Canvas

What is Canvas?

Founded merely fourteen years ago by educational tech company Instructure Inc, Canvas serves as a learning management platform for students and educators alike. Used by nearly 30 million users as of 2019, Canvas allows students to manage their coursework, organize academic tasks for multiple classes, view announcements from staff, and complete assignments in accordance to deadlines set by professors. Its efficient nature is admired by educators particularly, who are able to post assignments and determine grades for those who engage with the platform.

How can Canvas benefit your institution?

Canvas is already used as the primary learning management system in nearly 31% of schools, compelling competitors such as Blackboard and Brightspace to revisit and improve their application structures. Canvas, with its modernized functionality, continues to exceed the expectations of its target market. It can benefit institutions considering it has a variety of features within Canvas These include:

  • Course Navigation

  • Discussion

  • Assignments

  • Grades

  • Modules

  • Groups


Other features include:

  • Content Customization

  • Cloud Based Open Source Platforms

  • SpeedGrader

  • Learning Tools Interoperability Programs

  • Reliable Connectivity and Security

  • Mobile Integration


This reaffirms the widely considered opinion that Canvas is user-friendly and has an interactive student interface. Moreover, it provides users with to-do lists and a calendar view of future deadlines. It encourages students and educators to remain organized throughout an entirely online learning experience. Its hybrid nature is also appealing to most students. This is especially helpful during recent times where pandemics unexpectedly cause institutions to shut down temporarily. Moreover, Canvas allows educators to post announcements and provides an inbox for students. In this way, they can consistently contact their instructors through the “files,” “inbox,” and “profile” tab.


This level of efficiency and accessibility, which most competitors lack, is the reason users have chosen to implement this system. Students are able to receive above average grades while instructors are given positive feedback regarding the structure of their online courses. Canvas also provides institutions with notification preferences, technical support, and learning analytics that help shape more well-rounded students. Its seemingly "all in one" system, or duality, is the reason it has been able to accumulate 30 million users.

What are Canvas' disadvantages?

To ensure a fair exchange of information, let us now discuss the disadvantages associated with Canvas. First and foremost, the notification features are not as detailed as most educators wish. For example, assignments that are not marked specifically are supposedly wiped from the platform. The audio recording features are also not free of occasional system glitches. In regards to student-educator communication, there is no record of it until the initial message receives a response. This can be frustrating for the majority of students who expect a prompt response. Additionally, if educators are not tech savvy, it may be challenging to adapt to the learning system initially. Consequently, they may make trivial mistakes in regards to grading and rubric visibility. Depending on school funding, Canvas LMS may also not be cost affordable. However, if provided with an adequate amount of technical training, Canvas can improve efficiency and productivity levels. Although we believe the aforementioned shortcomings pale in comparison to its countless advantages, our team wanted our audience to remain informed so they can make wise decisions regarding their students' education.

How does Canvas meet the demands of different educational institutions?

Canvas’ various features has allowed it to adapt to the technologically advanced times most college students belong to. It was able to meet demands of various primary and secondary education institutions during a time when most of the country's processes had ceased abruptly. The ability to upload information from various browsers and create Zoom tabs has been helpful. We are able to provide the richest media possible in this industry. This can be proven through Canvas's innumerable efforts to provide a strong and accessible connection between students and instructors. The ability to upload audio and videos straight from the source (instructor) has left no room for miscommunication or misinformation between peers. Collaboration between peers and teaching staff is no longer dreaded because of its easy to use inbox feature. The hybrid features within the Canvas online and mobile applications has allowed instantaneous communication to become simple. Because of the extensive grade book details and notification settings, instructors are able to keep up with the demands of hundreds of students. More importantly, they are able to provide more detailed education.