VU extends Canvas contract: what does the future hold?

Canvas, the digital backbone of VU Amsterdam’s educational landscape, has proven its value over the past years by supporting teachers and enhancing effective learning among students. With the recent announcement of a five-year extension of the Canvas contract, we have a look at the success of the platform, and what it means for teachers, and its future, from the perspective of Arjen Heijstek, Process Coordinator for Teaching and Learning Support.

What are the main benefits of Canvas?
Canvas has played a crucial role in the digitalization of education at VU Amsterdam in recent years. According to Arjen Heijstek, Process Facilitator for Teaching and Learning Support, the biggest benefits of Canvas for teachers and students are its user-friendliness and accessibility. “User-friendliness was central in the selection of Canvas in 2016, contributing to its adoption by a broad group of teachers. Canvas stands out for its ability to engage even the less technologically enthusiastic teachers in using digital technology in education. An example of this is online feedback on student submissions, where Canvas led the way compared to its competitors in 2017.”

Teacher challenges and support
During the pandemic, Canvas played a crucial role in supporting teachers in transitioning to more online education. “However, we must remember that technology remains merely a tool to support the learning process. It remains essential to focus on effectively using technology to achieve learning goals and engage students.”

“One challenge we encountered in transitioning to online education is the setup of Canvas. In higher education culture, teachers rightfully have a lot of freedom within the framework of their courses. This freedom allows teachers to set up the Canvas Course according to their own course design. This means that teachers sometimes make different choices for similar types of courses. Students sometimes complain, rightfully, that it is difficult to navigate. The VU Education Lab provides instructional material, support, and workshops to encourage teachers to set up Canvas consistently and in a student-friendly manner.”

Future plans
While we will explore the possibilities of new technologies in the future of online education at VU Amsterdam, there will also be a focus on improving user-friendliness and efficiency.

“An important focus area is the administration and managing (partial) grades throughout a course, where seamless integration between Canvas and tools such as Excel would be valuable. Additionally, there is a need to increase flexibility in groups within Canvas, particularly to support the vision of Active Blended Learning. This requires a balance between formal educational administration and the needs of teachers and students, where Canvas can play a crucial role in facilitating this shift without burdening the teacher too much with bureaucratic processes.”

“Our challenge is to implement these improvements without limiting the flexibility of teachers and students, while continuing to align with VU Amsterdam's educational vision. This will enhance the efficiency of teachers and improve the learning experience of students. With a continued focus on innovation and user-friendliness, Canvas promises to remain a valuable partner for education at VU Amsterdam, contributing to effective and engaged learning.”

Watch the video podcast (in Dutch) and learn more about Canvas alongside Arjen Heijstek, Silvester Draaijer (programme manager of VU Education Lab), Duco Bannik (teacher), Eva Sugeng (teacher), Erna Klein Ikkink (VU strategy team), and Nienke Stumpel (VU-CTL).

“However, we must remember that technology remains merely a tool to support the learning process. It remains essential to focus on effectively using technology to achieve learning goals and engage students.”

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VU extends Canvas contract: what does the future hold?

Interview with Arjen Heijstek

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