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Canvas @ Yale: Summer 2026 Quarterly Admin Update

Ryan Sobeck - Wednesday, May 6
 Canvas Admin Quarterly Updates 
Canvas @ Yale

Executive Summary

  • Qualtrics LTI and ePortofolio tool removal on May 19, 2026.
  • Ed Attandance now available for faculty to use to take attendance in class.
  • Upcoming pilots in Speakology, Boodlebox, Harmonize, and SchoolAI for the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 terms.
  • A limited time remains to explore and provide feedback on the Canvas IgniteAI tools in a secure Canvas sandbox. Deadline June 30, 2026.
  • Canvas Admin Access Renewals will begin at the start of July 2026.
  • Review Canvas release / deploy notes.
  • Register to attend or share our upcoming workshop & training opportunites.
Hello Canvas Admin,

We hope that the end of the Spring 2026 semester is going well. We write to provide you with our quarterly Canvas @ Yale admin updates as both a recap of recent changes as well as updates to the platform in the near future. 

REMINDER: Qualtrics LTI & ePortfolio Tool Removal

We would like to remind you that on May 19, 2026 we will be disabling and removing both the Qualtrics LTI and the Canvas native ePortfolio tool in all of our Canvas instances at the University.

The Qualtrics LTI removal is part of the larger alginment of the University to no longer promote the use of Qualtrics for Teaching & Learning use cases, and instead focus its use on research-based applications. To learn more about the Qualtrics LTI removal and what is available for faculty / staff to use, we encourage you to check out our Qualtrics LTI Removal - May 2026 news article. 

Additionally, Canvas is depricating the native ePortfolio tool. We have opted to disable the ePortfolio tool ahead of the official deprication date to align with a time that fits our community best. To learn more about our deprication of the ePortfolio tool and any actions you (or community members you support) may want to take prior to the tool's removal, please check out our Canvas ePortfolio Retirement on May 19, 2026 news article. 

New Attendance Tool for Faculty 

We are excited to share that we have made the Ed Attendance tool availble in Ed Discussions for faculty to begin using in academic courses moving forward.

The Ed Attendance tool allows faculty to create individual class sessions where students can check-in through:

  • QR Code
  • Password
  • In Person Codes
  • Manual Check In
To learn more please check out our Ed Discussion: Enabling the Ed Attendance Tool in Ed Discussion support article. Additional support information can be found through the vendor's documentation page. 

Running / Upcoming Educational Technology Pilots

There are a number of pilots we are currently / planning on running ahead of the Fall 2026 / Spring 2027 semester. We invite you to learn more about the tools, and consider sharing these opportunities with the instructors you support. 
 

Tool Tool Description Interest
Speakology Speakology AI uses AI-powered avatars to give students immersive, one-on-one conversational practice in their target language. Interest Form
Boodlebox BoodleBox.ai is a collaborative AI platform designed to support teaching, learning, and research across disciplines.
Harmonize Harmonize features robust multimedia integration, allowing users to record video and audio and annotate images directly within their posts.  More Details to Follow
SchoolAI SchoolAI is an AI platform that provides Instructors and Students access to curated AI chat and assignment spaces directly within Canvas.

LIMITED TIME OPPORTUNITY: Canvas IgniteAI Testing

You are invited to explore IgniteAI, Instructure’s AI-powered features built directly into Canvas, with a secure and dedicated Canvas sandbox site. Current and early adopter capabilities include: 

  • Discussion summaries  
  • Smart search with filters  
  • Inbox and discussion translation 
  • Rubric generation  
  • Item authoring assistance  
  • Caption review 
  • Discussion insights 
  • Access to Ignite Agent (premium add-on) 

This is an opportunity to experiment and provide feedback to us on what IgniteAI features we should license to support Teaching and Learning in Canvas. Access to all IgniteAI features / tools available through June 30, 2026. 

Not sure where to start? Just want to learn more about the AI capabilities in Canvas? Consider joining us in person or over Zoom for our Canvas IgniteAI Info Session and Workshop on May 21, 2-2:55pm to learn more and get hands-on experiece with IgniteAI.

On The Horizon: Canvas Admin Access Renewal 

A reminder for our new and returning Canvas Admins that at the beginning of July we will begin the Canvas Admin Access Renewal process. 

All existing Canvas Admins will be asked to complete the training materials on WorkDay by the renewal deadline. We will follow up closer to the July renewal period with futher details, but this is just an early reminder of that expectation. Failure to complete your renewal by the deadline will result in your Canvas Admin access being removed. 

For more information about the renewal process, please reference our Canvas Admin Access and Canvas Admin Access Renewal FAQ pages.

Select Canvas Release / Deploy Notes 

Canvas has released several updates that we would like to share with you that expand functionality of pre-existing tools as well as other quality of life improvements. Please review these updates in our Spring 2026, Summer 2026, and Fall 2026 Canvas update articles. 

Upcoming Workshop & Training Opportunities

Consider registering to attend and learn, and/or share with the faculty, students, and staff you support.
 
Tuesday, May 19
Start End   Event         Location
3:00pm 3:30pm Canvas Lightning Talks Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning
Thursday, May 21
2:00pm 2:55pm Canvas Ignite AI Info Session and Workshop Hybrid (Poorvu Center | Zoom)
Monday, August 17
12:00pm 12:45pm Getting Started with Canvas (Canvas 101 Session 1): Your First Steps to Success Online Event
Tuesday, August 18
12:00pm 12:45pm Assignment Tool Kit (Canvas 101 Session 2): Creating, Customize, Collect Online Event
Wednesday, August 19
12:00pm 12:45pm Gradebook Essentials (Canvas 101 Session 3): Setup, Tips and Troubleshooting Online Event
Thursday, August 20
12:00pm 12:45pm Quizzes in Canvas (Canvas 101 Session 4): Classic vs New – What You Need to Know Online Event
Friday, August 21
9:00am 3:00pm Canvas 102: Next steps to building your course site. Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning

As always, it is a pleasure collaborating and working with you all to support Canvas @ Yale for our community. If you have questions about any of the content or topics covered in this update, please email askpoorvucenter@yale.edu or canvas@yale.edu.


Sincerely,
Canvas @ Yale

The Educational & Engagement Technology Team
Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning
 

Pilar Abuin

Senior Director
Clare Ankawi

Associate Director
Ryan Sobeck

Associate Director
Devon Barker

Assistant Director
Micah Nellums

Assistant Director