On July 15, Instructure will release multiple new features for Canvas. Duplication of Assignments and Pages will be a welcome time saver for faculty. For example, if you need to add multiple in-class homework assignments to populate your gradebook in Canvas, this will be a quick way to create those assignments.  New courses added to Canvas after July 15th will default to Modules for the Home Page. In addition, Canvas is changing icons throughout Canvas.

Assignment Duplication

Assignments can be duplicated in the Assignments index page. The duplication option is located in the Settings menu for every available assignment. When an assignment is copied, the word Copy is added to the end of the assignment name.  You can duplicate any assignment by clicking on the gear icon to the right of the assignment name and choosing Duplicate from the drop down menu.

Duplicating an assignment defaults the copied assignment to an unpublished status. All items in the assignment are duplicated including the name, description, point value, and options, except for the following situations:

• Copied external tool (LTI) assignments, such as Turnitin, will need to be reconfigured.
• Copied assignments are always assigned to everyone in the course; differentiated assignments are not retained for individual users, groups, or sections.
• Copied peer review assignments retain the peer review setting and Assign Review date, but the number of reviews per user will be set to zero.

Note: Quizzes and Discussion assignments cannot be duplicated.

Pages Duplication

Pages can be duplicated in the Pages index page. The duplication option is located in the Settings menu for every page. When an assignment is copied, the word Copy is added to the end of the page name.

Duplicating a page defaults the copied page to an unpublished status. All items in the page are duplicated including the page name, content, and options.

Modules Home Page Default

In new courses, the Course Home Page defaults to the Modules layout. This change replaces the Recent Activity Stream as the Home page default. Instructors are not required to use Modules for the home page and can choose another home page layout. This change will only affect new courses added to Canvas after July 15th.  Existing Summer and Fall 2017 courses will continue to default to the Recent Activity Stream.

The Modules page includes two links to help new instructors either create a new module or add existing content through a course import. If Modules is set to the Home page but no modules content exists, Canvas will prompt the instructor to either publish a module or choose a different home page layout.

Canvas Icon Update

The icons throughout Canvas have been updated with a new Instructure icon library. Icons for publishing and unpublishing content will change to outlines instead of solid buttons.

If you need additional assistance with new Canvas features or using Canvas, please contact Instructional Technology at support@stedwards.edu.