Overview

Canvas is a learning platform that is taking schools by storm. It was created by Instructure, a company founded by Brian Whitmer and Devlin Daley in 2008, two graduates of Brigham Young University in Utah. It was first funded by the founder of Mozy, Josh Coates, (Mozy was an online backup service for users of both Windows and MacOS) who is now the executive chairman of the board, and also by Epic Ventures, which is an online infrastructure in the early stage of software. Instructure has now become a large company who strive to “…help students innovate and students succeed.” Dan Goldsmith is now the CEO. Many schools not only have begun using their software Canvas but rely on it. It is extremely beneficial for both students and teachers. Seeing as it is becoming so popular, I have decided to review it by discussing its pros and cons.

Pros

Different versions for students and teachers
Courses can be set up by teachers for different classes or extracurricular activities
Convenient publishing of work and resources in different forms
Work and resources are (usually) easy to access for students
Useful function of submission by file upload

The teacher can set up due date or time limit for assignments
The teacher can release marks and feedback which the student can easily view
Space for class or group discussions by posting replies and questions
Video conferencing is also available for class discussions and group collaboration
Teachers can give announcements to entire courses or send messages individually
Students can also send messages to teachers or peers
Students are notified by email for announcements, work, marks and comments

As seen by the extensive list of pros, Canvas is extremely useful and versatile particularly as education largely begins to rely on the internet and technology. It has many functions that allow students to learn and excel and for students and teachers to keep in contact. Teachers can also easily monitor a student’s progress and effectively grade them. It is also useful for group collaboration. Canvas has also been extremely beneficial to schools during this pandemic, as many schools have been forced to go online.

Cons

Application only available to iOS, has to be accessed by website on a computer or laptop
Auto marking is very difficult to set up
Large files can be difficult to upload and view
Requires very high-level internet connection to function properly
Links and files can sometimes be difficult to view for students and teachers

Canvas does have its limitations which can be quite stressful. The website generally works well but can sometimes cause problems. Auto marking really only works for multiple choice. If a worded answer is being auto marked, then the answer must be very specific. Differences as small as capital letters can result in the student not receiving the appropriate marks. Some of these problems do have their solutions, but they are still quite inconvenient, and can cause great stress and trouble for both students and teachers. However, the cons are greatly outweighed by the pros.

In conclusion Canvas is an excellent, if not essential addition to schools. It is extremely beneficial to both students and teachers and broadens opportunities for learning. With a dynamic range of features, it has revolutionized how schools are run. It has proved extremely useful, particularly during the current Corona Virus pandemic. Although it does have its limitations, it plays a significant role in education, and any schools that do not use it must reconsider.

Works Cited

Epic Ventures. (n.d.). Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wasatch-venture-fund

Instructure. (2020). Canvas The Learning Managment Platform. Retrieved from Instructure: https://www.instructure.com/canvas/en-au

Wikipedia. (2020, May 30). Brigham Young University. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigham_Young_University

Wikipedia. (2020, May 8). Instructure. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructure

Wikipedia. (2020, April 9). Mozy. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozy