Canvas LMS Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives

Pros
While I am unsure of the College's side in using this software, for me, as a student, I love using CANVAS. I enjoy travelling and with an easy-to-use, school-issued/provided LMS (Learning Management System/Software), I can take many classes online from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The mobile application is robust and incredibly convenient, allowing 99% all-the-same functionality as the desktop version. Students can even take online quizzes and finals using their internet-connected mobile device (Smartphone). It is very user-friendly and an all-around excellent way to engage in continuing education and life-long learning as an older (personally, 42 years) college student.

Cons
The only drawbacks to CANVAS I experienced were a loss of data if the active internet connection broke while in the middle of completing/submitting assignments and quizzes. I know that CANVAS has since implemented an auto-save feature on the quizzes, so that part of the problem is resolved. Whether or not this is true of the assignment submissions, I honestly do not know at this time.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Once you learn the software, it is easy to use. There are several tools that are beneficial to both students and teachers, such as Speed Grader, TurnItIn for plagiarism checking, inbox, collaborations, etc. I really like that it lines out the schedule for students (syllabus tab), provides a calendar that has the option to display days that assignments are due, a to-do list for each assignment, etc. Teachers have to put the assignments in, ahead of time, for this to be useful to students, but I've been told many times by students that it makes their lives easier by being able to see everything they have coming up. I also love the ARC video uploader. It allows teachers to see statistics on how many students watched the video and how long they actually watched it. It also gives students an option to leave a comment or question at an exact timestamp in the video.

Cons
There are some quirks to Canvas that sometimes require workarounds. An example of this is moderated grading. I have had it somehow get selected, but it does not tell you when it gets selected. Once one student submission has been graded, it will not allow you to turn off moderated grading. You have to go through the process of moderated grading before it will even show grades or comments to students. The inbox also sometimes hides my emails in the spam folder in my Outlook account. It does not do that constantly, but every now and then I will get an email from a student wondering why I haven't responded to an email. I usually find it in my spam folder.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
I have been using canvas regularly for all my graduate classes. It has been the epicenter/hub for the instructor and all other students to come together and create a intuitive learning environment. Things I really like with canvas: - Discussions and Help Forums It's so easy to post questions in canvas and ask the professor and other students for help or clarifications. my graduate classes are pretty demanding and requires lot of back and forth with the instructor. But imagine if every student asked the instructor the same questions over and over again. On canvas I can see other student's questions and responses so it's like big FAQ hub. - Easy to navigate Contents All of the contents such as lecture slides, videos, homeworks, grades etc are in one location under different tabs. It has been organized properly and I don't have to click 100 times to get tot the page I want. - Interaction with other students I think this is what differentiates Canvas from moodle and what I have used in the past. This platform is very much student geared and student centered. It is there to help students interact with each other and learn from each other.

Cons
Canvas is not perfect though if you are not an expert user or instructor. - Many times instructors said the contents are released but it wasn't - The grades accumulation does not always makes sense - Very much dependent on how the instructor has laid out contents. - Redundant information - Not always user friendly. Does take a while to get adjusted to it

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 6/10

Pros
From Additional Info to Resource to Files it has everything, the professors sends out assignments, labs, and stuff and we can go and download/view directly from the browser. I also like the as-if grade, which will evaluate my grade on any marks I fill in ( which is obviously not the correct grade) but it shows me how much I need to get on my next assignment to get the grade I am achieving.

Cons
It has files, assignments, and announcements and allows to attach image/files everywhere. Also, I think it should provide professors and students who are first time users with a usage guide. One of my profs sends slides and Homeworks on announcements because he is not friendly with how to create assignments and it's frustrating.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Canvas by Instructure has only improved as it has grown. For an LMS, it is easy to learn and use. It has integrations with various other useful software, but I often encourage faculty who have trouble learning software to just use the tools in Canvas. It's easier to navigate and function. The new gradebook promises to make the whole experience even better.

Cons
This is petty, but the thing I like least about Canvas is the rich text editor on content pages. I wish it could handle more drag and drop features, like Squarespace or Wix. That said, it is perfectly fine. It's not that I don't like it, but I like it least.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10