Comparing the web version of Canvas to the Canvas Mobile App
Students often use the Canvas Mobile App on their smartphones or tablets. However, instructors and students may not realize that the functionality between the web version of Canvas and the mobile apps is different. Read on to learn the key differences. Differences Between Canvas Web and Mobile Apps Overall, Canvas on the web provides the
Accessibility Forward in Canvas
The Educational Technology Services team is excited to share the recording from the recent two-day workshop designed for Chapman instructors using Canvas who want to build more accessible, inclusive learning experiences. This hands-on workshop focused on accessibility-forward thinking using Ally in Canvas, helping participants move beyond compliance toward intentional design for all learners. Who should
Introducing Differentiation Tags in Canvas
Starting in Spring 2026, Canvas courses will have a new feature designed to support inclusive, flexible, and learner-centered teaching: Differentiation Tags. If you’ve ever wanted to assign different versions of an activity, provide targeted practice, or support varied learning pathways without managing multiple course sections or duplicating content, Differentiation Tags are for you. What Are
LockDown Browser Warning on Your Canvas Course Home Page
Dear Instructors, You may notice a message on your Canvas course Home page that reads: “LockDown Browser is not activated for this course. Go to LockDown Browser settings to activate this course. After the page loads, it will be activated.” Why am I seeing this message? This warning appears only if your course includes at
Introducing Canvas Portfolio
Canvas has added a new Portfolio tool designed to make it easier for students to showcase their growth and for instructors to assess learning. The new Portfolio tool will replace the classic ePortfolios and Folio tools in Canvas. What’s Changing? Classic ePortfolios and Folio will be fully retired on June 30, 2026. The new Canvas
Turnitin Draft Coach Now Available for Chapman Users
Dear Chapman Community, We are excited to share that Turnitin Draft Coach is now available for all Chapman University staff, students, and instructors who use Microsoft Word and Google Docs. This tool helps writers refine their work before submission by checking for similarity, citations, and grammar, all within the document. Key Features Similarity Reports –
End-of-Term Canvas Checklist
✔️Put in Zeros for Missing Assignments If students are missing assignments, you will need to put in zeros for those missing assignments so that grades are calculated correctly. You can click on Grades in your Canvas course navigation menu to open the Gradebook and check for any empty grade cells. Some instructors may also use
Canvas Spotlight on Instructors
In April 2025, we asked students to share examples of instructors with exemplary Canvas courses and tell us why they thought these courses made particularly good use of Canvas. The following themes emerged: 1. Exceptional Organization Courses are consistently praised for being well-structured, with content arranged in weekly modules. Clear labeling of assignments, readings, and
Are Your Grades Accurate in Canvas?
Dear Chapman Community, Many instructors use Canvas’s Gradebook to calculate final grades, but did you know that the Total column does not automatically treat missing assignments as 0s? This can cause discrepancies between what you see in Canvas and what students have actually earned. To help, our team developed a built-in Grade Accuracy Report tool:
Padlet for Schools
Emoji reactions Emoji reactions are now available for new padlets. Every post can be reacted to with any emoji from the Padlet set. Emoji reactions details. New table format The table format gives you the organizational power of a spreadsheet. Every column understands its data type and gives you powerful ways to organize information through