Canvas Updates April 2021
April 6, 2021
Assignments
Webcam Submissions
Summary
In File Upload assignments, students can use their webcam to submit to an assignment.
Change Benefit
This change allows students to use their webcam to submit a file upload assignment from the browser and aligns behavior with the Canvas Student app.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Students
For File Upload assignments, students have the option to use their webcam for file uploads. The first time they use the feature, they will need to give permission to Canvas to access their computer webcam. Like all other graded submission types, images submitted via the webcam functionality do not count against course or user quota.
Instructors
Instructors can view uploaded images submitted via a student’s webcam as they see other file uploads in SpeedGrader and anywhere that submissions are available.
Feature video: Assignments: Webcam Submissions (2021-03-20 Release Notes)
Modules
New Quizzes
Summary
New Quizzes can be created as part of adding a quiz to a module.
Change Benefit
This change allows instructors to create quizzes using the New Quizzes LTI in modules.
Affected User Roles
Instructors
When an instructor adds an item to a module and selects a quiz, the Create Quiz option displays both the New Quizzes and Classic Quizzes quiz engines. New Quizzes is the default, but instructors can switch to Classic Quizzes and create a name for the quiz.
Existing quizzes in the module are also identified as a classic quiz if created with the Classic Quizzes quiz engine.
Workflow Change Note: For instructors, clicking a New Quizzes title will now always open the Assignment Details page for the quiz, so that availability adjustments can be made faster.
Feature video: Modules: New Quizzes Support (2021-03-20 Release)
Rich Content Editor
File Preview Enhancements
Summary
Files linked in the Rich Content Editor can be previewed in an overlay or inline.
Change Benefit
This change allows users to control the display of the file preview. Previously all file previews opened in a new browser tab.
Affected User Roles
All Users
Users who link a file can open the File Options menu and indicate a preview type.
- Preview in overlay displays the existing file preview functionality, where the file preview opens and overlays the entire page.
- Preview inline loads the displays the preview directly in the Rich Content Editor window once the file is clicked. If the option to expand the preview by default is also selected as an option, the file is automatically expanded in the page and the user does not need to click the file to view it. Instead, the user can close the preview by clicking the Minimize Preview link that displays along with the image.
Feature video: Rich Content Editor: File Preview Enhancements (2021-03-20 Canvas Release)
SpeedGrader
Submission Reassignments
Summary
In SpeedGrader, instructors can reassign an assignment with a due date to an individual student and ask them to redo their submission.
Change Benefit
This change allows instructors to provide feedback and reassign an assignment to an individual student, which places the assignment back in the List View Dashboard as another assignment to complete.
Affected User Roles & Behaviors
Instructors
For online assignments with a due date, instructors can view a Reassign button in SpeedGrader. If they require a student to redo an assignment, they can reassign the assignment directly to the student from within their grading workflow in SpeedGrader. The instructor must first provide feedback regarding the assignment, which will enable the button. The reassignment does not change the original due date for the student.
Notes
- The Reassign Assignment button is not available for External Tools (LTI), on paper, and no submission assignments.
- The Reassign Assignment button is only available for assignments with due dates.
- If an instructor returns to SpeedGrader after navigating away from the page, the Reassign Assignment button shows that the assignment has been reassigned.
- If the assignment’s settings do not allow students to make an additional attempt, the Reassign Assignment shows that the assignment is not able to be reassigned.
Students
When an assignment is reassigned, students see the assignment in the List View Dashboard with the instructor’s feedback. Students can resubmit the assignment and submit for additional feedback from their instructor.
Feature video: SpeedGrader: Submission Reassignments (2021-03-20 Canvas Release)