10 Features of Canvas for Assessment

Technology, student-centered learning, innovation, data analytics... are few of the many buzzwords used when describing 21st century learning. Most of the time, the technology is chosen for you and other times you must take your pick. In both cases, it's always good to explore the affordances and constraints of the tech tool to get an overview of the features and how they can be used to fit your teaching (and not the other way around).

This post will focus on Canvas, a learning management platform by Instructure. Canvas states that its innovative technology supports teaching and learning by providing simpler and more connected learning experiences. I have compiled a list of 10 assessment features (including the ones that can be re-purposed) this LMS offers. Check them out below!

1. ePortfolios:

Canvas allows user to create their very own online portfolios without ever leaving the platform. This feature allows users to add, upload, organize and save their work/content. This is a great feature to incorporate into the classroom because students can track their progress over time and allow them to self reflect on their learning. The ePortfolio can be used for both formative and summative assessments. Students can regularly submit coursework and can also share the ePortfolio at the end of the course for final examination. It's unfortunate that the portfolio is not as user-friendly to build as I hoped it would be.

2. Discussions:

This feature is quite common among learning management systems and I believe its because it's quite valuable for online learning. Canvas allows you to add a topic to start a discussion, where the audiences is allowed to respond to your initial post. In the image, you can see all the possible options you can customize to meet your objectives. 'Users must post before seeing replies' is an interesting option to use when it comes to sharing opinions and is actually quite engaging if you encourage students to read other responses once they completed theirs. Why not include 'allow liking' it is in all the social media apps students use to stay connected. I think discussion forums are valuable for formative assessments because by monitoring discussions and responses you can gain valuable insights on student understanding and learning gaps.

3. Quizzes:

Canvas allows you to create quizzes using the question types shown in the image to the right. This feature is user friendly and allows you to include feedback for each possible option. This allows students to get immediate feedback rather than wait for the teacher to finish grading their assignments. Receiving feedback in a timely manner will enhance student understanding and allows teachers to respond and adjust their instruction. I think it is important to keep in mind the questions asked during these quizzes. Questions should be designed to not only address the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy because students can look up answers on a separate web page. Teachers must be creative in the way they create these assessments. This is a great opportunity to encourage teachers to design questions where students are required to transfer the knowledge they are being assessed on to new contexts.

4. Rubrics:

Canvas allows you to create your own rubrics for every assignment you create. This is essential when it comes to making your assessment fair. This will allow students to self- assess and become active participants in their learning experiences. The rubric is connected to the grade book and outcomes in Canvas, which is great to have in one place. However, keep in mind that the rubric is limited to only assignments and cannot be added to other assessment features like the quizzes. (Number 9 can be repurposed to create rubrics to cover other assessments in Canvas)

5. Inbox:

This feature is pretty self explanatory and as the name hints this feature provides email functionality. You might wonder what this has to do with assessment. Well, this feature can be used to submit assignments, provide feedback, and allow for private asynchronous conservations. This is a valuable feature to have as it allows students to have access to email and course content through one web page.

6. Calendar/Announcements:

No need to carry around a planner when Canvas provides users with an organized virtual calendar of all the deadlines and reminders, and its color coded! You can personalize your own calendar and add your own reminders and milestones to stay on track with course submissions. I would not consider this feature a way for instructor to assess students but rather feature to practice assessment skills like time-management.

7. Gradebook:

The data and visualizations that technology can provide educators is less time consuming than grading a stack of papers and inputting the grades into a software. Canvas provides a grade book that allows teachers to view an analytics page that includes information on grades, submitted coursework, and activity on the platform. Students are also able to view their results which is useful feedback for them to track their learning path. The speedgrader allows the teacher to gain a quick summary of students' performance which would be useful before/during class. The speedgrader also allows teacher to provide feedback for every assignment. All this data is stored by Canvas but not used for profiling and is not shared with other parties. For more information on the privacy policies click here.

8. Conferences:

There are many tools now for web conferences but I think this again goes with the theme of 'nice to have all in one place' and users don't need to go looking for a Zoom link.

9. Collaborations:

Canvas allows you to configure and install external applications to increase functionality of your course. The ePortfolios does not allow multiple users to work together on a shared documents. This is where this feature comes in. Collaboration uses embedded external applications like Google Docs to allow users to work together without having to leave the platform or swap emails. Collaboration features are great for formative assessment and allows opportunity for both peer-to-peer and/or instructor-peer feedback.

10. External Apps:

This feature is related to number 9, but covers a broader landscape. Canvas does not only allow opportunities to use third party apps focused on collaborations but also includes a bank of tools that covers every feature you can think of! Here are a list few tools and possible uses:

• Badgr to track student achievement

• Screencast-O-matic to create screencasts that could be used to provide for feedback

• Nearpod, Flipgrid, and Formative to create formative assessments

The amount of tech tools available can be very overwhelming for both educators and students. I believe a good tip when it comes to designing a course is to practice restraint and make mindful decisions on what to include and more importantly exclude.

Photo Credit

Shutterstock by OpturaDesign

Screenshots taken from Canvas LMS