As faculty, we spend a lot of time in Canvas doing the hands-on work of teaching. Building rubrics, reviewing discussion participation, and communicating with students are essential, but they can also be repetitive and time-consuming. IgniteAI features are designed to appear inside those everyday Canvas workflows so you can draft, summarize, or translate faster, while you still make the final decisions.
This post highlights what you may see in Canvas now, what is expected next, and how to prepare without changing your course mid-semester
TLDR
- IgniteAI is an AI approach built into Canvas workflows, with an emphasis on transparency and educator control.
- You may see these IgniteAI features in Canvas now: Generator for Rubrics, Insights for Discussions, and Translations for Discussions, Inbox, and Announcements, Question Authoring Assistance for New Quizzes.
- IgniteAI Agent and Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader (early 2026).
- Several IgniteAI features are described as free through June 30, 2026, with some access-focused capabilities expected to remain free longer term.
What you may see now in Canvas (and how it can make life easier)
1) Generator for Rubrics
What this tool does
Generator for Rubrics creates a draft rubric from your assignment details. You can edit criteria, performance levels, and points before you use it for grading. This feature requires Enhanced Rubrics to be enabled.
When it helps most
- You want a rubric for clarity and consistency, but building one from scratch takes too long.
- You teach multiple sections or work with TAs and want more consistent grading language.
- You reuse the same assignment each term and want a faster starting point.
Practical ways to use it
- Large enrollment writing, lab, or report courses: Generate a draft rubric, then simplify criteria language so students can self-check before submitting.
- Scaffolded projects: Draft the final-project rubric first, then copy and adapt it into milestone rubrics.
2) Insights for Discussions
What this tool does
Insights for Discussions helps you review discussion activity faster. It can highlight whether replies match the prompt, where engagement is stronger or weaker, and where themes or misunderstandings may be emerging. It also supports more targeted feedback workflows connected to SpeedGrader.
When it helps most
- Your discussions are large and you cannot read everything before responding.
- You want to catch misconceptions early and address them in class or via an announcement.
- You want a faster way to see who is participating and who may need support.
Practical ways to use it
- Weekly concept check discussions: Use insights to identify the top one or two misunderstandings, then post a short clarification and reference it in class.
- Case-based courses: Use insights to find threads that drift off the case constraints, then reset expectations with a brief “what good reasoning looks like” message.
3) Translations for Discussions, Inbox, and Announcements
What this tool does
Translations lets readers translate content in Discussions, Inbox, and Announcements inside Canvas. The goal is to reduce language barriers and lower the need for copy and paste translation workflows.
When it helps most
- Your course includes multilingual learners who may understand the content but struggle with fast-moving course communication.
- You post frequent announcements with deadlines, logistics, or instructions that students must understand quickly.
- You want discussion participation to be more accessible without changing your academic standards.
Practical ways to use it
- High-stakes announcements: Keep your original message short and structured so it translates cleanly. Use consistent headings like “What,” “When,” and “What to do.”
- Discussion participation: Encourage students to focus on ideas first. Use your rubric to grade substance while translations support comprehension of peer conversation.
What’s coming next (early 2026)
What this tool does
Question Authoring Assistance drafts quiz questions for New Quizzes so you can start faster and then revise for accuracy, difficulty, and alignment to outcomes. It is also planned for Mastery.
When it helps most
- Frequent low-stakes quizzes: Draft quickly, then spend your time improving distractors and tuning difficulty.
- Multi-section courses: Draft items, then review them with a shared checklist so questions are consistent across instructors.
IgniteAI Agent, expected early 2026
What this tool is for
IgniteAI Agent is designed to help with multi-step Canvas tasks from one request, especially bulk actions and deadline adjustments.
When it helps most
- You repeatedly do “same task, many students” actions (extensions, due-date shifts, section-by-section adjustments).
- You spend too much time clicking through repetitive Canvas admin steps.
Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader, expected early 2026
What this tool does
Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader drafts feedback and suggests scoring for open-ended work, then you edit and finalize before releasing grades.
When it helps most
- You grade a lot of written responses and keep writing the same feedback patterns.
- You want faster first-draft comments so you can focus on personalized coaching.
- You want more consistent feedback language across students and sections.
A practical note on availability and the “free through” window
You may see different IgniteAI tools depending on campus rollout and Canvas settings.
Several IgniteAI features are listed as freely available through June 30, 2026, and some access-focused capabilities are listed as remaining available long-term.
How to try this without creating extra work
- Pick one workflow for one week
Choose rubrics, discussions, or announcements. Keep it small. - Use a short review checklist before publishing
- Accuracy: Is everything correct for your course content and context?
- Alignment: Does it match your learning outcomes and prompt?
- Clarity: Would a student understand this without extra explanation?
- Tone: Is it supportive and course-appropriate?
- Start low-stakes
Try it on formative work before using it on high-stakes assessments. - Keep a quick note of what you changed
This helps you build a repeatable process and supports transparency.
Need help planning a pilot, building rubrics, or designing discussions that scale? Email CRTLE@uta.edu or visit the CRTLE page.
*This post was co-authored with AI, including Microsoft Copilot.