Canvas courses for 2026/27: review now against updated standards

09 Jul 2026

Canvas courses for 2026/27 are now available following rollover and colleagues are required to review their courses before students are given access.

The 2026/27 Canvas courses are now available following rollover. Colleagues should now review their courses and ensure they meet the updated Course Unit Canvas Standards before students are given access.

The standards set out the baseline expectations for all Canvas course spaces and support a clear, consistent student experience while allowing flexibility for discipline-specific course design.

Student feedback suggests that they are finding Canvas easy to navigate, and most feel comfortable using it for coursework and resources. This is further supported by positive student feedback from the EducateMCR Student Survey, with 89% satisfied or very satisfied with Canvas (and other learning platforms) - vs 77.1% last year.

Similarly, staff satisfaction levels have increased, with 67% of academic staff (up from 39%) and 63% of Professional Services staff (up from 29%) satisfied with the quality of Canvas (Jisc Digital Experience Insight Surveys).

When reviewing courses for 2026/27, please pay particular attention to the strengthened requirements around:

• appropriate use of AI, aligned with the University’s AI policy;
• digital equity, including ensuring materials are accessible and inclusive;
• clear information for students about course structure, assessment and feedback;
• embedding employability skills and competencies within assessment briefs where appropriate;
• additional desirable enhancements that support engaging and effective Canvas course design.

What colleagues need to do now

• Open your 2026/27 Canvas course and check that copied content, quizzes, files and links are working correctly.
• Review the course against the updated Course Unit Canvas Standards and make any required changes before students are given access.
• Check carefully against the updated requirements on AI, digital equity, assessment, feedback and employability.
• Seek support from your local eLearning team for new courses or major changes to course design or delivery.

The updated standards, summary guidance and examples are available to support these checks here.

If you need help applying the standards, please contact the Humanities eLearning team via Connect or use the guidance on the Humanities eLearning Canvas support site.