Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)

Digital Adventure 2.

Tool Type: Software (Web & Mobile Platform)

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 1. User Experience and Challenge

For this Digital Adventure, I explored Canvas LMS, a platform I use regularly as an instructor but approached this time as a learner and instructional designer. My goal was to move beyond routine course management and examine Canvas as a pedagogical tool for engagement, reflection, and assessment.

I focused on experimenting with Modules, SpeedGrader, Rubrics, and Discussion Boards to analyze how these features enhance the learning process. The primary challenge I faced was shifting perspective, seeing Canvas not as a static course shell but as a dynamic ecosystem supporting self-directed and collaborative learning. Additionally, navigating analytics and discussion metrics required attention to detail to interpret engagement patterns effectively.

2. Starting Skill Level

My starting skill level with Canvas was intermediate to advanced in course management and content design. I have used the system extensively to create modules, assignments, and quizzes, but my previous use was mostly structural and administrative.

Before this digital adventure, I had limited experience analyzing data from student interactions or integrating Canvas features for reflective engagement. I was comfortable with grading tools but had not yet explored how rubric transparency, feedback loops, or peer interactions could transform learning into a more dialogic experience.

3. What I Learned

This experience broadened my understanding of Canvas as more than a repository of materials. I learned how:

  • Rubrics in SpeedGrader can foster reflective learning when shared transparently with students before submission.
  • Discussion Boards can serve as community-building tools when paired with clear prompts and participation rubrics.
  • Analytics tools allow instructors to identify students who may be disengaged early in the course, supporting timely intervention.

I also learned to troubleshoot minor connectivity issues that occur when synchronizing embedded media, improving my technical adaptability. Overall, I gained a clearer picture of how Canvas supports both formative assessment and student agency through structured flexibility.

4. Classroom Application

In my own courses, I plan to integrate Canvas more deliberately as a learning design framework rather than a delivery tool.

  • I will use discussion boards as reflective learning journals.
  • I will redesign rubrics to include qualitative feedback cues that promote deeper thinking.
  • I will leverage analytics to provide data-driven feedback and adaptive support.
  • I also plan to create a short Canvas orientation module for my students, helping them become confident digital learners early in the semester.

Ultimately, Canvas allows me to align pedagogy, technology, and learner engagement in one cohesive space. This digital adventure reinforced my belief that mastering familiar tools can be as transformative as adopting new ones, what matters most is how intentionally we use them.

October 2nd, 2025