Canvas was founded in 2008 and has since become the fastest-growing LMS in the world. Its client base includes prestigious universities such as Harvard, all Ivy League schools in the US, as well as Oxford and Cambridge. With around 70 million users accessing Canvas concurrently, including instances with up to 7 million users, it is the top-ranked Education website in the world”, said Nathan Thomas, Regional Director, Middle East & Africa, Instructure at the 25th Elets World Education Summit in Dubai.
“It is essential to focus on the transformation itself rather than the specific platform being used. One crucial aspect to consider is the changing expectations of students and teachers over the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have disrupted the status quo, leading to new expectations regarding how students learn and how teachers deliver information”, he added further.
“Context influences device choice, with users selecting the device based on factors such as location, available time, desired outcome, and attitude. For example, some may prefer a passive mode of consumption when they have free time, while others may have a deadline to meet. Statistics show that daily media interactions on PCs account for 24%, while smartphones account for 38%. Users tend to use PCs to accomplish tasks, while smartphones are mainly for communication and entertainment”, said Nathan.
Sharing some statistics on how digital transformation has impacted education, Nathan said, “One of the key changes is that students now have different expectations on how they learn and consume information, compared to just a few years ago. Context, time, and attitude drive device choice, with many people using their phones or laptops depending on the situation. For example, computers are used to accomplish tasks or do research, while smartphones are used for communication and entertainment. To meet these expectations, institutions need to create an ecosystem of interaction between teachers and students, which is best achieved through a mobile app.”
“This is because apps are more effective in creating an interactive and equitable classroom experience for a mobile population. In fact, 95% of adults expect higher education to be hybrid by 2025. Emails are no longer effective in reaching students, with only a small percentage actually reading them. Instead, push notifications via the mobile app are more effective in engaging with students. This shift in student expectations has been expedited due to remote changes brought by the pandemic”, he concluded.
