Instructure Shares Updates to Canvas LMS, Canvas Studio, and Canvas Catalog at InstructureCon 2021

New Features and Improvements Expand Functionality of the Instructure Learning Platform’s Suite of Learning Management Solutions

SALT LAKE CITY — Oct 07 2021 —  Instructure today announced improvements to many of the solutions that make up the industry-leading Instructure Learning Platform at its annual InstructureCon education event. Canvas LMS, the market-leading learning management system used by 30 million teachers and students in 70 countries, is introducing updates to popular features including Discussions, Canvas for Elementary, and Course Templates. The announcement also includes innovations to Canvas Studio and Canvas Catalog, as well as a preview of Canvas integration with new Impact by Instructure for K-12, which will be released on October 18th. To register for InstructureCon 2021, go to www.instructure.com/events/instructurecon21. 

"The feedback we've solicited over the past year from our customers has gone right back into the Instructure Learning Platform, and Canvas is at the very heart of that platform," said Mitch Benson, Chief Product Officer for Instructure. “This year at InstructureCon we are once again strengthening that long-held commitment by delivering innovations that support educators and students—from streamlining the user experience for younger learners to introducing new solutions that help districts maximize their edtech spending."

Canvas LMS is the market share leader in both higher education and paid K-12. Canvas is a fully SaaS learning environment that streamlines interaction and builds strong relationships between teachers and students, whether in the physical, blended or fully online classroom. Updates include: 

Discussions enables interactive communication between two or more people, where users can participate in a conversation with an entire class or group. Discussions has just completed a redesign that introduces an improved conversation flow and updated features, such as @mentions, to modernize and streamline the environment for teachers and students. Learn more in our Discussions Community update. 

Canvas for Elementary is a significant set of account-enabled capabilities introduced in June 2021 based on educator feedback and designed to make Canvas LMS more accessible for younger learners. The streamlined, highly visual interface more closely mirrors the elementary classroom, providing focus and orienting pre-emergent and emergent readers on any device. Canvas for Elementary is introducing several new features: button makers to provide even more visual cues, parent support to strengthen communication with families, expanded mobile support to improve experience on all devices, and enhancements to the feedback flow to improve student outcomes. Learn more in our Canvas for Elementary Community update. 

Course Templates enables institutions to roll out custom templates for all new courses created in Canvas LMS. The new update helps deliver a consistent user experience for educators and students as they navigate between courses across a department or organization and will ensure that all base materials are included with each new course. Learn more in our Course Template Community update. 

Canvas Studio provides a robust set of tools for creating, delivering, and managing interactive digital learning experiences. It enables audio and video content creation, in-video discussions, embedded quizzes, and more, to drive interaction and participation. Recent improvements include offering Chromebook support, administrator analytics, annotations, and improving accessibility with 2.1 WCAG Support. Learn more in our Canvas Studio Community update. 

Canvas Catalog is a customizable catalog system and branded marketplace, seamlessly integrated with Canvas LMS, for schools to host online, professional development, and community courses and programs. Upcoming improvements to Canvas Catalog build on the need to support an emerging population of non-traditional learners, by streamlining its functionality to support the evolving needs of educational institutions. Coming later this year are a new shopping cart, the ability to bulk purchase courses and Integration with the Stripe payment gateway. Learn more about the solution in our Canvas Catalog Community update. 

NEW Impact by Instructure for K-12 (formerly EesySoft) helps schools improve usage of their sprawling set of educational tools and ensure they are getting the best outcomes for each one. It provides insightful dashboards, dynamic reporting, and custom in-app messaging to empower teachers, students, and families to focus more on teaching and learning, and less on traversing new technologies. Impact is currently available for colleges and universities, and will soon be available for K-12 customers. To learn more, join the webinar Impact for K-12: Maximize Canvas LMS Adoption for More Effective Teaching & Learning on October 20th.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential, timing, and examples of any strategic alternatives. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management’s expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in the Company’s initial public offering prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on July 23, 2021, and other documents filed with the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law.