Building a Better Education Experience with Canvas App - Case Study Example

Building a better Education Experience with Canvas App Name Course Name and Code Date Introduction The boring educational environments are now a thing of the past; Education Technology is a nebulous concept. In the current interactive world through the social media and using tools like YouTube, Dropbox, and the massive capabilities of the iPad have made the world more interesting that never before (Murphy et al., 2012). Canvas technology has tremendously influenced the content engaging trends particularly among the schooling generation (Fulton & Fulton, 2011). Canvas is very instrumental in facilitating community and it is within this community that a better and more engaging learning experience is created and experienced. Accordingly, Canvas empowers teachers by equipping them with the tools they need to quickly and easily add engaging multimedia content as well as interactions to their courses on the channels and platforms that students like bets and use most. In essence, canvas has taken interactive education to exactly a new level. The Canvas users have been provided with a rare opportunity to create customized profiles and just share a little about their personal information. In the same line, they are able to create meaningful connections with colleagues and peers. For instance, whenever the users name appears in Canvas especially in collaborative workspaces and discussions, other users can easily click and access their public profile. The Canvas application is highly interactive. This research report offers an intensive and extensive discussion regarding how to build or develop a better educational experience with the Canvas App. It is based on the virtual project in a secondary school that uses canvas software for PC and smart phones (Murphy et al., 2012). In accordance with this objective, the researcher used four subjects: History, Math, Geology, and English in this project. Four teachers for the above-mentioned subjects as well as 20 students participated in the research activity. In regard to this, the report discusses the background of the Canvas App together with its benefits in education, the project mission, goals, and objectives. Similarly, the role of the IT teacher, the Librarian, questions that were used for the study, school management activities in canvas app, and the overall results will also be discussed (Hawkes, 2011). About Canvas Canvas learning management system is an essential learning tool that integrates different applications including those from Khan Academy, CodeAcademy, WordPress, Dropbox, Twitter, McGraw Hill, and YouTube in order to make education more interactive (Murphy et al., 2012). It is based on learning tools interoperability (LTI) open standard, for this reason they can be used across all LMS category. In this regard, students as well as teachers have been provided with an immense opportunity to access each other on this single learning platform notwithstanding IT department support (Tettegah & Hunter, 2006). In essence, the canvas app in educational environment results into a flexible and personalized learning experience. Benefits of Canvas App in educational environment Audio and Video messages The canvas app has massive capabilities to support video and audio messaging. For this reason, students together with their teachers highly benefit from this intuitive and platform (Murphy et al., 2012). The exchange of both audio and video messages makes it easier to understand each other. It should also be noted that not only does talking instead of typing save time and effort, but it also adds human element to the online training. Students using this new platform have strongly agreed that the online video messaging service empowers them to connect thus making them more connected as compared to the in-person training. Multimedia integration Student with skills and knowledge to use the cut and paste tools, can cut and paste links from a web browser, for this matter, one create an exceptional media experience while using the canvas app platform (Mavrody, 2012). For instance, videos from YouTube as well Flickr images can be readily embedded into announcements, discussion, assignments and many more (Tatnall, Osorio & Visscher, 2005). The integration of multimedia services into the canvas app makes it extremely appealing and interesting thus no more are online courses boring. The site is made virtually engaging which in turn makes online learning environment interesting. Empower groups with collaborative workspaces Canvas is an application that has made online collaboration among students a reality; students can now work on assignments in collaboration, efficiently complete their peer reviews, create Wiki pages, as well as start threaded discussions, real time charting and above all Web conferencing. Significantly, important, integrated tools including Etherpad and Google Docs have increased the productivity of online group learning together with minimization of distance and time obstacles (Murphy et al., 2012). Robust course notifications In canvas environment, users can decide when they can be notifies or alerted; for example, for each type of course notification including announcements, due date changes, calendar updates and discussion replies, the canvas user can decide when and how to receive them. In this regard, the users can choose to receive the updates through email or text messages or can just stay connected through Twitter, Facebook, as well as many other readily available web services. In the same line of discussion, the user can control how often he/she receives the notifications in order to stay up to date with the online course activities and that no important message leaks to unauthorized personnel (Murphy et al., 2012). Mobile Learning is dynamic and can take place from anywhere and at any time. Canvas mobile apps for iOS and Android have empowered students and teachers to realize this objective. For instance, from SpeedGrader for iPad to multimedia discussions, which gives user an opportunity to upload recorded videos on ones phone or tablet, in this regard Canvas, has extended learning beyond the classroom. Turn students into creators As already mentioned, canvas provides a whole new interesting teaching and learning platform; teachers as well as students enjoy using this application. Students are given immense and powerful authoring toolset; in addition to contributing files, equations, images, together with written responses, learners are able to record as well as upload audio and video in every learning session (Murphy et al., 2012). In this regard, the canvas content editor simplifies resources sharing from across the world’s largest content repository (Reed & Berque, 2010). Web conferencing The Canvas app has real-time audio, video, whiteboard capabilities, the Canvas’ Web conferencing tools have largely helped teachers, and students stay connected. Similarly, the online courses fully blended with Web conferencing tools allow increased group collaboration; office hours together with real-time presentation thus making distant learners feel less distant and more connected (Murphy et al., 2012). Open API In a similar manner, Canvas simplifies the interaction between students and teachers, open API facilitates the connection with other software programs. Learning organizations use canvas’ open API in the customized integrations of information sharing such as SIS integration or exchanging information through a campus portal. In this regard, it is possible to create custom tools for assignment processing, course copying, or just anything you need to simplify life at your learning organization. Browser support Canvas app is virtually supported by all computer or mobile devices that are internet and web enabled. The latest version of Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari are supported by Canvas (Murphy et al., 2012). Following this, there is extremely no end-user software, no installation, and/or compatibility problems in canvas platform. For instance, after switching on or opening the browser, log in and canvas is readily available to use. LTI Integrations Through the LTI tools, teachers are able to plug out to various external services while using Canvas app; for this matter there are no limits in learning when using the canvas app. Consequently, in that canvas platform, one can make extensions with textbooks, blogging tools, instructional videos as well as anything dimmed relevant in the learning environment. Project Mission This project is tasked with improving the information literacy in learning circles: the use of Canvas app for PC and smart phones in a secondary to improve the learning experience. Goals To build meaningful virtual connections of students and teachers providing a platform for collaborative workspaces, discussions, and peer reviews in an educational environment using Canvas App. Objectives The specific objectives of this project were: To enable the usage of audio and video messages in the school online learning environment To enhance Multimedia integration in the online education environment To empower teachers and students with collaborative workspaces To ensure that learning can be provided anywhere and at any time The Role of the IT Teacher The IT teacher’s role was to supervise the development and creation of the Canvas App as well dealing with the technical issues involved in the development of the canvas app. Technical issues Creation of the Canvas App The teacher first visited the App Dashboard in order to create an application through registration. Similarly, the teacher verified the schools account in order to create an App. Configuration of the Canvas App The Apps were then loaded into the canvas, which was blank page where the App will be run. The canvas was then populated by providing Canvas URL that has HTML, JavaScript together with CSS that made up the school App. In this regard, all users of the school’s App requested for the Canvas page, which was then, loaded the Canvas URL within the iframe on the page. This culminated in the School’s App being displayed within the standard Chrome browser. Canvas width The Canvas width was fixed to 760px; this is a default setting, however one can also set the canvas width to Fluid. This enables the content to be left aligned and resized to fill the page as the user changes the width of the his/her browser. Canvas height The height was set to fluid, which an instant default setting; this means that the iframe is always set to 100% hence it grows to fill the page showing scroll bars especially when the content exceeds the height of the page. Configuration of the Canvas App Center After the configuration of the App Canvas, the IT teacher also configured the App Center; the central location for teachers and students to discover and use the new Apps as well the primary source of installs. This allows the IT teacher to customize the school’s App Detail page in order for it to display App descriptions, icons, screenshots together with any other announcement and updates in the school’s App center. Authorization For creation of a personalized user experience, IT teacher ensured that the school’s app information about the user. This information if passed to school’s canvas URL using HTTP POST within a single signed parameter. For instance, in order for the school IT department to gain access to all data and information available, teachers as well as students must authorize the school’s app. In this regard, the IT teacher created a Login Dialog for the School’s apps. Feed The news feeds including school announcements were made to be shown immediately when the users log on the site. The school app was made to post the news feed such as sharing information among students and teachers the use of the Feed dialog that was embedded in the App. Requests Requests are one of the powerful ways that enable users of the app to invite friends. In this essence, teachers were empowered to invite students to take specific actions including accepting to collaborate with other students in assignments, peer reviews or just participate in a discussion. The school app was embedded with the Request dialog and hence teachers as well students were enabled to send and receive requests. Supervisory roles The IT was also tasked with ensuring that students as well as teachers can connect on school canvas App and uses it specifically for learning purposes. Similarly, the IT teacher ensured that canvas app runs to meet the users’ requirements. The Librarian Role The librarian played a coordination role between the four teachers and the twenty students; he worked hand in hand with the teachers in coming up with specific questions for each subject. Similarly, the librarian was responsible for distributing the questions to the students and collection of the responses. More importantly, they worked hand in hand with the IT teacher to ensure that the final learning Canvas App was up and running. In the same line of discussion, the librarian for ensuring that projects mission is achieved. Questions Geology questions 1. Which of the following is the best evidence that the earth has a layered internal structure? A) Xenoliths B) Drill core samples C) Composition of lavas D) Sudden changes in the velocity of P and S waves 2. The process of matching rock layers from different locations based on the presence of the same guide (Index) fossils is example of A) Correlation B) Superposition C) Included Fragments D) Original Horizontality 3. All of the following can be found on the earth and moon except A) Metallic cores B) Impact craters C) Basaltic plains D) Active volcanoes 4. Which one of the following is a possible driving mechanism for the movement of the earth’s tectonic plates A) Fault creep B) Mantle convention C) Magnetic reversals D) Isocratic adjustments 5. The following are examples of chemical weathering except A) Ice expanding in rock cracks B) Organic materials dissolving rocks C) Iron and oxygen forming iron oxide D) Potassium feldspar changing into clay English Literature Questions 1. “The Waste Land” is lines from T.S Eliot’s poem, which of the following eras were they written. A) Medieval B) Renaissance C) Postmodern D) Restoration E) Modern 2. Below is an Anglo-Saxon poem, which of the following techniques found in with Old English Poetry does it represent? A) Alliteration B) Free verse C) Epenthesis D) Parallelism E) Chiasmus 3. The novels below were written in the 19th century except A) Pride and Prejudice B) Hard times C) Gulliver’s Travels D) A study in Scarlet 4. Which one of the below is a style of novel written as a series of records that might include letters, newspapers articles, or diary entries? A) Fictional diaries B) Epistolary novels C) Stream of consciousness D) First person narration E) Rhetorical fashion 5. Enslav’d, the Daughters of Albion weep: a trembling lamentation upon their mountains; in their valleys. Sighs toward America. For the soft soul of America, Oothoon wanderd in woe, Along the vales of heather seeking flowers to comfort her The lines above were composed by which of the following Romantic poets? A) Percy Bysshe Shelley B) William Wordsworth C) George Gordon, Lord Byron D) Sir Walter Scott E) William Blake Mathematics questions 1. How many 36 passenger busses will it take to carry 144 people? A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6 2. If 12 men are needed to run four machines, how many men are needed to run 20 machines? A) 20 B) 48 C) 60 D) 80 3. If 50 percent of X = 66, then X =? A) 33 B) 66 C) 66 D) 132 4. It costs $0.50 per square yard to waterproof canvas. What will it cost to waterproof a canvas truck cover that is 15’X24’? A) $6.67 B) $18.00 C) $20.00 D) $180.00 5. If X + 6 = 7, then X is equal to? A) -1 B) 0 C) 1 D) 7/6 History questions 1. After World War I what did the US government hope to achieve by lending money to Germany A) Technological and Military assistance from Europe B) Political and economic stability in Europe C) Investments for United states industries D) Profits for United States banks 2. The table below provides information about the African-American population in several cities after the Civil War POPULATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SELECT CITIES 1880 – 1930 Year Chicago Detroit New York Pittsburgh 1880 6,480 2,821 27,763 4,077 1890 14, 852 3,454 36,609 7,957 1900 30,150 4,111 60,666 17,040 1910 44,103 5,741 91,709 25,623 1920 109,458 40,383 152,467 37,725 1930 233,908 120,066 327,607 54,983 Which condition in the society was primarily responsible for change in the urban population? A) Absence of agricultural employment in the Southern communities B) Lack of political representation in Southern communities C) Availability of Job opportunities in the Northern Cities D) Prevalence of racial equality in Northern Cities 3. When President Richard Nixon diplomatically visited China in 1972, what was the long term consequence that resulted from this trip? A) The easing of Cold war tension B) The easing of Vietnam War protests C) A commitment to preserve historical landmarks D) A commitment to continue humanitarian missions 4. The newspaper headline “LUSITANIA SUNK: OVER ONE HUNDRED AMERICANS LOST AT SEA” on the Daily News of May 7, 1915. How did this event contribute to the United States Entry into World War 1? A) It furthered anti-government protests in the US B) It encouraged anti-immigration campaigns in the United States C) It became necessary for President Wilson to propose a plan for peace D) It became difficult for President Wilson to defend a policy of neutrality 5. What is the “rule of law?” A) Everyone must follow the law B) Leaders must obey the law C) Government must obey the law D) No one is above the law School Management Activities in Canvas App School announcements can be posted through canvas, students as well as teachers can either choose to receive it as a text message or as an email notification in their school email accounts (Murphy et al., 2012). In essence, the Canvas App is a vital communication platform that enhances learning together with other school management activities. In this regard, the school will ensure that all learning materials are made available in the school’s canvas App. Similarly, the canvas app will continually update the school grading system. The students and teachers participation and attendance of classes will automatically be noted in the canvas app. Results Geology 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. A English literature 1. E 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. B Math 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. C History 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. D Conclusion Learning has been evolved to the next level; the introduction together with the continued use of canvas app in the educational environment has added another interesting element to learning. Students as well as teachers can access and attend to their lessons from anywhere and at any time. The Canvas App just described above, is a secondary school online learning program that meets different learning needs. The IT teacher was responsible for the development of the program and ensuring that the school canvas app meets the learning needs of both students and teachers. Four teachers including geology teacher, English literature teacher, math teacher, and History teacher participated in the project. Similarly, each teacher was assigned five students, came up with five questions that were then used in the canvas app. References Murphy, C., Clark, R., Studholme, O., & Manian, D. (2012). Beginning HTML5 and CSS3: The Web Evolved. London: Apress Fulton, S., & Fulton, J. (2011). HTML5 Canvas. New York: O’Reilly Media. Mavrody, S. (2012). Sergey's Html5 & Css3: Quick Reference. London: Sergey's HTML5 & CSS3 Hawkes, R. (2011). Foundation HTML5 Canvas: For Games and Entertainment. London: Apress Reed, R., & Berque, D. (2010). The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-based Technology on Education: Going Mainstream, 2010. Purdue: Purdue University Press Tatnall, A., Osorio, J., & Visscher, A. (2005). Information Technology and Educational Management in the Knowledge Society: IFIP TC3 WG3.7, 6th International Working Conference on Information Technology in Educational Management (ITEM) July 11-15, 2004, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Madrid: Springer Tettegah, S., & Hunter, R. (2006). Technology and Education: Issues in Administration, Policy, and Applications in K12 Schools. New York: Emerald Group Publishing Read More