Is Canvas or Google Classroom Better?

Nurturing the learning process on a digital platform, powered by a learning management system (LMS) that is unfazed by the location of the learners, and consistently provides relevant digital content for students was the great solution. 

LMS is used to ensure student learning even in these uncertain times, efficient management of assignments, providing the essential classroom experience through virtual classrooms, enhanced collaboration between teachers and students making use of discussion platforms, and meeting submission dates and deadlines by getting reminders on email addresses.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that LMS features and accessibility have been the superheroes of the academic world during these challenging times. However, the comparative debate over Google Classroom and Canvas LMS still continues. 

Google Classroom is a popular, academic learning management system, but Canvas is a true LMS. However, Google Classroom primarily focuses on academic learning while Canvas facilitates learning in both K-12 and higher educational institutions, as well as businesses.

Google Classroom is cloud-based learning software that enables learners to port course-relevant YouTube video content,  Google Docs for assignment management, access Drive files from Google Drive, and create virtual classrooms for efficient sharing of learning materials.

Classroom learners can benefit from self-paced learning modules and individual learning paths, as Google Classroom facilitates asynchronous learning allowing students to learn when they want and where they want while benefitting from other Google Applications with Classroom.  Moodle is an LMS that is frequently compared with Google Classroom and Schoology, which is considered a leading LMS.

Canvas, on the contrary, offers all features of commonly used LMS but it is an open-source software meaning its source code is available for general users to edit and update, making it a customizable platform.  With Canvas, learners can enjoy versatile design options, interactive features, and great customer support. 

Google Classroom has held a well-respected spot among learning solutions, and it offers several reasons and LMS benefits. Google Classroom offers a good user experience even to the less tech-savvy members, as it has a simple setup with no unnecessarily complex features. You will need to decide on a course title and by selecting an already designed theme, you can set up your course.

Moreover, its API integrations and easy access to other Google applications, such as enabling users to utilize Google Calendar for sorting their assignments, and using Google Drive to access class-shared resources, etc.

With Google Classroom, there is no confusion for student users as it is easy to navigate and understand. Teachers can start class discussions, post announcements, and reference work in the course home tab. Classroom enables separation and efficient organization of work into modules, in the classwork tab. Google Classroom interacts with some popular Learning Tool Interoperability such as EdPuzzle and Quizizz, and it has a smartphone app available both on the App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Androids. The app enables assignment hand-in for students who use LMS and saves time for teachers by letting the grade work on the go.

As for its limitations, Google Classroom primarily lacks in customization of the classroom as it only offers options for changing color settings, making all Classrooms seem very similar, which can be a huge LMS drawback for some.  especially as this new school year starts and I will not have the ability to meet some of my students in person first.

Another downside is that very often users are unable to close assignments in Google Classroom, which leads to a lot of confusion. Another major limitation of Google Classroom is its lack of logging student activity and participation in the course.

That said, Google Classroom is a great tool for providing a blended learning environment which is a main purpose of LMS, and if for you the pros outweigh the cons, then you may consider it over Canvas, however, we recommend using Canvas. Read on to find out more about that.

Among the different types of LMS, Canvas is now one of the most popular and widely used Learning Management Systems in the US. With Canvas, you can create courses and assignments, organize modules on a class calendar, and carry out all the functionalities that you can with Google Classroom including the ability to create Google assignments.

However, Canvas isn’t just as good as Google Classrooms, it is better since it solves the problems with LMS tools many experience. One of its coolest features is the ability to allow users to create pages with content and add them into individual modules.

Canvas provides student access reports after tracking student interaction with the software. This way teachers can monitor student usage and participation. Not only that, but Canvas also allows users to embed LTIs like EdPuzzle and FlipGrid and it offers different smartphone apps for students, teachers, and parents, providing each with a unique experience according to their roles.

Moreover, with Canvas teachers can easily edit the entire course structure and restrict the visibility of certain course components on the students. Canvas enables instructors to cross-list sections into separate shells so that they can compartmentalize courses where needed. Instructors can also directly contact learners for course-relevant communication, without needing to rely on third-party apps.

On the downside, Canvas is harder to set up and it takes a lot of effort and advanced technical knowledge to fully utilize it. Instructors need to give overviews and explain the course structure to students sometimes due to the variation in course structures.