Learning Management Systems

Canvas LMS

Analysis & Review By: Korey Grexton

Introduction to Canvas

Source: Giphy

Canvas is a product by company called Instructure. Instructure got its start in 2008 as a start-up tech company. It introduced the first iteration of Canvas LMS in 2010 for the state of Utah. In the following year, the LMS was released to the public. Since then, Instructure has produced several branches of the Canvas LMS and expanded to other educational tools and products. (Our Story and Commitment to Education, n.d.) Canvas LMS satisfies the Level IV of the ESSA (Every Student Success Act). It commits "to ensure equitable access to high-quality instructional experiences for all K-12 students and to serve as a learning hub for students, educators, administrators, and families" (Canvas LMS: ESSA Level IV K-12 Logic Model, n.d.).

Content for Learning: How Does It Work?

Canvas has a very thorough sharing system for teachers using a product called Canvas Commons. Educators can keep their content limited to the creator, share with the teachers of a school or web of schools, and/or with any Canvas Commons user. The resource data is extremely customizable with options to include Copyright licenses, Metadata, and Grade Levels. Resources from other teachers can be copied and edited to suit the assessment or lesson. Educators can share content such as "assignments, modules, quizzes, pages, and discussions" (How Do I Share a Resource to Commons?, 2023). There are other options to share such as direct share, importing/exporting, templates and blueprints as noted in the community forum (Sharing Content in Canvas, 2022).

Figure 1. A few sharing and license options. Adapted From: (How Do I Share a Resource to Commons?, 2023)

Parent-Teacher Communication

Figure 2. A video explaining how parents can use Canvas effectively. Source: (Instructure: The Makers of Canvas, 2020) .

Canvas is available on all browsers, as well as iOS, and Android apps. This means that parents and teachers can access their accounts from anywhere. Some featuers are limited depending on the settings placed by the teacher or administrators, as well as what platform a parent uses. For example, a parent can view collaborations on the web but not on Android/iOS features (Canvas Parent Mobile Features, 2023). The video on the left shows how a parent can navigate the dashboard for their elementary grade children as well as some of the features that are available.

Most importantly are the Course Features which allows parents and teachers to directly monitor and communicate about students' in these areas:

Quizzes, assessments, submissions, and rubrics.
Deadlines, announcements, and newsletters.
Collaborations, discussions, conferences, and messages.
Files, Grading, Modules, Pages, People, Quizzes, and Modules.

Teachers can use the Canvas app to directly message parents to make inquiries about progress or submissions. Teachers can send reminders as alerts which parents receive on their devices as notifications (Canvas Parent Mobile Features, 2023)

Follow the link here to get more details about the features across different platforms.

Assessment Tools

In Canvas, teachers can design, edit, and assign various types of assessments in within the Canvas dashboard. They can supplement their assessments by using Mastery Connect. Click through the slideshow to see a description of each type of assessment tool. Please note that the information is cited below and at the end of the presentation.

My Recommendation / Pros & Cons

Between all of the other Learning Management Systems explored in this activity, I think that Canvas is the best suited for my campus. Considering all of the pros and cons I talked about in my video, it would best support my priorities as a teacher.

Adaption Process at My School

Adaption of the Canvas LMS would begin with an assessment of my school's needs. I would need to identify what areas my school is struggling with meeting (for example, consistent parent communication, compilation of data, and/or HR needs for administration). I could do this with a survey sent out to teachers, leadership, and administration. After identifying those areas, I could present the tools and features of the Canvas LMS and offer a list of features that support the identified needs and problem areas, as well as the cost. For example, I would suggest the larger packages to host the data requirements of my school. I would help them create a pricing plan so that they could anticipate costs for years to come. This may also require a consultation with the Instructure company itself in order to customize the tools and features of Canvas LMS. For example, my school would need integration with other tech tools like Nearpod. Thirdly, I would set up training so that teachers and administration can use the tools to their fullest extent. Following this, I would have to help migrate existing data (grade books, student rosters, etc) to the system. Once the LMS is up and running, I think it's important to check in with continuous feedback (survey data) so that the LMS is being used properly and so I can address any gaps in knowledge or in tools to accommodate the school's needs. Canvas LMS also has a good online community to help support any technical issues.

The Process:

1) Assessment of School Needs

2) Presentation of Canvas LMS Tools & Features

3) Consultation for Customization via Canvas LMS Team

4) Training

5) Migration of Data

6) Feedback for Support/Technical Issues/Updates

References

Bouchrika, I. (2024, January 18). Software JAN 18, 2024 Canvas LMS Review 2024: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons, Ratings & More. Research. Retrieved March 12, 2024, from https://research.com/software/canvas-lms-review
Canvas Assessments FAQs - FSU Canvas Support Center. (n.d.). https://support.canvas.fsu.edu/kb/article/785-canvas-assessments-faqs/
Canvas LMS: ESSA Level IV K-12 Logic Model. (n.d.). Instructure. https://www.instructure.com/resources/research-reports/canvas-lms-essa-level-iv-k-12-logic-model
Canvas Parent Mobile features. (2023, April 25). Instructure Community. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Resource-Documents/Canvas-Parent-Mobile-Features/ta-p/405088
Feedback on modern controls in canvas apps - inflexibility in color customization. (2023, October 17). https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Feedback-on-Modern-Controls-in-Canvas-Apps-Inflexibility-in/td-p/2402619
Hosting for Canvas LMS - Managed Canvas LMS servers. (2023, September 21). WebHostingZone. https://www.webhostingzone.org/solutions/canvas-lms-hosting.html
How do I share a resource to Commons? (2023, December 18). Instructure Community. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Commons/How-do-I-share-a-resource-to-Commons/ta-p/1798
How do I use peer review assignments in a course? (2024, February 29). Instructure Community. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-peer-review-assignments-in-a-course/ta-p/697
How to create assignments for your canvas course – University Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). https://teaching.pitt.edu/resources/how-to-create-assignments-for-your-canvas-course/
Instructure: The Makers of Canvas. (2020, April 8). Canvas LMS for parents [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-5sWZODhY8
Meet Mastery Connect. (n.d.). Instructure. https://www.instructure.com/resources/videos/meet-mastery-connect
Our story and commitment to education. (n.d.). Instructure. https://www.instructure.com/about/our-story
Sharing content in canvas. (2022, August 12). Instructure Community. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Resource-Documents/Sharing-Content-in-Canvas/ta-p/533199#toc-hId-923983162
TrustRadius. (2023, September 10). Canvas 101 [Video]. TrustRadius. https://www.trustradius.com/products/canvas/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons#reviews

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