UC Davis Canvas is beginning its second full year at UC Davis this fall, after implementing a few changes and improvements since spring. Here’s a quick rundown, plus links to locations where you can read more about the changes that interest you:

• DocViewer replaced Crocodoc as the annotation tool in Speedgrader in late June, and has gained features since then in response to faculty feedback. This post has updates.
• The Canvas Teacher app, which helps instructors use Canvas via smartphones and other mobile devices, is now available.
• You can now duplicate pages and assignments.
• More apps (LTIs) have been added for use with UC Davis Canvas, including a new app for My Media and Media Gallery. Learn more about LTIs and their role in Canvas at LTI App Status and Requests.
• Instructors can cross-list (combine) courses by using these instructions. A tool to simplify cross-listing at UC Davis is anticipated by winter quarter—see below.

Coming up: Cross-listing, Quizzes, more

Instructure, which makes Canvas, continually evaluates and develops new features and upgrades for Canvas, often guided by requests from customers. These improvements from Instructure and UC Davis are in the works:

• Cross-listing assistant. In time for winter quarter 2018, UC Davis Canvas should have a new tool that instructors can use to cross-list (combine) course sections more easily. UC Davis is adapting a tool created by the University of Indiana, which also uses Canvas.
• Gradebook updates. As soon as January 2018, instructors should be able to activate the completed features listed here.
• Student dashboard. This will give students a new view of the tasks they have coming up in their courses.
• Online Quizzes update. Instructure is developing a new “Quizzes LTI” tool, based on a new assessment engine that will include enhanced features and new types of items.

If you’re looking for assistance

Updates about these developments and others will be posted on the UC Davis Canvas website. Meanwhile, training, advice and assistance continues to be available to all faculty through UC Davis Canvas workshops, tutorials, webinars, in-person assistance, drop-in sessions, and more. This webpage presents options.

The campus adopted UC Davis Canvas in 2016 to replace SmartSite, and ended instructional use of SmartSite in June 2017. SmartSite still hosts hundreds of project sites, but they are closing or moving to new locations as the campus approaches the final shutdown of SmartSite in the months ahead.