Colorful Techniques In Canvas: Engaging Gen Z With Visual Learning In A Blended Environment

In today’s day and age of a dynamic education system, it is crucial to keep students engaged, especially in a blended environment. There are a plethora of techniques available in the learning management system, that can propagate healthy and interactive learning outcomes for students.

The learning management system that we will use to demonstrate is Canvas. Everyone can create, conversations in Canvas! Utilizing apps into online course environments allows instructors and learners to communicate in an interactive method creating visual cues to demonstrate learning objectives. Instructors are discovering the possibilities of reaching their audience with images, videos, Keynote, and animation to engage today’s learner. The instructor can create projects in the form of infographics (showing the historic development of an event, such as, the history of aviation) and increase interactivity using animation.

The instructor’s personality and experience is added by creatively using the technology to bridge the generational gap between the participants and course creator. Learners will learn through the zestful online environment adding a combination of humor, visual life, and information. Incorporating lectures through Keynote with the addition of animation, clip art, and podcasts transport the student through their course tasks to the ultimate goal of reaching the learning objectives.

In addition, this suite of apps can be used in any online course in other ways, from creating mini podcasts, to encouraging engagement by allowing learners to dive into their creative sides. The 45 minute session will focus on the introduction of these apps and ways to integrate them into your online class, and requires use of your iPad Pro and the most updated versions of the iOS, Keynote, Clips, Garage Band, and Tsukasa Sketches School.

Let’s get to Coloring our Canvas Learning Environments!

Level of Participation:

The session will begin with an introduction and few examples of the online learning experience through the years to show the growth of the platform for five to seven minutes. We intend to quickly involve the audience by showing a typical Canvas Course and then examples of what the course can look like with a few simple applications (Keynote and Clips) to visually engage the learners for ten to fifteen minutes. We will demonstrate and then move towards involving the audience to work through a few prepared activities to incorporate in their online learning environment for the remainder of the workshop. All attendees will receive cheat-sheets to help them create and implement the learnings from this session.

Session Goals:

Participants attending this express workshop will be able to utilize several interactive strategies for a blended course in higher education. Upon completion of this session, individuals will be able to use:

Keynote:

Explore Magic moveExplore animationIncrease interactivity with students

Clips:

Trim and arrange clipsDesign posters, stickers, emoji, and your own photosApply filters and music to enhance mood

Canvas:

Creating Home PageExploring GIF’sExplore animation