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INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY
Canvas: a Student’s Best Friend or Worst Enemy? Jessyca Derby Emily Rickel William Shelstad
Graduate Researchers Jessyca, Emily, and William are students in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology. RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students. Canvas has become more of a necessity this semester as classes have transitioned to part-time online learning. As we are relying on Canvas more and more, the question remains: is it usable, or is it just a pain? Student researchers in the RUX Lab conducted focus groups with undergraduate and graduate students to understand what aspects of Canvas contribute to our user experience, for better or for worse. How has Canvas Usage Changed? Students reported aspects of Canvas that are more critical than ever: Announcements, Discussion Boards, Inbox, and Zoom. Announcements that used to be broadcast in the classroom are now hidden in emails, and Discussion Boards have replaced inclass discussions. Office hours involve sitting in a Zoom waiting room, and the Inbox is used to communicate with classmates that we may never see. Joys of Canvas
As students have adapted to online learning, they have noticed some useful aspects of Canvas. When asked about their favorite features of Canvas, almost all students mentioned items related to grades and To-Do lists. Grades are easy to find, and students liked the ability to compare their performance to classmates’ using boxplots. Students can also figure out how well they need to do on an assignment (or whether they can skip an assignment because of a busy week) using “what-if scenarios” to test different grades. In addition, the To-Do lists that show all upcoming assignments are helpful to view both within and across classes.
are many from several different classes. Another common frustration among students is being required to participate in Discussion Boards. While Discussion Boards have the potential to facilitate connections between students, one student felt that posting on a Discussion Board, “feels like a fake, forced interaction.” This negative perception often grows when students must post something for a grade. For example, some professors require students to post a comment and reply to a certain number of other students to receive a participation grade. As
• Assignments and their due dates would be clearly displayed on each course home page. • Announcements would be easier to review all on one screen rather than opening each to a new page, and Email notifications for announcements would be immediate and “on” by default. • All instructors would include due dates on their Canvas assignments so students can view all upcoming assignments for all their classes in one place: The calendar to-do view. • Students would have access to any previous course material for
Frustrations of Canvas Frustrations with Canvas seem to center around the organization of material (or lack thereof). Not all instructors put class resources in the same place. Some instructors choose to put everything under "Files", others add to “Pages,” and others provide separate "Modules" for each week. One student is frustrated because it takes so much time to figure out, stating, "I feel like I have to relearn Canvas every semester!" Instructors also communicate with students differently in each course, with some relying on email, Inbox, or Announcements. However, instructors may not realize that students may not get a notification that there was an announcement. Additionally, students may not be aware that they can change their notification preferences. Not to mention that the notification email students get is often easy to overlook, especially if there
Image Courtesy/Jessyca Derby
Example of a Canvas Module for a User Experience course.
a result of this requirement, one student observed that “people write responses to check a box and get their grade, not to actually have a discussion.” How can Canvas be better for students? Students said that in an ideal world: • All instructors would use the Canvas components similarly, utilizing Modules for each week that contain everything students need: Assignments, Lectures, Supplementary documents and/or videos.
the duration of their career at ERAU. Students want to be able to go back and view material from introductory courses to review material that is utilized in later courses. Overall, Canvas has its strengths and weaknesses. With Canvas becoming more of a necessity for students, it's important that their experience with it is as user friendly as possible. A few changes can make a world of a difference, making students’ online learning experience more enjoyable.