NET+ Canvas Newsletter

September 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.

……………………………………………………….

Instructure Updates

The latest from Instructure regarding Canvas product offerings. 

Inform Decision-Making with Canvas Admin Analytics

Canvas Admin Analytics is an in-app analytics space for administrators to better see and understand how instructors and students are using Canvas. Take a closer look at how this free feature within Canvas LMS brings data to the surface to enable more informed decision-making. Access interactive dashboards that organize and present your Canvas adoption and engagement data alongside enrollment and grade data. Display crisp visualizations and charts that allow educators, administrators, and academic leaders to see and understand the data that matter most to them. Read more here.


AI Foundational Guide for Higher Education

In order to harness the positive aspects of AI in higher education, one must understand the basic definitions and use cases of artificial intelligence in the classroom and beyond. Let’s explore the foundations of AI in higher education together. Learn more here 

Announcing Apple iWork Update in Canvas LMS

Instructure is announcing an update to simplify the experience of educators and students who use Canvas LMS with Apple devices. This enhancement enables educators and students to upload and interact with files from Apple's iWork apps - Keynote, Pages, and Numbers - directly in Canvas, simplifying the assignment submission process for students and streamlining grading for educators. For Apple customers, improving support of Apple file formats in Canvas is a game-changer. Compatibility of Apple file formats in Canvas’s Docviewer enables educators to more easily use Canvas’s SpeedGrader to review, annotate, and offer valuable real-time feedback to students. SpeedGrader also allows instructors to quickly view and grade students' submissions for Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes and add grades directly to the Gradebook. Read more here

Empowering Education Through Secure Solutions: Instructure Participates in the White House's Back to School Safety Cybersecurity Summit

Last week I represented Instructure at the White House's Back to School Safety Cybersecurity Summit. Alongside other government, community, and business partners, I shared our commitment to strengthening the overall cybersecurity posture of schools in the United States and what Instructure is doing to ensure the security and privacy of student data. The summit included Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, First Lady Jill Biden, and many others concerned with safeguarding student data. Read more here.


Click here for all things Higher Education by Instructure.

…………………………………..

Canvas Advisory Board Updates

Upcoming Meeting: October 11th, 2023


The next Canvas Advisory Board meeting will be on October 11th, 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.


……………………………………………………………

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.

……………………………………………………………

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.

  • No labels