The Sheridan Center's Digital Learning & Design Team would like to announce updates made in preparation for the Fall 2025 semester. If you have any questions about any of the updates below, please contact us at [email protected].
DLD Learning Technologies Canvas Support Options
Canvas Community@Brown
DLD Learning Technologist Team is excited to welcome you to our Canvas Community@Brown site. This resource features the latest news about our Brown Canvas environment, user recommendations, and quick links to Canvas support guides. Besides being a hub for Canvas information, users can join our Community listserv and provide user feedback to Canvas admins at Brown.
To start exploring the community, please visit the Canvas Community@Brown page.
Canvas Office Hours
DLD will once again be offering 15-minute Canvas Office Hours starting August 27th and throughout shopping period. Please use this scheduling link to find and book your session.
Canvas Feature Enhancements Updates
The following enhancements have been updated/configured for Canvas and will automatically appear in your Canvas course sites:
Differentiation Tags
Canvas Differentiation Tags is a new feature allowing teachers to create and manage custom student-only groups within a single course from the People page in Canvas. Unlike traditional sections or groups, these tags are not visible to students and offer a more flexible approach for various instructional and organizational needs. This new feature can be leveraged for controlling assignment access, gradebook filtering, messaging and accommodation tracking.
Additional details can be found on the related article: What Are Canvas Differentiation Tags?
Dyslexia Friendly Font
Canvas has added the new accessibility feature, Dyslexia Friendly Font which allows users to change the font for the entire application to one that increases readability for readers with dyslexia.
This font can be enabled by users via their Canvas settings page or by toggling the switch located in your profile tray as seen in the video below.
To learn more about this offering, please read this release page.
Files UI Redesign
In July 2025, the Canvas Files redesign was released to enhance the accessibility and functionality of file management. This update is part of a broader initiative to create a more inclusive tool for all users.
Please note that the redesigned Files page no longer includes the folder tree view. If you prefer the previous view, a toggle button is available on the page that allows you to switch back to the classic view through the end of 2025.
For more details on how to use the new Files feature, please review the Canvas File release page and the article: How do I use Files?
Split Student Names column in the Gradebook
New to our Canvas Gradebook, you can split student names into separate first and last name columns, which can be useful for sorting and managing your students more efficiently. To accomplish this, navigate to the Grades section of your course. Then, click the Settings icon (represented by a gear) and select the View Options tab. Finally, select the checkbox for Split Student Names.
Full details of this feature are located at the How do I view the Split Student Names column in the Gradebook? article.
Canvas Integrated Tool Updates
Harmonize Enhancements: Peer Review and Annotations
Peer Review Assignments now available in Harmonize
This July, Harmonize, a Brown-supported discussion tool, introduced the Peer Review assignment feature. Harmonize peer review simplifies the process with multiple due dates, auto-grading, and automatic peer assignments. The Peer Review feature supports audio, video, and screen recordings for submissions and comments which enhances student engagement.
To learn more please visit the Harmonize Peer Review Guide which includes an interactive demo on how to Create a Peer Review Assignment and Peer Review FAQ.
Harmonize Supports Annotation for all PDFs, including students uploaded work
In May 2025, Harmonize added annotation tools for student-uploaded files, including PDFs, DOCs, and PPTs. In any discussion or assignment, you can now use the highlight and pin-drop annotation features to critique student work.
Please note, the following file size limitation: Harmonize automatically converts Word and PowerPoint files under 10MB to PDF. Files over 10MB must be uploaded as PDF directly.
For more information watch the Harmonize Annotations video.
Previous Update Articles
If you would like to review any updates you may have missed, please check out our previous articles linked on our DLD Learning Technology Updates and Release Notes page.