Canvas+by+Instructure

**Description** [|Canvas by Instructure] is an open-source platform course management software company that offers its basic software for free. Canvas empowers instructors and students by providing innovative tools and resources. Canvas is relatively new to the LMS market, operates over the web, and has a rapidly growing client base.

**History** Canvas by Instructure was founded in 2008 by two computer graduate students from BYU that had to use their LMS extensively and realized they needed something more functional. The concept of Instructure was born out of an assignment that was given by their instructor, [|Mozy] Founder [|Josh Coates]. The rest became history. [|Brian Whitmer] and [|Devlin Daley], frustrated with poor LMS designs and older architectures that dominated the market, decided to improve upon the current LMS design of the day. From this, Instructure was founded, and in 2011 Canvas was launched. Seed funding came from Josh Coates who became the CEO in 2010. Canvas focuses mainly on higher education and its competitors are Blackboard Learning System, Sakai, Desire2Learn and Moodle. Canvas is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah and is a privately held company.

**Impact on Teaching and Learning** · Interface is modern, clean and uncluttered · Built-in conferencing · Options for Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Docs, Diigo, Delicious, Skype, Twitter, Text Messaging integration · Learning Analytics · Hosted through Amazon Web Services · Data backed up over geographies · Accessible 24/7 even if there are regional power outages · No downtime when updating the system · Built in media embedding throughout · Mobile app for IOS and Android

**Practical Applications** Canvas by Instructure has a user-friendly interface thereby allowing the user to easily navigate through the course shell. Modern tools and resources empower the learning experience.

· The built in conferencing allows users to connect within the shell. · Learning analytics dashboard shows how well a student is interacting with a course with regard to student activity, assignments, grades, and student analytics. · Options for the integration to Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Docs, Diigo, Delicious, Skype, Twitter, Text Messaging all can be set to receive course notifications. · Accessibility and reliability. No downtime. It operates completely over the web. · All of the course content is on Amazon servers and available even when Canvas is updating. · The system is there when you need it.

**Examples or Demonstrations** **Introduction to Canvas LMS by Instructure**

**References** Keller, Josh (January 31, 2011). “ [|Upstart Course-Management Provider Goes Open Source] .” The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved September 5, 2013

New, Jake (May 13, 2013). “ [|Instructure Offers Bounty for New Educational Apps]. ” The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved September 5, 2013

Waters, Audrey (June 14, 2012). “ [|Instructure Canvas, Now With Learning Analytics]. ” Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved September 5, 2013

**External Links** **[]**
 * The cool things you can do with Canvas **

**About the Author** **[|Faith Vietti] is the Founder of [|The Santa Monica Institute of Aviation English] and an ETEC MEd candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.**