March 16, 2024 Canvas is releasing two welcome updates!
Video walkthrough:
This summer, Canvas is rolling out a redesign of the Discussions feature to provide a more modern, accessible, and user-friendly experience. While the core functionality of Discussions will remain intact, the new redesign brings a host of exciting enhancements.
The goal is to facilitate better peer-to-peer interaction and collaboration through a modernized discussion forum experience. Popular existing features like posting before seeing replies, marking posts read/unread, group discussions, peer reviews, and rubric support will continue to be available.
While some may be apprehensive about the changes, Canvas emphasizes that no current functionality is going away. The redesign aims to elevate the overall discussion experience by adding conveniences like quote replies, anonymous postings, and a more intuitive design.
So get ready to embrace the future of Canvas Discussions coming your way this summer! The refreshed interface and new capabilities will foster more engaging discourse for students and instructors alike.
Find more information here: 2024_Canvas-Discussions-Redesign_Data-Sheet.pdf – Google Drive
In an effort to better help new students and families understand how to use Canvas, we have created a Student and Family Canvas Orientation. We plan to link it in several places throughout our public-facing websites. For now, it is conveniently linked in the “Help” area in Canvas.
There is a family module and student module. They contain walkthroughs in several formats (video, interactive tutorial, and linked guides).
Individuals don’t need to be be logged into view the course, so you can also share the link directly. Please feel free to spread the word to anyone who would benefit from this resource. We will update this blog post when we add the link in other places.
There are several updates coming to Canvas on February 17.
Go to Canvas’s Relase Notes for more information on these updates.
Canvas offers a valuable feature known as Module Requirements. Canvas Module Requirements allow teachers to set prerequisites for learning materials within a course. This means that learners must complete one step before moving on to the next. This feature is particularly beneficial in guiding students through a sequential learning journey. By structuring modules with prerequisites, educators can ensure that foundational concepts are mastered before introducing more advanced topics. In a world where remote and asynchronous learning are becoming increasingly prevalent, the ability to control the flow of information is crucial. Canvas Module Requirements provide teachers with the means to create a logical progression of content, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Did you know? Canvas requirements are used in all of our asynchronous professional development. If you click on Module in the course you are taking, you can easily see what items you have completed and pick up where you left off in a course. When you go to Module you’ll see this:
Green checkmarks indicate it is complete and the circle indicates that it still needs to be completed. Hopefully this information helps you as we enter the February PD window. If you would like more information about setting these up in your own course, check out the instructor guides linked below.
https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-add-prerequisites-to-a-module/ta-p/1123
https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-add-requirements-to-a-module/ta-p/1131
Secondary teachers are approaching the end of a new term (semester 1/quarter 2). Here’s what you need to be aware of in Canvas.
Semester 2 is set to “open” on January 30, please make sure any semester courses are published by then. You can filter your grade book to view assignments with due dates in the Semester 2 grading period by following the steps here.
If you have questions, please submit a tech ticket.
The older Google Apps LTI (integration) will no longer be available in Canvas after June 2024. P-CCS turned off the ability to create new assignments with the previous integration in 2021, so a very small number of people will be affected. If you have copied old Google Assignments over from year to year, you may need to convert them to the updated Google Assignment.
What do you do with assignments created with the old integration?
If you have assignments created with the old integration (this will apply to very few of our teachers), those assignments will NOT BE available after June 2024 UNLESS you update them with the steps outlined above.
What are Google Assignments?
Google Assignments allow you to automatically create a copy of docs/slides/sheets for each student to edit (similar functionality to Google Classroom, if you are familiar with that platform). That document automatically includes their name, is shared with the teacher, is organized in a folder in Drive, and is attached to the assignment for submission. It also allows the teacher to observe student progress and give feedback on their work along the way.
Google and Canvas by Kaelyn Bullock
If you would like to learn how to create a Google Assignment, follow these steps.
Read Google’s guidance for more information about the integration. Please reach out to a TIS if you have questions.
Canvas recently hosted two webinars on Canvas New Quizzes.
One webinar covers the basics for new users. You can review the outline here and the actual recording here.
A second webinar, customized for existing users, skipped the basics and highlighted updates and outstanding questions. You can review the outline here and the actual recording here.
We want to inform you about a recent change to our district’s Canvas support process. In the past, you had the ability to reach out directly to Canvas support through phone or chat, but we’ve now transitioned to a different approach. If you encounter any issues or need assistance, please submit a support ticket from the Canvas Help Menu.
We understand that this is a shift from the previous service level, and we appreciate your understanding. Additionally, we encourage you to explore the Canvas guides (instructor, student, and observer). There are also guides available for the mobile applications. You can utilize the new Panda Bot as valuable resources to help navigate Canvas effectively during this transition. Your satisfaction with the support we provide remains our priority.
Here are a few September Canvas updates in New Quizzes to be excited about:
In New Quizzes, instructors can allow students to build on their last attempt of a quiz by reattempting incorrectly answered questions.
In New Quiz Settings, select Allow multiple attempts [1], and then select the Enable build on last attempt checkbox [2].
Note: When the build on last attempt feature is enabled, students can only view questions marked with incorrect answers, all other questions are hidden. If you have short answer questions you want them to reattempt, you’ll want to add a waiting period to give you time to grade those items.
Additional Details
Students can reattempt incorrectly answered questions until the answer is marked correct in SpeedGrader or they run out of attempts. Students who get all questions correct will not have the option to reattempt.
❗ Bonus Tip: Did you know that you can grade one quiz question at a time in SpeedGrader? How do I grade one quiz question at a time in Spee… – Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
In New Quizzes, instructor access to Item Analysis reports is faster and the user interface is updated. While the item analysis used to take 24-28 hours, it will now take about 1 hour (depends on the size of the quiz and other factors).
If you like these features but have Classic Quizzes in your course, reach out for information about migrating those quizzes to New Quizzes. There have also been hesitations about partial credit on new quizzes, check out this resource (3 slides) that breaks down how this works in New Quizzes.
Not sure how to interpret the item analysis? New Quizzes Quiz and Item Analysis – Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
If you have tried to share a New Quiz with a colleague you may have been frustrated if images or audio did not come with the quiz. To solve this, you can export the quiz file (QTI ZIP file) with these directions: How do I export a New Quiz from a course? – Instructure Community (canvaslms.com).
After exporting the file, you should be able to email the file to a colleague and they will be able to import it into their quiz. How do I import a quiz from a QTI package in New Q… – Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
This isn’t the typical, seamless process of sharing content in Canvas, but we are hopeful can an update will come down the road.