Instructure Holdings, Inc., the creator of the Canvas Learning Management System, has introduced an offline access feature for its student mobile application. This feature allows students to access pre-selected content on the go, regardless of their data plan or internet connection. This enables educational institutions to empower students to access content and understand course information outside the classroom, promoting a more equitable learning experience for all learners.
Enabling mobile offline access makes Canvas more accessible for those with limited cellular or computer availability. Users can download content on their devices and access it anytime, anywhere, regardless of service availability.
“The LMS is the single most important tool a student uses outside the classroom to learn and engage with course content,” said Shiren Vijiasingam, Chief Product Officer at Instructure. “Providing offline access to course content offers learners more flexibility in how and where they choose to learn, supporting Instructure’s mission to make education more accessible and equitable.”
The Canvas Student mobile app’s offline feature empowers students to manage their learning content autonomously, selecting specific courses and materials for offline review. While real-time communication is not possible when using the offline mode, the new automatic sync capabilities capture offline changes, allowing students to sync course content upon reconnecting to the internet.
Additionally, the new feature provides an in-app navigation experience that is more interactive than displaying the content as a static HTML. It also allows multiple users to download content on the same device, facilitating access to educational materials on shared devices. The availability of this feature can be customized at the institution level, allowing for a tailored user experience.
The latest versions of the Canvas Student mobile app for iOS and Android are now available and introduce enhanced support for course content synchronization for offline viewing. For more information about Canvas’s mobile app updates and features, visit the Instructure website.
