Discover the latest improvements in Canvas designed to streamline your teaching and grading experience. Discussion Checkpoints allow for two separate due dates: one for the initial post and another for replies, helping students engage more meaningfully and on time. Assignment Enhancements simplify submission workflows and provide clearer instructions for students. Performance and Usability Upgrades for SpeedGrader make grading faster, smoother, and more intuitive.
Discussion Checkpoints
Discussion Checkpoints allow two separate due dates in one graded discussion: one for the initial post and one for required replies.
Teacher View in Module
Student View in Module
Key Behaviors
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Two Due Dates
- Initial reply + replies to classmates (1–10).
- Both dates appear in Modules and in the student To Do list.
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Editing Limitations
- Cannot bulk edit checkpoint dates from the Assignments page.
- After any student submission, instructors can no longer enable or disable Checkpoints.
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Rubrics: Display correctly, but scores do not populate into the checkpoint scoring fields.
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“Unusually high score awarded” message
- Safe to ignore; does not affect actual scoring.
- Bug confirmed; engineering investigating.
Assignment Enhancements
The updated assignment interface introduces small improvements to the student submission workflow, and there were no Help Desk cases about it over Winterim. Students adjusted smoothly without needing any support.
Key Improvements
- OneDrive compatibility: Students can submit OneDrive files even when file type restrictions are enabled.
- Improved annotation tools: Instructors and students experience smoother and more reliable annotations in the submission preview.
- Access to previous versions: Students can view prior submission attempts, including earlier uploads and feedback.
Tip for Instructors
- Use Student View: Switch to Student View to see exactly how the updated submission workflow appears to students.
SpeedGrader
The updated SpeedGrader interface includes a few minor visual changes. The most important improvement is that documents load significantly faster, especially in larger courses.
Key Improvements
- Faster document loading: Files open more quickly, which reduces grading time.
- Minor interface updates: Layout and labels have been adjusted slightly, but workflows remain familiar.
- Access to Old SpeedGrader: Instructors can switch to the old SpeedGrader by selecting Options (the gear icon) in the top right corner.
- Rubric caution: Do not skip a rubric row. Skipped rows may disappear from the instructor view when saved, and students will see them as ungraded. Bug confirmed and engineering is investigating.