Canvasing for Canvas?!?
September 24, 2015
Canvasing for Canvas?!?
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Modules Used
- All Modules
Overall Satisfaction with Canvas
Canvas is in use across the whole organization. It serves as our academic LMS. We moved from Blackboard Learn to Canvas. I was one of the early proponents of Canvas. I was the only instructor to use it in the pre-pilot and then one of few that used it in the formal pilot. I contributed to the decision to go with Canvas over Blackboard. I also wrote a technology grant to fund its implementation and developed training that helped with the successful transition.
- Outcomes in Canvas are fantastic, especially when enabled by rubrics for grading.
- Video integration using Kaltura was great for submitting quick video feedback on assignments.
- The no-folder approach is great in Canvas. Everything is visible at the first and second level to students and instructors.
- The visibility of points, due dates etc. in the module view was just fantastic.
- Canvas did not support SCORM. This was a major drawback for some. We solved the problem by hosting our tutorials elsewhere, but it was a painful workaround.
- The Blackboard course porting was not smooth. We took this as a positive though and an opportunity to redesign our courses from the ground up.
- Canvas was not very responsive to customer feedback and new feature or error correction requests. They were very focused on their goals, but the sequencing of these did not always match with client priorities.
- Certainly a better experience for faculty and learners. More simple and intuitive.
- Initially there was a negative impact due to the investment in the transition. However, this would pay off later due to the better learner experience.
- Efficiency improvements from day one as faculty were able to build courses a lot faster due to the intuitive and responsive interface.
Canvas does not compare well against Corporate Learning LMSs like HealthStream and Absorb Anywhere LMS, but it does well against Blackboard, WebCT (no longer around), Desire2Learn, etc. It also does well against MOODLE, but MOODLE is very versatile - can be used as a corporate or academic LMS - and well supported by the open-source community. Canvas is simply simple and intuitive and that's why it wins.