Good afternoon Owl family! We’re now a few weeks into the Fall 2025 semester and with that, we’re bringing you some info about several recent updates to Canvas. Below you’ll find descriptions of each feature along with steps required to get them enabled in your course(s).
- Multiple Checkpoints for Graded Discussions
- Description: For graded discussions, allows instructors to add points possible for replies to the discussion topic, the number of additional replies required, and points possible for additional replies.
- Available for: instructors
- Status: enabled (only available for Graded Discussions)
- Canvas Discussion Summaries
- Description: Uses a Generative AI model to provide instructors summaries of key points, questions, and ideas in a discussion thread. This feature is designed to save educators time and to allow discussions to be used effectively in large-format classes and other environments where they were previously infeasible.
- Available for: instructors
- Status: enabled, but can be disabled via a course’s Feature Options menu.
- Canvas Smart Search
- Description: Allows a course’s enrolled users to search for course content with natural language. This search tool is powered by AI, understands the context of queries and finds relevant results based on that context. It only returns results that are available to that user (i.e., it will not provide students with access to course content that is not published).
- Available for: instructors, students
- Status: disabled, but can be enabled via a course’s Feature Options menu.
- Google Gemini Integration
- Description: allows to import NotebookLM notebooks and Gemini Gems (coming soon) into your Canvas course to share with your students. Also provides teachers and students with preset prompts that open Google Gemini in a new tab.
- Available for: instructors, students (read-only access to the notebooks/Gems you share)
- Status: disabled, but can be enabled by request.
For assistance, guidance or general questions about the abovementioned features or any other Canvas matters, please reach out to our team via a Help Desk request or by booking an appointment with one of our experts.