Canva
Description
Canva is a cloud-based photo editor and graphic design tool for the web and app for iOS. Its user-friendly interface, with drag and drop technology, allows users to quickly and easily create custom presentations, posters, infographics, charts and graphs, and much more. Canva provides the option to choose from hundreds of professionally designed layouts or to create original designs from scratch. It's also a flexible, accessible way to get students -especially design novices- creating digitally in the classroom if instructors have access to stable internet and time to get students set up to be successful with the tool (Kievlan, 2017).
Canva is a cloud-based photo editor and graphic design tool for the web and app for iOS. Its user-friendly interface, with drag and drop technology, allows users to quickly and easily create custom presentations, posters, infographics, charts and graphs, and much more. Canva provides the option to choose from hundreds of professionally designed layouts or to create original designs from scratch. It's also a flexible, accessible way to get students -especially design novices- creating digitally in the classroom if instructors have access to stable internet and time to get students set up to be successful with the tool (Kievlan, 2017).
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Justification for Using this Tool
Justification 1 - Multimedia Principle
Justification 1 - Multimedia Principle
- In terms of supporting the design of Web-Based Learning Tools (WBLTs), Canva’s strength is in its ability to enable the creation of effective visual learning materials. An important aspect of instructional design theory is the multimedia principle, which suggests that people will learn better from the combination words and graphics rather than words alone (Clark & Mayer, 2016).
- The graphic design features of Canva provide educators with the right tools to create transformational, interpretive, and organizational graphics that truly support learning. When creating custom images with Canva educators should keep in mind that visuals should only be incorporated into WBLTs if they add informative value (Clark & Mayer, 2016).
- For educators looking to facilitate active learning and student use of higher order thinking skills, Canva’s simple interface makes it a great option for students to create content. Its incorporation into instruction as a tool for students use provides an avenue for exploring critical thinking with visual literacies; an important skill to develop in students. As media continues to move towards more image-based communication, students are required to have the ability to not only interpret visuals but also create them (Holland, n.d.).
Strategies for Use
Strategy 1 – Creating Infographics with Canva
Strategy 1 – Creating Infographics with Canva
- Canva can be used by WBLT designers, teachers, and students to create effective infographics.
Strategy 2 – Fixing Bad Graphs with Canva: A Lesson Plan
- Canva can be used in non-traditional ways to support teaching and learning in a number of subject areas. This video highlights a lesson plan that uses Canva while analyzing graphical representations of data.
Helpful Resources
Resource 1 – 10 Ways to Take Your Lessons to the Next Level with Canva
Resource 1 – 10 Ways to Take Your Lessons to the Next Level with Canva
- One of the best things about Canva is that it allows educators to take visual learning to a new level; this website provides 10 ways to incorporate Canva into instruction.
- The Canva for Education site features eighteen lesson plans created by world-leading educators. These resources are for teachers looking to inspire their students to think and express themselves creatively through visual design.
- Edtechteacher has created a Canva resource page provides a collection of Canva-related blog posts, examples of use, videos, and tutorials.
- App smashing is the process of using multiple apps to create projects or complete tasks. This blog post provides educators with an example of how Canva and Thinglink can be used in combination by students in creative and inspired ways to showcase their learning and allow educators to assess their understanding and skills.
References
- Band, B. (2017). Canva. The School Librarian, 65(3), 149.
- Clark, R., Mayer, R. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.
- Holland, B. (n.d.). Teaching Visual Literacy with the Canva Design School.
- Hurt, E., English, S. (2017). Creating with Canva. HLG Nursing Bulletin, 36(3/4), 72.
- Kievlan, P. M. (2017, May). Canva: Photo Editor & Design.