Canvas has several updates for Spring 2026 semester including the ability to schedule the release of feedback for students independently of their grade, a survey option for New Quizzes, an updated Microsoft Education integration, improved functionality with Simple Syllabus, and a new Portfolio tool Read below for more information.
Scheduled Feedback
The separately from the assignment grade. This feature allows instructors to release detailed qualitative feedback such as comments or annotations before the final numerical score. This encourages students to focus on learning from comments first without being influenced by the grade, enabling a more thoughtful release of results for complex assignments or when grading is ongoing.
In the Gradebook, select the desired assignment Options (A), then click the Grade Posting Policy link (B).
In the dialogue box that opens, click the radio button, Manually (A), then select the Schedule Release Dates checkbox (B). Choose whether to release Grades and Comments Together or on Separate Schedules (C) then set the Release Date and Time (D). If you choose to separate the schedules, you will need to enter dates for grades and comments. Save (E) when done making changes.
New Quizzes Surveys
New Quizzes now supports surveys with anonymous or non-anonymous feedback with graded or ungraded options. A graded survey has a point value which shows in the Canvas Gradebook. Non-graded surveys do not have a point value in the Canvas Gradebook. Surveys support the following question types:
- Multiple Choice
- Multiple Answer
- True/False
- Fill in the Blank
- Essay
- File Upload
To create a New Quiz Survey, begin by creating a New Quiz as normal. Choose Graded Survey (A) or Ungraded Survey (B) as the Quiz Type.
After choosing Graded Survey or Ungraded Survey, you will have the option to select Anonymous Submission if you want a completely anonymous survey.
Proceed with setting point value (if graded), assignment due dates, other settings, and the questions as you would for other New Quizzes. Responses to the Survey questions will not appear in SpeedGrader. If you want to see the breakdown by question, view the Reports tab in the quiz.
Individual student responses will be available in the Moderate (A) tab of the New Quiz Build menu using the View Log (B) link.
Additional Details
- Surveys created in Classic Quizzes can easily be migrated into New Quizzes.
- Questions can be set as required or optional.
Microsoft Tools
Microsoft’s integrations in Canvas for OneDrive, Teams, and have been updated and combined into a unified Course Navigation item labeled, Microsoft Education.
If you would like to use this tool, first enable Microsoft Education in course navigation then open Microsoft Education from your course’s navigation menu. You will be guided through setup options for Teams, Meetings, Class Notebook and OneDrive. Instructors can choose to disable Teams, Meetings or Class Notebook if they do not wish to use them in their course.
Teams is available with Microsoft Education.
All the Office 365 LTI functionalities – cloud assignments, file uploads assignments, file embeds from RCE (Rich Content Editor), collaborations, direct Module additions – are retained with Microsoft Education.
OneDrive files embedded into courses with the old Office 365 tool will continue to function.
The Rich Content Editor (RCE) OneDrive Cloud icon (A) for embedding files has been replaced with the Microsoft 365 (B) icon. Functionality is the same.
For more information, please visit the Microsoft Education announcement and skip to ‘First-Time setup and App Configuration in a Course’. More documentation will be available soon.
Simple Syllabus
Simple Syllabus has improved functionality for cross-listed (merged) courses. Canvas courses with different level course sections in one Canvas course shell that need separate syllabi for different course levels can be accommodated by adding Simple Syllabi to your Canvas course's navigation menu.
The standard Simple Syllabus (A) course navigation link will display the primary course’s syllabus to all students in a cross-listed course. This is helpful if you have multiple sections of the same level with the same requirements in a cross-listed Canvas course. If you don’t see Simple Syllabus in your course and would like to use it, adjust your course navigation links to include Simple Syllabus.
The new Simple Syllabi (B) course navigation link will display the syllabus of the course section the student is enrolled in. This is helpful if you have graduate and undergraduate sections with different requirements in a Canvas course shell and you want them to see different syllabi. If you would like to use Simple Syllabi in your course, enable the course navigation link Simple Syllabi. To learn how to manage course navigation links, please refer to this guide. Please note that UAB School of Nursing courses will have the version of Simple Syllabus needed without the need to request it.
For more information on Simple Syllabus, please visit our Simple Syllabus guide page.
Portfolio
Canvas has released an Enhanced Canvas Portfolio tool that is now available for Spring 2026. The new Portfolio tool combines the ePortfolium benefits of multiple portfolios per user with robust features of Folio to allow multi-user collaboration and tagging.
This tool will replace the two older student portfolio tools currently available in Canvas, Folio and ePortfolios. You and your students should download the contents you want to keep from Folio and ePortfolios