Canvas Blackboard Comparison
Feature Name | Blackboard | Canvas | Notes (Canvas Differences) |
---|---|---|---|
Global Functionality | |||
Notifications | Notifications | Notifications | Canvas can send text, email, and mobile push notifications. Some notifications are sent automatically (like due dates), but Announcements can be used to send notifications manually. |
Messages | Send Email / Course Messages | Inbox | All notifications in Canvas are stored in the conversations inbox and sent via notifications. |
Calendar | Calendar | Calendar | Drag and drop functionality makes it easy to add or change due dates and event times. Assignment shells can be created from the calendar. |
Appointments | N/A | Scheduler | Canvas allows instructors to put office hours and other appointments directly into their scheduler, so students can book time with instructors directly in Canvas. |
Media Recording | N/A | Record Media | Canvas allows users to record audio and video to embed in pages, posts, messages, and grade feedback. |
Live Support | N/A | Help | Instructure provides round-the-clock help to users via phone, email, and chat. |
Course Functionality | |||
Release Course | Make Available | Publish Course | The option to publish a course in Canvas is on its home page (not deep in customization settings). |
Navigation Menu | Course Menu | Course Navigation | Canvas course navigation links are uniform across courses, so students always know exactly what to expect on each page. |
Course Chronology | N/A | Syllabus | The Syllabus page automatically displays course events and graded assignments in a chronological view. |
Content Organization | Content Areas | Modules | Instructors lay out all course content in one place grouped by units or weeks with optional scheduled release or prerequisites to view later materials. |
Rich Content | Content Item / Blank Page | Pages | Pages are always versioned in Canvas and may be used as the course home page. Attachments are easily linked inline using Content Selector. |
Document Preview | N/A | Document Preview | Canvas allows in-browser viewing of document types browsers typically do not display. Instructors can set previews to open automatically. |
File Storage | Store & Share | Files | Files uploaded in a course are open to students by default. Instructors may restrict access to some or all files. |
Enrollments | Users | People | Instructors can views student activity reports and total time in course. |
Groups | Groups | Groups | Groups can be accessed from the universal navigation menu. |
Communication Tools | |||
Announcements | Announcements | Announcements | Canvas models announcements on discussions, allowing students to reply. |
Discussions | Discussion Board | Discussions | Instructors can grade, pin, and close threads. Canvas posts replies to notification emails back to subscribed threads. |
Chat Room | Chat | Chat | Each course has a text-only chat room that keeps a history. |
Lecture and Screen Share | Virtual Classroom | Conferences | Instructors can share audio, webcam video, live-annotated documents, and their computer screens. |
Assignments and Grading | |||
Assignments | Assignments | Assignments | Assignment shells are easily created from modules, calendar, or the assignment tool. The assignments tool shows graded discussions and quizzes, as well. |
Peer Assessment | Self and Peer Assessments | Canvas assignments allow Peer Review of submissions, including anonymous, automatic-matching, and manual-matching options. | |
Weighted Categories | Grade Center | Instructors can make assignment groups used to weight the final grade through the Assignments tool. | |
Score Offline Work | Instructors make assignments in Canvas for work submitted on paper, then enter scores and comments in Grades. | ||
Score Online Work | Grade Assignment | SpeedGrader | Instructors can easily review and annotate submissions from the assignment or grades tools. |
Student Grade Work | My Grades | Grades | Students can see how future assignments would affect their final grade with What-If grades. |
Plagiarism Check | SafeAssign | N/A | Canvas does not have built in plagiarism checking. |
Scoring Rubric | Rubrics | Rubrics | Canvas allows criteria ratings scales to vary in number of increments. |
Objective Assignments | Tests | Canvas Quizzes (Classic and New) | Moderating quizzes is easy and works even for ongoing attempts. |
Surveys | Surveys | Anonymous surveys deployed quickly, graded or ungraded. | |
Collaboration Tools | |||
Blogging | Blogs | N/A | Canvas does not have built-in blogging. Assignments are a great way to collect student journal entries. |
Journals | |||
Collaborative Editing | Wikis | Pages | Pages become wikis when editing is allowed for teachers and students. |
Collaborations | Collaborations creates a Google Doc for selected students to edit. |
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