Last month, instructional designers from around the world descended on Keystone, Colorado for the annual InstructureCon. This convention is hosted by Instructure, the makers of the Canvas LMS, to announce upcoming features as well as allow educators to discuss innovative ways of using Canvas. SMU’s own Canvas administrators paid a visit to the Rockies to find out more about what Canvas has up their sleeve, and they weren’t disappointed!
Improved Gradebooks
Some of the most requested improvements to Canvas by faculty include improvements to the gradebook. Instructure has listened and is working on additional automation features to make grading easier. There will also be an option to directly contact students who meet or don’t meet certain criteria to ensure they are staying on track.
Quizzes.Next
The quiz function is one of the most frequently used features in Canvas, and it too will be undergoing an evolution. This new examination platform is currently in early beta testing, and Instructure hopes to offer more robust analytics to gauge student development along with better question management.
Canvas Teacher App
There has already been a Canvas app for Android and iOS devices for some time, but now instructors have their very own app, too! The Canvas Teacher app is now available for faculty to download. The app allows instructors to access the features they use most frequently – from creating assignments to grading submissions – in a lightweight and simplified interface.
For more details on what’s being worked on for future updates of Canvas, check out the Canvas community!
