Tag Archives: Canvas

New Canvas Integration With Google Revealed

Kuala Lumpur，20 January 2017 — Canvas by Instructure today released a deep, seamless integration with Google tools that allows students and teachers to use Google while working inside of Canvas, effectively eliminating the need to constantly switch between separate tabs and log-ins. This integration helps increase productivity for teachers and students who use Canvas and Google Drive by streamlining their workflow, and merges the capabilities of Google Docs and the Canvas LMS platform.

“Most of the teachers we work with use Google in their classrooms, and they want to use Canvas and Google without switching back and forth between two interfaces. Our educator user base is very excited about this integration because it will make their lives easier,” said Melissa Loble, the Vice President of partners and platform at Instructure. “Now teachers, students and administrators alike can use Google’s best tools directly inside of Canvas. This integration allows schools to continue having students work in the software they use now, and will use after they get their diplomas and jobs in the real world.”

The Canvas Integration With Google

The integration includes many points of interoperability, such as:

Single sign-on: With a single login, when users are logged into Canvas, they’re also logged into Google.
Google Drive embedding and linking: Users can easily embed documents from Google Drive anywhere they use the Canvas rich content editor.
Google Docs as assignments: With this new integration, students can submit Google Docs as assignments, and teachers can use a Google Doc to give an assignment and to grade submitted assignments in Speedgrader by editing or annotating the Google Doc submitted by the student.
Google Drive collaborations: Students can participate in a Canvas collaboration using Google Docs, Sheets or Slides.
Modules: Teachers can include a read-only Google Doc in their modules.

The Canvas Google integration benefits teachers, students and administrators. The integration helps teachers create and add collaborative documents from Google, view their Google Drive files from the Canvas Course Navigation Menu, and save time in finding and sharing files. Because Canvas seamlessly integrates with Google Drive, teachers can create assignments and annotate directly on the Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets as they grade them.

[adrotate banner=”4″]

For students, the new integration promotes collaboration with classmates and teachers and enables them to view teacher feedback on Google Docs and save time submitting documents. The integration also helps administrators leverage standards-based technology and Google’s wealth of educational features with no additional cost. The simplified workflow created by the integration also promotes greater adoption of the technology, which increases productivity.

“Canvas believes that schools should be able to bring the best tools together so that teachers can focus on teaching and not on technology. Traditional LMS/VLE environments force teachers to use the tools they alone provide or created fractured environments where students and teachers needed to log into several systems. Canvas is the first to bring the true power of Google apps for Education (GAFE) into a centralised Learning environment for teachers and students. Teachers can quickly share documents with students, create collaborative documents, slides or sheets and even allow students to submit work for assessment. With only a couple of clicks in Canvas, you have a truly unified environment,” concluded Troy Martin, Vice President, Canvas Asia Pacific.

This integration allows for seamless, simultaneous use of Canvas and Google, with both platforms transforming today’s K–12 and higher education classrooms.

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

Technology-Driven Education: Rethinking Employability In 2017

Leave a reply

2016 saw a shift from personalized learning to student centered learning. Students demanded always on, anytime learning, coupled with the provision of modern learning tools that were a catalyst for independent, self-directed learning. Universities took notice in 2016 and have already begun the evolution process, spurred by the demands on their well-informed students.

The shift towards a more student centered learning environment allowed teachers to deliver problem solving, and outcome based self-directed learning, which increased student autonomy over time, skills that were imperative as each student prepares for today’s workforce.

Moving into 2017, Canvas foresees an even bigger demand for student centered learning, spurred by four digitally-driven educational disruptions – analytics, open technologies, preparatory education and 24/7 access to course materials. These four trends will force academic institutions to re-evaluate the services they offer with a focus on enhancing the student experience.

Four Major Technology-Driven Education Disruptions

Analytics: Harnessing the Power of Data

A decade ago, it was easy to find education leaders who dismissed student achievement data as having only limited use for improving schools or school systems. Today, we have come full circle with the education industry broadly embracing data-based decision making and research-based practice. In 2017, Canvas predicts the education market will adopt analytics-based modelling, using data to make more accurate predictions about performance. They also expect a shift towards big data, where sharing machine data between schools will allow for insights at the industry level, not just the institution level.

Researchers however, warn that this enthusiastic embrace of data must not move the industry directly from blind resistance to performance measures with an inflexible reliance on metrics that uses data in a passive way to predict success. Rather, success will depend on how schools harness data for good, and turn tests and measures into actionable insights. Being able to alter teaching quickly to address student needs can increase student engagement and motivation, and ultimately, improve results.

Open Technologies: The Year of Open Source

Technology experts are united in the view that schools and colleges can reap the same benefits of virtualisation and cloud services as their counterparts in commercial industries. But despite this assertion, many schools have been reluctant to embrace this new technology. In 2017, we’ll see lingering concerns around privacy and security diminish as institutions build closer relationships with technology providers, working in partnership to build systems that are adaptable, safe and able to evolve within an agile ICT environment. Cloud computing will help unleash the next wave of tech-enabled innovation in schools by enabling educators to change the way that courses are delivered to a new generation of tech savvy, social students.

In 2017, we will also see other tech-providers following Canvas’ lead as they embrace open technology and move away from a proprietary model. As the industry asks, “which is better: a product created by a handful of developers, or one built by a community of thousands?” the role of collaboration in technology development will become more pressing and prominent. A move to open source will lead to bold innovation and will empower schools to shape the products they buy to meet their own challenges.

24/7 Student Experience: Always Learning

With students calling for always-on access to course materials, institutions will demand improved availability from their technology partners.

Cloud computing or managed services will again prove appealing as institutions realise the value of consumption versus ownership. But maintaining uptime and data integrity requires trust, which many technology vendors will have to build with the schools and colleges they serve. When selecting a partner in 2017, institutions must navigate those issues, considering uptime, reliability and a partner’s credentials to ensure that they have robust disaster recovery procedures.

Preparatory Education: Teaching for Life

[adrotate banner=”4″]

Global research by Canvas showed that just 10 percent of students believe that their education adequately prepares them for the workplace. Pressure from students, combined with an increasing need for institutions to demonstrate the return on investment from education will put renewed focus on employability in 2017. Higher education institutions particularly must adapt or die, demonstrating their value by fuelling the economy with graduates primed to succeed at work.

Whether it’s changing curricula to allow for lengthier work placements or updating course materials to ensure relevancy, there are many ways universities can adapt to focus on employability. But the key is to ensure students are primed for lifelong learning. Instead of teaching students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, teachers are too often asking them to memorise facts and regurgitate rote materials. In 2017, institutions at all levels must redress the balance, helping to create a learning environment that teaches the skills needed for employment and citizenship—instead of focusing on classroom tests and measures.

An Opportunity Not to be Missed

Our 2017 outlook covers a diverse range of issues but all our predictions are shaped in some form by digital disruption, the global force that continues to drive nearly every industry. But while many sectors have embraced this tech-driven opportunity to re-invent themselves, the structure and processes of education institutions have remained largely unaltered.

The year 2017 presents an opportunity for educators to catch up. For us, the year ahead is ‘do or die’ for educators who have a clear opportunity to dramatically enhance teaching and learning, and to deliver more value to students through the proactive and strategic use of technology.

Support Tech ARP!

Only 25% Of Malaysian Undergraduates Prepared For Work

Leave a reply

15 November 2016 – Canvas by Instructure, the open online learning management system (LMS) that makes teaching and learning easier, has revealed the results of a recent study, highlighting the importance of student centered learning amongst Malaysian undergraduates.

Only 25% Of Malaysian Undergraduates Feel Prepared For Work

The research, which surveyed 500 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities, found that 52% of Malaysian university students believe that their universities are providing them with modern technology and teaching that delivers a personalized learning experience. A further 77% of undergraduates say that the teaching methods experienced at university are more in tune with their learning styles than those experienced at school.

The research also reveals the importance of university education in preparing for employment, with 65% of students indicating that their university courses play a vital role in increasing their chances of employment, putting the onus on Malaysian universities to empower students with the necessary skills and tools they need to adapt to today’s workforce upon graduation.

Troy Martin, Director of APAC for Canvas, remarked, “Our research suggests that whilst Malaysian Universities have a good understanding of the importance of delivering personalised learning, only 25% of students say they are prepared for employment. Universities still have some opportunities in terms of delivering education experiences that prepare students for the world of work.

With only 25% of students saying that university courses are teaching them the skills for employment, there is pressure from undergraduates to ensure their chances of employability are maximized upon graduation. It matters so much that 33% would pay extra to be certain their course was relevant to employers.

[adrotate banner=”4″]

It’s fortunate that their demands have not gone unnoticed, with Malaysian Universities evolving toward student centered learning through the provision of modern learning tools. Already, 42% of students say that they have fast broadband access to support video interaction with tutors, and 41% say that they have access to virtual learning environments (VLE), which enables collaborative problem solving and self-directed learning, all crucial in establishing a student centered learning environment. A further 58% of students say that their universities enable them to collaborate with potential employers.

Martin explains, “The increase in focus on employment as a measurement of education success, is driving student centered learning in education across the globe. Because learning at school can be highly-structured and heavily teacher-directed, there is a dichotomy of experience when students enter the workforce. The world outside of school requires students to be able to self-direct their work in low-structured environments that seasoned experts thrive in.

“We are encouraged that fundamentally, personalized learning is at the core for most university students in Malaysia, but as Malaysia moves toward its goal of being a developed nation by 2020, providing basic technology and internet access will no longer be sufficient to enable student centered learning. At Canvas, we aim to enable student centered learning, allowing teachers to deliver problem solving, and outcome based self-directed learning, which increases student autonomy over time, skills that are imperative as each student prepares for today’s workforce,” concluded Martin.

Support Tech ARP!

Instructure Announces Canvas Integration With Office 365

Leave a reply

27 July 2016 — Canvas by Instructure , a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter, announced recently at InstructureCon the Canvas integration with Microsoft Office 365 to provide instructors and learners around the world with an improved educational experience.

“Teachers need these new capabilities for their education platforms, and we have continuously focused on providing the best technology we could design and build,” said Mitch Benson, Vice President of Canvas Product. “What happened next was that two of edtech’s most established forces connected and worked together to meet the expressed needs of these educators. We’re extremely proud of the result and can’t wait to roll it out to our robust, global list of educational institutions.”

Responding to the needs of educators, representatives from the Canvas Platform Team collaborated with Microsoft to help develop improvements to the Canvas base platform that facilitate the best integration experience possible for their millions of users. The Canvas Platform Team believes this integration will be both a model and a catalyst for change to propel greater innovation to rusty technology in edtech.

“Across the Asia Pacific region, schools rely heavily on Canvas and Microsoft for their daily educational functions, and these platforms have grown essential to the learning process of our K–12, further and higher education teachers and students,” said Troy Martin, Director, Asia Pacific, Instructure. “The integration of two of our most prominently used technologies will only help further streamline and enhance learning development within each classroom.”

Canvas has millions of active users and is employed by hundreds of universities and colleges in 40 countries. Canvas combines innovative education tools, a platform for hosting those tools and institutions using the platform to transform learning and teaching in the classroom. The Canvas integration with Microsoft follows other critical Canvas innovations, including a transformation of their user interface.

“Our relationship with Canvas helps us bring the best tools for learning into the classroom. We know teachers and students are strapped for time and we want to help them focus on what’s really important: teaching and learning,” said Eran Megiddo, Corporate Vice President of engineering, Education at Microsoft. “By integrating Office 365 with Canvas, teachers and students can now collaborate online with Office 365, including OneNote Class Notebooks, Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly within their Canvas LMS, saving valuable time so the teachers can remain focused on their students, and students can leverage the best tools available and focus on learning.”

[adrotate banner=”5″]

Canvas Integration With Office 365

Canvas and Microsoft provide seven main points of interoperability that make using the Canvas integration with Office 365 seamless. Those points are:

Submit files directly from Office 365 into Canvas Assignments.
Access Office 365 documents through SpeedGrader to add feedback.
Link Office 365 documents anywhere you use the Rich Content Editor.
Include Office 365 documents in your Modules.
Create Collaborations using any type of Office document.
Create and grade assignments in your Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook, then push those grades to Canvas.
Sign in to Canvas with your Office 365 login using single sign-on.

Support Tech ARP!

Instructure Expands Canvas LMS In APAC

Leave a reply

28 APRIL 2016 – Instructure, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company and creator of the Canvas LMS (learning management system), announced today that it has grown its operations in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region by doubling its staff. Additionally, four prestigious customers in the APAC region have selected Canvas as their LMS of choice, bringing a modern learning platform to schools and universities across the region.

Canvas was recently implemented by SCEGGS Darlinghurst in Sydney, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, SIM University in Singapore, and University of Auckland in New Zealand. In addition to the four customer wins, Canvas has more than doubled its headcount within the sales, marketing, and customer success functions across APAC over the past 12 months.

Troy Martin, Director of APAC for Canvas said of the LMS’ momentum within the region: “The success that Canvas has seen over the past 12 months in the APAC region indicates that there is a growing and real need for cutting edge technology that becomes an enabler, allowing the institutions we work with to deliver the best and most compelling learning experience possible.

“We’ve seen how progressive Asia-Pacific can be when it comes to driving innovation in education and student-centred learning, and Canvas is uniquely placed to facilitate that transition towards a digital teaching model. Our APAC customers, including SCEGGS, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, SIM University and University of Auckland have selected Canvas as their LMS platform partner of choice to tackle head-on the challenges and opportunities presented by the global education marketplace. We are delighted to be working with them moving forward.”

SCEGGS Darlinghurst, an independent Anglican girls school of 920 students based in Sydney, is planning to roll out Canvas to the school in May 2016. Ken Emeleus, Director of ICT said that the school had selected Canvas LMS due to the platform’s solid feature set, user experience, and manageability.

“A significant number of our staff were not engaging with our previous solution. They felt it was inefficient and provided a poor user experience.” said Emeleus. “The team at Canvas really recognised the need for schools to follow their own processes when choosing technology solutions.”

Following years of using its homegrown LMS, the University of Auckland – New Zealand’s most highly ranked university – recognized the need to find a modern platform that would provide greater usability and functionality for its faculty and students. Specifically, the university – which boasts over 33,000 students and nearly 5,000 staff – wanted a system that would integrate seamlessly with external tools and applications that the faculty use, while also working across operating systems and devices that students expect to use in conducting their learning.

Dr. Kevin Morris, Director of Teaching and Learning at University of Auckland notes that “the shift to Canvas LMS is an important part of our plan to enhance the learning experience, by providing our staff and students with a flexible, modern tool to support student success.”

[adrotate banner=”5″]

For The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (the Academy), which has a 1,500-strong staff and student body, selecting Canvas was an integral part of meeting the academy’s 10-year strategic plan, in which they sought new technologies that would ‘enrich educational opportunities for students, enhance international engagement, and improve operational efficiency.’

Head of the Academy’s Innovation Hub (iHub), Peter Duffy, says, “The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts chose Canvas LMS for a two-year trial because of its ease of use and intuitive design, as well as the high quality of technical support provided. We were also particularly impressed with Canvas’ ability to demonstrate how its platform excelled by providing a benchmark across other performing arts institutions.”

SIM University (UniSIM) in Singapore, which has 13,600 students, also chose Canvas as its LMS of record. UniSIM’s Director of Learning Systems and Applications, Chye Seng Lee shared that the University has been using the incumbent LMS since 2006, and had started to evaluate and identify a future-ready LMS platform that can better meet the University’s teaching and learning needs for the years ahead in January 2015.

“’Future-readiness’ refers to the teaching and learning requirements required by the new and modern online learning environment that we envisage our students and faculty to be using in the near future. We chose Canvas because it is more forward-looking and future-ready, and matched our key teaching and learning requirements in the areas of ease of use, mobile learning, social earning, outcomes assessment, learning analytics and learning personalisation,” says Lee.