Collaborative arts based learning using Canvas

Digital technologies have a central and continuing role to play in the future of learning, competing models of education are prompting institutions to evaluate how they facilitate taught content and adapt to new technologies (NMC, 2015). Technology has the ability to disrupt and empower, to captivate and deviate, as do the learners themselves. This session will focus on the use of Canvas LMS, new to Falmouth University, to facilitate performance based distance learning. \ud \ud Harnessing the power of the crowd is central to student experience, particularly in relation to online environments where the physical convening of students is not possible. Computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) can be used to facilitate conversation, aid assessment and provide valuable feedback in an online environment. Focusing on the benefits of CSCL, we have implemented an environment for a fully online transnational degree launched in the 2014/15 academic year. The Canvas platform was chosen as an alternative learning environment (not widely used in UK Higher Education) that facilitates user interaction, collaboration and discussion. \ud \ud There is a requirement from creative arts students that they are able to upload work in various digital forms; electronic submission and feedback of work should utilise available technologies. It has been demonstrated that cooperative learning is beneficial (Johnson, Johnson & Stanne, 2000), we need to find methods to enable collaboration in a way that is digitally accessible for students. The approach implemented in Canvas for performance based courses is suggested as one method to facilitate collaboration. \ud \ud This session will address the main conference theme “Harnessing the power of the crowd” by detailing the introduction and implementation of a fully distant learning initiative using Canvas as an online platform to facilitate collaborative arts based learning. Participants can expect to hear how the environment has handled functionality fundamental to performance based courses; including audio and visual submissions and peer review. This is an anecdotal take on the Canvas environment from an educational technology team who have developed and supported its use for new distance courses, and as such would be of benefit to others thinking of using the Canvas platform. \ud \ud Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Stanne, M. E., 2000. Cooperative learning methods: A meta-analysis. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. \ud \ud (NMC) New Media Consortium, 2015. The NMC Horizon Report :: 2015 Higher Education Edition. [online] Available at: <http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-HE-EN.pdf> [Accessed 25 February 2015]