As time progresses, so does our technology, and with the introduction of iPads to OHS many problems have arose. Along with the iPads came different ways to do and submit assignments without needing any actual paper. One of the apps that allows you to do this is Canvas.

On Canvas,  you can find some or all of your courses conveniently placed at the top and download pdfs of your assignments and submit them digitally. This can be an extremely useful tool when it works… The thing about Canvas is that there are two separate versions, the actual app itself, and the browser version which you can access using safari on the iPad or on a computer.

The browser version has a very limited way as to how you can turn in assignments on mobile platforms, one of the only ways being having to screenshot your work then submit each picture which can be very annoying when you have to submit up to 10 pictures just to turn in a 3 page assignment.

However, the app allows you to turn in your assignment using the actual pdf itself, but the app has a drawback– when trying to access certain modules/assignments it simply just won’t work. This means that students may have to open up the browser version, get the assignment from there then when they are ready to turn in the assignment they have to go to the actual app which raises the question is it even worth using?

Personally, I enjoy Canvas and think it is a great time and paper saver. It allows easy access to assignments from home and has proven to be useful for taking tests and quizzes alike. However, the bugs and technical glitches with both versions can stop it from being used at its full potential. A lot of students love it, some hate it, and some really don’t care.

Either way, it is something we will be using for the foreseeable future and we may just have to wait until the bugs get kinked out. Until then, using other platforms could work or even going back to using actual paper for assignments because canvas currently has stopped students from turning in necessary work and can be an overall inconvenience.