Canvas LMS For Dummies

Chapter 1

The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Canvas

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding what Canvas is and who uses it

Deciding when you should use Canvas

Looking at the importance of blended learning environments

Regardless of whether you are an aspiring Canvas Panda or you are a proper Panda Professional, we all share the same goal: to do what is best for the learners in our classrooms. You understand that blended learning — the mixture of traditional face-to-face instruction with digital media in any teaching modality — is here to stay; you may have struggled through teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most arduous times in history (let alone in your educational career); and you now are looking to use one of the most powerful educational technology (edtech) platforms in the world. You are in the right place.

With nearly 30 million paid users worldwide, 1.5 million active users within the Canvas community, 13 U.S. states adopting Canvas LMS and/or Instructure-powered products statewide, and tremendous growth in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific, you are among an enormous group of fellow Pandas all working toward the same universally important goal.

This ...