What’s New for the Spring Semester

Canvas

In the last semester, Canvas has updated some of its tools. Here is a summary of these enhancements and how you can use them:

Discussions sorting

An update was applied to a discussion redesign so that when sorting a discussion, the selected sorting preference is automatically saved for that specific discussion. This fixes the issue of discussions displaying from "newest to oldest" as the default sorting. If the user sorts by "oldest to newest," this option now sticks for that user. Default sorting and default expand/collapse view with teacher lock setting for discussions will be added in the future.

Make discussions threaded

In your Discussion Topics page, you may see a button for Make All Discussions Threaded. This button appears on this page if at least one discussion topic was affected by issues related to the Disallow Threaded Replies setting. By clicking this button, this fixes identified discussion topics in your course that were affected.

The following updates are released as Feature Previews, which are feature options in active development. The following may be enabled for Spring 2025.

Discussion checkpoints/multiple due dates

This allows instructors to create a more intentional discussion environment. Instructors can now require additional replies to peers, besides the initial response. This is only applicable to graded discussions.

Enhanced rubrics

A redesign of the Canvas Rubrics is available. This redesign includes desired features such as the reordering of rubric line items and a CSV rubric import. Ability for student self-assessment using rubrics is also coming soon.

Lucidspark and Lucidchart

Canvas users now have access to two new tools as a result of a partnership between Instructure (Canvas) and Lucid.

Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard designed to maximize team connection, collaboration and creativity. Lucidchart is a diagramming tool intended to create next-generation diagrams with AI, data and automation.

There are three ways to use Lucid in your Canvas course:

• When you create or edit assignment details, you can choose to use Lucid Education Suite as a submission type. The Lucid submission type enables students to connect to and submit Lucidchart or Lucidspark documents.
• Embed a Lucid document in assignment, discussion, page, quiz and syllabus pages using the content editor.
• Enable the Lucid (Whiteboard) link in your course navigation menu.

Learn more about using these tools.

TidyUP

We are excited to introduce a new pilot, TidyUP, beginning Jan. 6, 2025. TidyUP makes it easy to identify unpublished pages, delete outdated content and remove empty folders in Canvas. By cleaning up your Canvas courses, you can help to ensure we are being good stewards of our resources, and more importantly, it takes you one step closer to ensuring your course will meet accessibility standards for the April 2026 regulations. We encourage you to try TidyUP in your Spring 2025 courses. Look for more information in our January newsletter and on our new support portal!

Draft Coach

Turnitin’s Draft Coach will be available in the University of Missouri System’s (UM System) Microsoft Office 365 beginning Jan. 6. Draft Coach will help correct any accidental plagiarism, citations and grammar issues before submitting your work. As instructors, you can share this information with your students to help them get started with this tool to help improve their writing. View an overview of additional functionality. Students can learn more and get started by visiting our knowledge base.

Draft Coach is available to users on all UM System campuses who do not have a health- or hospital-related primary email address. This limitation is intended to prevent Turnitin/Draft Coach from inadvertently getting HIPAA-protected information.

New Website for Teaching Tools Technology Help Articles

Missouri Online has transitioned our current Teaching Tools knowledge base to a new website. We will continue to have the same great content but with many new features including a comprehensive and more robust repository of articles.

A new homepage is available with the ability to:

• View Notices & Alerts (the latest news and updates)
• Search the knowledge base and service catalog for articles to assist with your use of technology and pedagogy
• View popular knowledge base articles and services
• “Favorite” your frequently viewed articles or services to make them easy to access
• Provide feedback on knowledge base articles
• Log in using UM System SSO and place service requests from individual knowledge base articles or services
• View current and closed requests