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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Canvas

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/AInstructure is an educational software company based in Sandy, Utah. It is the developer of the Canvas learning management system, which is a comprehensive software package that competes with such systems as Blackboard Learning System, SumTotal and Saba.N/A

    MindTap

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AMindTap is an eLearning course management solution from Cengage, a digital learning content and technology provider. For educators, it includes pre-made interactive course materials (such as homework assignments, assessments, etc.), analytics around student engagement and performance, and the ability to customize courses. For students, MindTap offers a mobile app to access eBooks, flashcards, quizzes, grades, and due date reminders.N/A
    Pricing
    CanvasMindTap
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    CanvasMindTap
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsMust contact vendor for pricing information.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    CanvasMindTap
    Considered Both Products
    Instructure
    No answer on this topic
    Cengage
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    88%
    Would buy again
    21 Answers
    86%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    88%
    Happy with the feature set
    21 Answers
    86%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    86%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Features
    CanvasMindTap
    Learning Management
    Comparison of Learning Management features of Canvas and Cengage MindTap
    Feature
    Canvas
    9.0
    42 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Cengage MindTap
    -
    Ratings
    Course authoring8.142 Ratings00 Ratings
    Course catalog or library9.838 Ratings00 Ratings
    Player/Portal9.932 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning content9.035 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile friendly9.041 Ratings00 Ratings
    Progress tracking & certifications8.138 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assignments8.142 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance management9.033 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning administration9.037 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning reporting & analytics9.039 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social learning9.034 Ratings00 Ratings
    Gamification9.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    CanvasMindTap
    Small Businesses
    Google Classroom
    Score8 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Schoology Learning
    Score8 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    D2L Brightspace
    Score7.8 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    CanvasMindTap
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.3
    (84 ratings)
    9.5
    (8 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.3
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    9.4
    (10 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (11 ratings)
    9.9
    (3 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    CanvasMindTap
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Instructure
    It is really well suited for school situations like knowing what [assignments] need to be done when, getting feedback, getting points, finding the slides that the teacher used for explaining an [assignment] or theory. I think It would be less suited in business situations because it's [primarily] made to be a [one-way] communication tool for schools. Businesses need more control on individual levels I think[.]
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    We started using the application optimally at the beginning as a digital learning and consultation platform. In it we imported all kinds of bibliographic material so that students could access them with the ease of a tap. The application is perfect for those instructors who are not beginners in HTML. In that case, the application very practically allows them to create a complete course in the shortest possible time because it has a state-of-the-art instructional design. It was excellent for unifying all the basic course plans between teachers teaching the same subject, giving the advantage that all courses at the same level would have exactly the same information and nothing would be overlooked
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Instructure
    • Creativity options for teachers to create a virtual space that still has fun graphics and accessibility options.
    • Canvas has versatility in viewing options for assignment due dates such as the calendar built in feature as well as the dashboard options to display upcoming and due assignments.
    • Allowing teachers to create community with each other and collaborate in each-other's space.
    • Discussion platforms within classrooms for students to communicate with each-other and with their teachers.
    • Easy messaging portal within each virtual classroom.
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    • digital textbook platform with accessibility tools (read-aloud, note taking)
    • interactive exercises and practice tools
    • assessments including self-check quizzes and customizable exams
    • LTI integration to pass grade information to learning management system
    • excellent support for faculty
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Instructure
    • Their integration with Big Blue Button was a bust for distance learning. Would be great to see them collaborate with Zoom or Google Meets.
    • Their "feature request" process is slow and cumbersome at times because it relies on user "up votes" to get ideas addressed by the developers.
    • They seem to have a lot of turn-over with their staff. We get a new Customer Success Manager far more frequently than with other vendors.
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    • The biggest issue our first-time users have with Mindtap is that ad/pop-up blockers often stop the tool from opening. (Mindtap typically opens in a new window vs inside the LMS) This leads to a lot of initial frustration amongst the students early in the course.
    • MindTap lacks a really strong set of roles outside of Instructor and Student. There is no Teaching Assistant role or and IT/Course Builder role. Additionally setting up students workers as TAs in one course while they may be a student in another concurrently has been more than a little cumbersome.
    • The UI is a bit dated and it doesn't implement many responsive web design features, though this can typically be worked around by downloading the free app.
    • The mobile app experience is not as strong for Instructors as it is for students.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Instructure
    The other LMS tools have fallen behind. One reason is they are not able to update their systems, features, toolsets in a timely manner. While other LMS providers release bug fixes and new features several times a year, schools struggle to install and implement them in a timely manner. It is not uncommon for a school to take 6 months to a year to fully install and implement new releases on other LMS platforms. With Canvas, those features are released every 3 weeks, and there is nothing for a school to do other than choose to turn them on once released. This has allowed Instructure to innovate faster, and get new features and tools to customers quicker. Other factors include great pricing, customer support, and the innovative way in which LTI is implemented in the tool.
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    It's hard to imagine not renewing it as the professors would not want to go back to the way their courses were previously populated. The only thing that would cause us to change would be in the textbook changed and the new company offered a better tool
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Instructure
    The functions in Canvas are well integrated and consistent across the application, and mostly intuitive. Overall navigation and setup is streamlined through integrated features and navigation. The feedback we've gotten from our program participants is that it is easy to learn to use. It also integrates well with third party software like Google Docs and Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing software
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    Very easy to use.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Instructure
    I do not personally use Canvas support since we have a central office that helps us. However, our central office always has the answers we need and are always able to solve our issues - so I would assume that get great support from the Canvas team on their end. They also offer great training, which uses materials directly from Canvas
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    The effort from them always feels strong - I'd just recommend they be more prepared for OS (mac) and LMS (blackboard) upgrades
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Instructure
    The training sessions were broken down into several days as well as different levels depending upon the knowledge of the user
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Instructure
    The online tutorials and videos are very clear and addressed the issues/questions that I had about using the system.
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Instructure
    Once you purchase and sign the contract there is nothing to install or hardware to buy. You can almost immediately start using it and have courses up and going within weeks. We signed in December and had pilot courses online ready to go for the start of school in January
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    It worked seamlessly with Blackboard
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    Alternatives Considered
    Instructure
    Canvas is more secure, has a cleaner design, and has more features. For the features, they have in common canvas still stacks up against [Smart school] by going for the extra mile. Besidfor e that, [the] canvas looks a lot more [professional] than [Smart school]. I didn't make the decision myself to get canvas instead of [Smart school] but I'm happy they did.
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    Cengage
    MindTap is the only learning software I currently use, but in the past I have used Pearson and McGraw Hill learning content. All of these companies are progresses at a similar rate and making great improvements to their educational materials. MindTap, in my opinion has the best customer service support and representatives in the business. Our rep. has been very responsive.
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    Return on Investment
    Instructure
    • Canvas has helped us provide a more robust online component to our courses.
    • Canvas has helped us better adapt to a rapidly changing educational landscape.
    • Canvas has reduced the time that we have to spend training faculty on how to use our learning management system.
    Incentivized
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    Cengage
    • The positive impact is to help students practice statistics to solve business problems.
    • The negative side is that the pricing might be too high compared to other free options available, even though the free options might not have the same features MindTap has.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots