NET+ Canvas Newsletter

August 2023

In this version of the NET+ Canvas Newsletter, learn about the latest updates from Instructure about Canvas, comments and feedback from the Canvas Advisory Board, as well as best practices in Canvas use around the Internet2 Community.

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Instructure Updates

The latest from Instructure regarding Canvas product offerings. 

AI with Boundaries: Managing ChatGPT in Intentional, Safe, and Equitable Ways

InstructureCast's new podcast hosts Melissa Loble, Instructure's Chief Customer Experience Officer, and Ryan Lufkin, VP of Global Strategy, delve into the exciting world of generative AI in education, exploring the potential of AI in empowering educators and promoting student success while emphasizing the importance of intentional and human-oriented implementation. Overall, the episode is full of valuable insights into the potential of generative AI in education. It stresses the need for intentional and human-oriented implementation of AI-powered learning tools, ensuring they are safe, ethical, and accessible. At the same time, it celebrates the positive impact that technology can bring to the teaching and learning experience. So, hop on over to InstructureCast and get inspired! Read more here.

Canvas LMS v. the Competition: Why Higher-Ed Chooses Canvas

A learning management system (LMS) is an important part of the digital learning experience an institution delivers for its faculty and students. With so many options available, institutions have to decide which LMS can best deliver functionality, usability, and overall contribution to their academic landscape. In this article, we will weigh in on Instructure's leading product, Canvas LMS, and why it's the top choice for thousands of institutions worldwide. Learn more here 

Moments from Day 1 of InstructureCon 2023

There are those moments—some big, some small—that make a huge impact. Educators, administrators, and edtech enthusiasts crossed the globe to make new moments together at InstructureCon 2023 in Denver, Colorado. 

The day started off with a bang (literally) during the opening keynote from Instructure executives, including our CEO and resident ringleader, Steve Daly. Read more here

Barriers to Accessibility in Higher Education

Prioritizing accessibility within academic programming and edtech is imperative for meeting student needs now and into the future. Institutions must identify and adopt practices in the classroom as well as within technology that serve all students across the evolving educational landscape. But how? Institutions that are making strides start with identifying the barriers to providing equitable access to all learners. Read more here.



Click here for all things Higher Education by Instructure.




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Canvas Advisory Board Updates

Upcoming Meeting: September 13th, 2023


The next Canvas Advisory Board meeting will be on September 13th, 2023. Agenda items will be finalized and posted during the 2 weeks leading up to the meeting.

A complete listing of all Canvas Advisory Board meeting agendas can be found here.


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Meeting Recap


The agendas for our upcoming 2023 meetings have been published for your viewing. Please note, these are working documents and subject to change so please check back for any updates on a regular basis.

Thank you to all who participated in this month’s meeting for your insightful feedback, ideas, and discussion! Should you have any questions or want further information around the work being done by the NET+ Canvas Service Advisory Board or a copy of the Partner Program Report, please don’t hesitate to visit us at https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/x/7BOJCQ or contact us at netplus@internet2.edu and we will be happy to respond.

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NET+ Canvas Program Update


Service Advisory Board Goals for 2023


Goal #1

Continue to have timely discussions about Customer Experience as it relates to Instructure products and services, the NET+ Canvas program, our community, as well as future Instructure M&A conversations.

Deliverable: Continue to update/refine Canvas Institutional Profiles for effective collaboration within the program.

Deliverable: Bring to light community needs that are not being addressed otherwise in these areas.

Goal #2

Instructure to conduct semi-annual product roadmap discussion and a review of the R1 Peers/I2 product feature request list. 

Deliverable: Continue to develop and refine, with Shaun Moon and Kevin Turco, a strategy and process for I2 and R1 Peer universities to provide Instructure with actionable information on pain points and unmet needs.  The strategy and process should be synced with Instructure's product development cycle and allow Instructure to clearly communicate status and progress back to the universities.

Goal #3

Initiate advisory board input on Instructure’s platform strategy as it relates to third party vendors and data integration/mash-ups.

Deliverable: Focused discussion with Kevin Turco and Karl Lloyd.

Deliverable: Focused discussion on what universities are doing with Canvas data and live events.  What action do the data feed? 

Deliverable: Implement this goal's outcomes effectively within the Canvas Institutional Profiles for further collaboration.

Goal #4

Continue Instructure product strategy discussions with Jared Stein.







Around the Community

Commentary from I2 Canvas users: advice, best practices, feedback.

R1 Peers


The Canvas Peers Research Universities Group (or R1 Peers Group) brings together representatives from large public and private research universities to share best practices around using Canvas and the surrounding ed tech ecosystem to support teaching and learning. They also collaborate closely with Instructure (Canvas vendor) and sit on the Internet2 NET+ Canvas Service Advisory Board to improve the Canvas platform and user experience for research universities. This group represents more than 250 members from 45 institutions of higher education and research across the United States, and around the world.

For context, recently the R1 Peers Group has collaborated in the following areas:

  • Tier 1 support
  • Archiving
  • 3rd party integrations
  • Pain points
  • Data privacy

LRS Standards SIG

The Learning Records Store (LRS) Special Interest Group (SIG) assembles use cases for an LRS, creates an LRS reference architecture, and develops implementation/engineering best practices. The SIG promotes open standards that enable data from a variety of teaching and learning tools to be included in the LRS.

This group is chaired by the University of Washington and meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday of the month, however the LRS SIG is currently on hold until May 2022.  For more information or to join this group, please reach out to Matthew Buss (mbuss@internet2.edu).  Thank you.

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