Canvas
1. What is Canvas?
Canvas is a web-based, flexible and open platform learning management system (LMS) used by learning institutions, educators, and students worldwide to access and manage online course learning materials and communicate development and learning achievements. Canvas includes a variety of customizable course creation and management tools, course and user analytics and statistics, and internal communication tools. It allows teachers and educators to create and present online learning materials and assess student learning. Additionally, while Canvas is primarily a web-based software, any user can access Canvas on a mobile device from the Canvas Teacher, Canvas Student, and Canvas Parent apps.
2. How can Canvas make learning more personalized?
Canvas includes a variety of built-in course construction and management tools that can be customized to create personalized learning assignments. Teachers may create and share individually adapted tasks or course content using Assignments, Discussions, Modules, Quizzes, and Pages, that are not visible to everyone. They may also choose to foster a collaborative learning experience using Collaborations, Conferences, and Groups. Canvas also allows teachers to measure and track student skill development and learning achievement which supports further personalized and differentiated teaching. While many schools develop their own teaching materials, the tool offers an app library with a wide array of interactive resources, content repositories, assessment tools, social media integrations, and other digital learning and teaching resources that can be used for flipped learning. In sum, Canvas offers the “infrastructure” to facilitate personalized learning but ultimately the level of personalization will depend on teachers’ orchestration in and outside of the classroom and their ability to differentiate teaching based on students needs.
3. What to consider when implementing Canvas?
Canvas is often introduced in schools or higher education as part of educational ecosystem however it can serve as an inspiration for how to implement personalized learning through ICT in a holistic way.
4. Where can I get started with Canvas?
You can read more about Canvas at: https://www.instructure.com/en-gb/canvas
