Comparing Blackboard to Canvas

Summary

This is a table that highlights the differences and similarities between how Blackboard Learn and Canvas handle different functions.

Body

Blackboard to Canvas Comparison

Category Blackboard Canvas What's the difference?
Announcements Announcements Announcements Instructors can allow students to reply to
announcements. An "allow liking" feature permits individuals
to "like" an announcement reply, and
instructors are able to "sort (replies) by likes."
Appointments N/A Scheduler Scheduler is a Calendar tool that creates
appointment groups within a course or group.
Students can sign up for a time slot within the
appointment group. Some ​appointment time
slots may only allow one student to sign up
at a time, while others may allow an entire
group to sign up.
Assessments Tests Quizzes Tests and quizzes were grouped under "Tests" in
Blackboard, they are grouped under "Quizzes" in
Canvas. Canvas offers Quiz types of "Practice Quiz,"
"Graded Quiz," "Ungraded Survey," and "Graded
Survey." Just as in Blackboard, quizzes can be easily
uploaded through Respondus.
Assignments Assignments Assignments

Assignments can be accessed through several areas
of the course: Assignments, Calendar or Modules.
Assignment types include "No Submission," "Online,"
"On Paper," or "External Tool". Instructors can limit
the file types they will accept.
Unlike Blackboard, Canvas cannot create grading
columns without an assignment. Please keep
this in mind.

Blogging Blogs/Journals N/A Canvas does not have blogs or journals built in.
Journals can be created through the Assignments
tool and blogs can be developed using the
Discussion ​​​​area or a third-party tool.
Calendar Calendar Calendar The Calendar automatically syncs with other Canvas
features such as Assignments, Syllabus, and
​​​​​​​Grades. If you create, change or delete the due
​​​​​​​date of an ​​​​​​​Assignment, the Calendar will reflect
​​​​​​​this change. Within the Calendar page, you can
​​​​​​​change dates ​​​​​​​easily by dragging and dropping
​​​​​​​assignments from ​​​​​​​one day to another.
Chat room Chat Chat The Chat tool in Canvas allows students and
​​​​​​​teachers ​​​​​​​to interact in real time. Chat rooms
​​​​​​​can be saved for ​​​​​​​future use.
Collaborative Spaces   Collaborations Allows students to use Google Docs for online
​​​​​​​collaborations
Collaborative Spaces Wikis Pages All pages created in Canvas are potential Wikis; an
​​​​​​​instructor can give students editing rights to a page
​​​​​​​and can return to an older version of the page if
​​​​​​​student changes need to be reversed.
Communications Send email/
Course
​​​​​​​Messages
Inbox
​​​​​​​(Conversations)
All conversations can be routed to the individual's email.
These communications can take place directly in
​​​​​​​the individual's personal email (if specified in Notifications)

but copies will still reside in the Canvas Inbox.
Content
​​​​​​​Organization
Content
​​​​​​​Areas
Modules Courses are uniformly laid out with a linear module
​​​​​​​structure based on Pages. The content can use
​​​​​​​releases or prerequisites to monitor student work.
Course
​​​​​​​Chronology
N/A Syllabus The syllabus allows you to add information that is
​​​​​​​pertinent to your course. The Syllabus is
​​​​​​​automatically generated based on Assignments
​​​​​​​and Events within a course. It can only be changed
​​​​​​​by editing or deleting the Assignments or Events.
All assignments (unpublished and published) are
​​​​​​​listed in the syllabus for instructors.
Document
​​​​​​​Preview
N/A Document
​​​​​​​Preview
Instructors have the option to set the preview to
​​​​​​​open automatically for students in the course.
Preview will open many file options; .doc,
docx, .ppt, .zip, .pdf, .odt. It can handle large
​​​​​​​documents up to 100MB and 999 pages
Enrollments Users People With the people function instructors can oversee
​​​​​​​the course roster. The People feature also gives
​​​​​​​great analytics that is easy to read and use.
File Storage Content
​​​​​​​Collection
Files
(Canvas
​​​​​​​Commons)
Files can contain course materials, assignments,
syllabi, readings, or other documents, as well as
​​​​​​​profile pictures and files unique to each individuals. Instructors
​​​​​​​can lock folders and files so they can only be
​​​​​​​viewed by direct links or only unlock on a specific
​​​​​​​date. Also, consider using the Canvas Commons
​​​​​​​to store files that might be used for multiple
​​​​​​​people or departments.
Groups Groups Groups
(Project
​​​​​​​Groups)
Groups can be easily maintained in a single
​​​​​​​navigation menu.
Lecture
​​​​​​​Capture
Panopto Panopto Panopto is the Lecture capture tool that is
​​​​​​​supported by the University for recording, editing,
and distribution of video content. Any recordings
​​​​​​​that were used in Blackboard courses will be
​​​​​​​available for use in Canvas.
Real
​​​​​​​Time
​​​​​​​Collaboration
Zoom Zoom Zoom is the primary video tool for real - time
​​​​​​​collaboration and synchronus learning. Zoom
​​​​​​​recordings can be shared via web link, or
​​​​​​​downloaded and stored / distributed in Panopto.
Media
​​​​​​​Recording
N/A Media/
Video
​​​​​​​Recorder
Canvas has an embedded recorder in any of
​​​​​​​the text editing areas. Individuals can record
​​​​​​​audio or video for pages, posts, messages
​​​​​​​announcements and grading feedback.
Navigation
​​​​​​​Menu
Course
​​​​​​​Menu
Course
​​​​​​​Navigation
Canvas provides a consistent Menu and
​​​​​​​naming convention for all courses. An instructor
​​​​​​​can show or hide links for the needs of his or
​​​​​​​her course.
Open
​​​​​​​Course
Make
​​​​​​​Available
Publish
​​​​​​​Course
The Publish Course button is conveniently
​​​​​​​located on each course's Home Page; after
​​​​​​​students submit assignments, this button
​​​​​​​disappears.
Peer
​​​​​​​Assessments
Self and
​​​​​​​Peer
​​​​​​​Assessments
Assignments Canvas has an easy-to-use function for
​​​​​​​assigning peer reviews which can
​​​​​​​automatically match students or allow the
​​​​​​​instructor to manually match students.
Rich
​​​​​​​Content
​​​​​​​Editor

Content
​​​​​​​Item/
Blank
Page

Pages Canvas pages are adaptable to many
​​​​​​​individual styles using the robust tool
​​​​​​​section in the editing panel. Pages also
​​​​​​​allow in-course linking and drag and drop
​​​​​​​attachments from the sidebar.
Score
​​​​​​​Offline
​​​​​​​Work
Grade
​​​​​​​Center
Assignments Assignments can be created that have No
​​​​​​​Submission. These work well for in-class
​​​​​​​presentations, daily participation points,
or other optional activities used for extra credit.
Score
​​​​​​​Online
​​​​​​​Work
Grade
​​​​​​​Assignment
Speedgrader The Canvas SpeedGrader is easy-to-use
​​​​​​​and provides tools to comment, highlight,
mark through text, or draw on a paper.
Instructors can also add audio or video
​​​​​​​feedback for the student or incorporate
rubrics into Outcomes and Learning Mastery
​​​​​​​paths.
Scoring
​​​​​​​Rubric
Rubrics Rubrics Canvas Rubrics provides a variety of rating
​​​​​​​scales and can pull in Outcomes from the
​​​​​​​departments, intuitions or course level outcomes.
Student
​​​​​​​Grade
​​​​​​​Book
My
​​​​​​​Grades
Grades Canvas allows the student to use the What-If
​​​​​​​feature, which allows students to enter possible
​​​​​​​grades for upcoming Assignments and Quizzes
​​​​​​​to project his or her potential course grade.
Support Help Help On the Navigation menu, "Help" directs individuals to
​​​​​​​support through the Student Helpdesk, Faculty
Helpdesk or the Canvas Guides.
Surveys Surveys Ungraded
​​​​​​​or ​​​​​​​Graded
​​​​​​​Surveys
​​​​​​​(Quizzes)
Ungraded or graded surveys (types of "Quizzes")
can be deployed easily within a Canvas course.
Also, instructors have the option of making both
​​​​​​​graded and ungraded surveys anonymous.
Weighted
​​​​​​​Categories
Grade
​​​​​​​Center
Assignments Canvas allows instructors to assign weights to
​​​​​​​assignment groups within the Assignments
​​​​​​​section of their course.

Additional Canvas Support

For a host of useful Canvas guides and resources, feel free to visit the
Canvas Community Instructor's Guide.

Details

Details

Article ID: 197
Created
Tue 4/27/21 4:05 PM
Modified
Thu 5/30/24 2:51 PM