Canva - An Educational Tool for the Classroom

AN OVERVIEW
AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR THE CLASSROOM

WHAT IS CANVA?

Canva is an easy-to-use app that allows individuals and teams to design simple or professional visual materials such as presentations, posters, logos, business cards etc. 

Canva provides a wide range of customizable free templates with free images or you can customize your own visual material. 

Canva URL: https://www.canva.com/

Learning Strategy: 

• Interleaving 
• Retrieval Practice 

Pedagogical Function:

Category of Technology: 

• Presentation Technologies
• Organizational Technologies 

WHAT IS THE COST:
There is something for everyone!

FREE VERSION: 
Canva offers a free version that you can sign up for and use indefinitely 
Some of the images will have stock images on the picture when you save it if you do not pay for the full version. However, you can maneuver the pictures to try and hide it. 

COST VERSION:
Canva offers a Pro version:

• Individuals can pay $18.99 per month or $149.99 yearly

• Teams can pay $37.99 per month (5 people) or $380.00 per year (5 people)

** Canva also offers A free version for Non-Profit Organizations which is tailored to specifically meet the needs of non-profit organizations and spread important messages. 

LIMITED TIME: 
Canva offers a 30-day free trial of the Pro version that gives you access to all the features that you would normally pay for. 

WHAT IS THE PLATFORM?

Canva can be used on multiple platforms via web browser, mobile app or desktop app.
With ease, CANVA is available anytime and anywhere, picking up right where you left off. 

What are the PROS and CONS of CANVA?

PROS/ADVANTAGES

1. FREE Photos, Videos & Audio Files 

Canva offers millions of royalty-free photos, videos and audio files to use for your designs. 

2. FREE Templates

Canva offers access to a multitude of pre-designed templates that allow you to have a head start on your project. With ease, you can edit change and modify the template to how it fits into your design. 

3. Resize Tool

Canva offers a resize tool that allows you to convert your existing designs and projects to different sizes that fit into posting via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. 

4. Video Editor

has a built-in video editor that allows for posting on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok

5. Background Removal 

Canva allows you to remove backgrounds on photos
(available using limited free first or Pro Edition).  

6. Offers CANVA FOR EDUCATION

Canva offers a classroom version of the main version with the same great features but includes educational features and templates as well.  

Resource: https://www.canva.com/education/

Students and Teachers would benefit from using these features in the classroom for creating slides, documents, classroom projects etc. 

CONS/DISADVANTAGES

1. Limiting Exporting 

the ability to export to other sources is limited 

2. No Backup Feature 

Canva does not offer or provide a way to back up your projects, therefore if you delete or lose a design or even your account then all your hard work is gone. 

3. WIFI is needed at all times

You can only use the app if you are connected to WIFI, therefore if you need to do editing or continued work without being connected to WIFI, you will not be able to continue. 

MORE INFORMATION 

As previously stated, Canva is a user-friendly app, that has no limitations for individuals. Regardless if you are new to technology or have experience, the way that Canva is constructed allows the individual to freely guide themselves with ease just by clicking on various buttons. 

Also, there are limitations for usage as the individual must have access to the internet and WIFI to use the app, which might put constraints on the classroom if that is not available. 

Copyright & Intellectual Property 

For further details related to copyright use, licensing, and intellectual property, please see the link provided:

https://www.canva.com/learn/content-licensing-agreement-explained-stock-images-copyright/

CONCLUSION

From a student standpoint, Canva is an app that is user-friendly allowing anyone the use the app with ease. The features of pre-designed templates and elements allow the user to quickly edit and modify to their specifications.

From an educator's viewpoint, this app will allow teachers to use the educational templates to design lesson plans, resources and even decorations for the classrooms. Again, it is teacher-friendly with minimal instruction needed to create and design for the classrooms. Using Canva for Education, teachers can integrate and connect with other learning tools such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. Teachers can invite students to use Canva under their accounts and then create Canva-based assignments. 

In the classroom, there are many ways in which an instructor or teacher can use Canva to better the classroom such as creating resources, worksheets and newsletters. More importantly, a teacher can create lesson plans using Canva which can be created and modified quickly and easily as needed from any device.

Example of Teaching/Training Resource

Upon searching online, there is a variety of resources available to give step-by-step instructions on the tools available on the platform. 

Youtube is a great video resource that gives demonstrations and training. 

Depending on what you search online or what you need help with, you can find a multitude of resources. 

For an example of a Teaching/Training Resource that has been used in the classroom and was successful, please see the link provided:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361920745_Using_Canva_as_Media_for_English_Language_Teaching_ELT_in_Developing_Creativity_for_Informatics_Students%27

STUDENT/TEACHER RATING 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐= 5/5

Sources: 

CANVA content licensing explained: Stock images, selling designs ... CANVA. (2023). https://www.canva.com/learn/content-licensing-agreement-explained-stock-images-copyright/

Fitria, T. N. (2022). Using CANVA as media for English language teaching (ELT) in developing creativity for informatics students. ELT Echo : The Journal of English Language Teaching in Foreign Language Context, 7(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.24235/eltecho.v7i1.10789

Singleton, C. (2023, September 13). Canva Review (2023) - all the key pros and cons. Style Factory. https://www.stylefactoryproductions.com/blog/canva-review

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