendar, the Scheduler appointment creation window includes minor design updates to the date and time fields.
Module Files Download Icon Update- In Modules, the download icon used for a file added as a module item has been replaced with the attachment icon. This change clarifies user expectations when displayed in a page and helps align consistency throughout all Canvas areas and mobile apps.

January 27, 2018 Links to an external site.

Update on TurnItIn assignment settings -See details here, How to Create TurnItIn Assignments in Canvas
DocViewer, Free Text Annotation Backgrounds and Text Size- Free Text annotations support both white and transparent backgrounds. Annotations default to a white background, which may obscure page content, but the transparency option can be selected in the menu next to the annotation color.Note:This change was deployed to the production environment on January 23. See Grading Assignments for more details.
DocViewer, Pagination Links- DocViewer displays pagination links for multi-page documents. These links can be used to advance to additional pages. A specific page can be accessed by typing the page number directly in the page number field and clicking the Enter or Return key. Note:This change was deployed to the production environment on January 23. See Grading Assignments for more details.
New Gradebook, Entered Grades Display- Each assignment defaults to the grade display set in the assignment. However, the Enter Grades as menu allows the assignment grade to be viewed by points or percentage. For Letter Grade or GPA assignments, the grade can also be displayed by grading scheme. See Details on the New Gradebook for more information.
New Gradebook, Unpublished Assignments Indicator-Each assignment defaults to the grade display set in the assignment. However, the Enter Grades as menu allows the assignment grade to be viewed by points or percentage. For Letter Grade or GPA assignments, the grade can also be displayed by grading scheme. See Details on the New Gradebook for more information.
New Gradebook, Minimum Column Width- New Gradebook columns have been resized and support a minimum width of 214 px. See Details on the New Gradebook for more information.
Rich Content Editor, Decorative Image Checkbox- When a user clicks the Embed Images icon and selects an image source, the Attributes section displays a decorative image checkbox, which indicates the image is for decorative purposes. See Editing Content with the Rich Content Editor and Accessibility Guidelines for more details.
External Apps, Duplicate Application Warning- If a user manually adds an external app to a course, account, or subaccount, and then adds the same external app again, Canvas asks the user to confirm whether or not the app should be saved. This change helps users identify previously installed external apps. Confirmations only take place on the same context for an existing external app (course, account, or subaccount). See Using the Canvas App Center for more details.
Canvas Interface Update, Menu Design Updates- Some Canvas Settings menu icons have been replaced with an Options icon. These changes clarify user expectations when displayed in a page and helps align consistency throughout all Canvas areas and mobile apps.
- If the icon displays a window with options that actively change the interface, the icon displays as a Settings icon.
- If the icon displays a menu with links to additional functionality or other Canvas areas, the icon displays as an Options icon.
See the highlighted icons in the screen shot below.

module screen with new icons

January 6, 2018 Links to an external site.

New Gradebook, feature options - The new gradebook option can now be turn on by faculty. Please note this option must be turned on by a course by course basis. If you apply the late policies in the new gradebook, you cannot go back to the old gradebook.
New Gradebook, Late Policies - See Late Policies FAQ Links to an external site. for more details.
New gradebook, Grading Icon Update - When an assignment needs to be graded, the New Gradebook only displays one assignment icon regardless of assignment type. Each submission type uses the same logic to show a submission icon, and this change helps simplify the various items presented in the New Gradebook.
Rich Content Editor, Accessibility Checker Design Adjustments - The Accessibility Checker sidebar includes minor design adjustments, which are already available in the production environment. These adjustments include placement of the Next and Previous issue buttons and the Help icon that provides clarification about each issue.
Rich Content Editor content browser, Image Alt Text Field - In the Content Selector, when a user opens the Images tab and selects an image to upload, the sidebar displays a text field to add alternative text for the image. The image can also be specified as a decorative image, which does not require alternative text. If the Decorative Image checkbox is selected, the alternative text field is grayed out.
SpeedGrader, Excess Rubric Criterion Points - When an instructor grades a submission in SpeedGrader and uses a rubric for grading, the rubric supports excess points above the maximum point value for each criterion. This change allows instructors to provide extra credit through rubric criteria and aligns consistency with other Canvas features that support additional point values.
Student Grades, Grades Page Menu Update - The student Grades page menus have been updated for improved accessibility. The page also includes an Apply button, which must be clicked to generate content selected within each menu. Previously the page reloaded immediately once a menu was selected.

Past updates from this year will be posted below. See 2017 Release Notes for feature upgrades completed in 2017.