Instructure
Encyclopedia
Instructure is an educational software company based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah
. It is the developer of the Canvas learning management system
, which is similar to the Blackboard Learning System
, Moodle
, and the Sakai Project
.
graduates with initial funding from Mozy
founder Josh Coates (currently the CEO) and Epic Ventures.
In December 2010, the Utah Education Network
(UEN), which represents a number of Utah colleges and universities, announced that Instructure would be replacing Blackboard as their preferred LMS.
In February 2011, Instructure announced that they were making their flagship product, Canvas, freely available under an AGPL license as open source software. This move received widespread coverage in the press.
) originally named Instructure. Once incorporated, the founders changed the name of the software to Canvas. The Utah-based company tested the LMS at several local schools including Utah State University
and Brigham Young University
before officially launching Canvas.
Canvas was built using Ruby on Rails
as the web application framework backed by a PostgreSQL
database. It incorporates JQuery
, HTML5, and CSS3 to provide a modern user interface. OAuth
is used to provide limited access to a user's information on certain social media sites like Facebook
and Twitter
to allow for collaboration between sites. Canvas operates as a Software as a Service
using Amazon Web Services
in the "Cloud". This methodology is intended to provide maximum scalability, security and back-up protection.
filed a lawsuit against the Utah Education Network (UEN) consortium after losing a bid for a course management system to Instructure, stating that UEN had "misapplied the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP or erroneously considered factors or criteria not set forth." After some criticism from press and bloggers, Desire2Learn withdrew the suit.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is the developer of the Canvas learning management system
Learning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
, which is similar to the Blackboard Learning System
Blackboard Learning System
The Blackboard Learning System is a virtual learning environment and course management system developed by Blackboard Inc. Features include course management, a customizable open architecture, and a scalable design that allows for integration with student information systems and authentication...
, Moodle
Moodle
Moodle is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment...
, and the Sakai Project
Sakai Project
This page is about the software project, for other meanings, see Sakai.Sakai is a community of academic institutions, commercial organizations and individuals who work together to develop a common Collaboration and Learning Environment...
.
History
Instructure was founded in 2008 by two BYUBYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
graduates with initial funding from Mozy
Mozy
Mozy is an online backup service for both Windows and Mac users. The cloud service allows users to back up data continuously, manually or schedule updates. Mozy is known for offering backup storage space for home and business users. In 2011, they changed to their current tiered pricing model...
founder Josh Coates (currently the CEO) and Epic Ventures.
In December 2010, the Utah Education Network
Utah Education Network
The Utah Education Network is a not-for-profit consortium of higher and public education, libraries, state government and business. UEN’s high speed computer network connects Utah colleges and universities as well as the state’s school districts and libraries...
(UEN), which represents a number of Utah colleges and universities, announced that Instructure would be replacing Blackboard as their preferred LMS.
In February 2011, Instructure announced that they were making their flagship product, Canvas, freely available under an AGPL license as open source software. This move received widespread coverage in the press.
Canvas
Instructure Inc. was created in order to support the continued development of a new learning management system (LMSLMS
LMS may refer to:* Lady Manners School, a seventeenth century comprehensive school in Bakewell, England.* Lancaster Mennonite School, a school located in Lancaster, PA.* Last man standing , a gametype featured in several computer and video games...
) originally named Instructure. Once incorporated, the founders changed the name of the software to Canvas. The Utah-based company tested the LMS at several local schools including Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
and Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
before officially launching Canvas.
Canvas was built using Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails, often shortened to Rails or RoR, is an open source web application framework for the Ruby programming language.-History:...
as the web application framework backed by a PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
database. It incorporates JQuery
JQuery
jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML. It was released in January 2006 at BarCamp NYC by John Resig...
, HTML5, and CSS3 to provide a modern user interface. OAuth
OAuth
OAuth is an open standard for authorization. It allows users to share their private resources stored on one site with another site without having to hand out their credentials, typically username and password.OAuth allows users to hand out tokens instead of credentials to their data hosted by a...
is used to provide limited access to a user's information on certain social media sites like Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to allow for collaboration between sites. Canvas operates as a Software as a Service
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
using Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services is a collection of remote computing services that together make up a cloud computing platform, offered over the Internet by Amazon.com...
in the "Cloud". This methodology is intended to provide maximum scalability, security and back-up protection.
Desire2Learn Lawsuit Controversy
In January 2011, Desire2LearnDesire2Learn
Desire2Learn Incorporated is a provider of enterprise eLearning solutions and develops online Learning Management Systems used at more than 450 institutions around the world...
filed a lawsuit against the Utah Education Network (UEN) consortium after losing a bid for a course management system to Instructure, stating that UEN had "misapplied the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP or erroneously considered factors or criteria not set forth." After some criticism from press and bloggers, Desire2Learn withdrew the suit.
See also
- History of virtual learning environmentsHistory of virtual learning environmentsA virtual learning environment is a system that creates an environment designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially a system using computer hardware and software, which involves distance learning...
- Learning management systemLearning management systemA learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
- Virtual learning environmentVirtual learning environmentDefined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...