Canvas Offers Anonymized Canvas Network Data to Researchers

SALT LAKE CITY, March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Canvas, the leading learning management system created by the company Instructure Inc. (NYSE: INST), today announced it has opened Canvas Network data to researchers. The de-identified data comes from more than 230 massive open online courses (MOOCs) hosted on Canvas Network and represents thousands of learning experiences from around the world.

"We're excited to give researchers this valuable insight into our Canvas Network data as a means of furthering the impact of open education," said Melissa Loble, vice president of partners and programs at Instructure. "Canvas Network has always encouraged creativity and experimentation with MOOCs to create more engaged learning. By sharing data we've collected with the educational community, we're providing another tool to help improve learning."

Canvas Network provides open online courses taught by educators around the globe. Powered by the Canvas LMS and Canvas Catalog and developed and supported by Instructure, the platform is a place where teachers, students and administrators at institutions can connect and chart their own courses for personal growth, professional development and academic inquiry. Since its launch in 2013, Canvas Network has offered more than 350 open online courses designed and delivered by more than 150 international educational organizations.

"Our goal is to help educators and designers improve teaching and learning, and providing data from our Canvas Network is a great way to start," said Jared Stein, vice president of research and education at Instructure. "This information will allow researchers to ask questions about online course design and user behavior from the perspective of large scale, non-formal learning."

Even though Canvas Network course experiences are themselves open to the public, the data in this release has been anonymized and aggregated to protect user privacy. Researchers who agree to terms of use will be able to access a more robust data set. Canvas Network data does not include Canvas client data or matriculated student data. Canvas is a signatory of the SIIA Student Privacy Pledge.

Canvas Network datasets are available to researchers on Harvard's Dataverse service as Canvas Network Dataverse: https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataverse/cn.

About Instructure
Instructure Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximize the potential of people through technology, Instructure created Canvas and Bridge to enable organizations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of teachers and learners at more than 1,800 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world. Learn more about Canvas for higher ed and K-12, and Bridge for the corporate market at www.Instructure.com.

Contacts
Shannon R. Michael, Director of Public Relations, Instructure
(801) 869-5096 | [email protected]

Jessica Hutchison, Method Communications
(801) 461-9779 | [email protected]

Instructure, Canvas, the Instructure logo, Canvas logo and Bridge logo are registered trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.

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SOURCE Canvas

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