On-Demand Training Portal Quarterly News & Updates (Q1 - 2025)

Inst-TSP-team
Instructure
Instructure
Tuesday
0
90

 

On-Demand Training Portal Blog

Updates for Quarter 1, 2025

What’s Included in This Post?
• The latest news on the On-Demand Training Portal
• What's New? Check out the latest updated courses, pathways, and webinars
• What's Next? Learn about what we have on deck for the next quarter.

The first quarter of 2025 is a wrap! We have been busy enhancing the On-Demand Training Portal, and we’re excited to share a roundup of recent updates and a glimpse into what’s ahead. This quarter, we’ve focused on refreshing course content, adding new partnership courses, and improving navigation with new portal tabs. Let’s dive into the details of what’s new and what you can expect in the coming months.

About our Services

Not sure what the On-Demand Training Portal is? We’ve got you covered! This interactive resource highlights key features and resources to help maximize Canvas usage at your institution. Select the icons next to each topic on the ThingLink to learn more about the On-Demand Training Portal. If you prefer to interact with the ThingLink using accessibility features, navigate to the Accessibility Viewer. Alternatively, refer to the On-Demand Training Portal Information outlining the essential features and resources that will help you to maximize Canvas usage at your institution. It includes the offerings of each subscription level, as well as a link to a video explaining what to expect from an On-Demand Training Course.

What’s New?

Courses

This quarter has been all about updates and partnerships!

  • Engaging Learners: Engaging Learners: In February, we released a major update to the Engaging Learners course. We added fresh content, hands-on activities, and practical strategies to create dynamic, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences in Canvas. This course is available to users with a Standard or Premium Subscription Package. Unsure what package you have? Reach out to your Canvas Admin for assistance.
  • New Partnership Courses: In March, we added two new partnership courses to the On-Demand Training Portal. Both courses are available to users with an Essential, Standard, or Premium Subscription Package. Partnership courses are a great way to explore additional tools that can be used to enhance your courses and integrate well within Canvas.
    • Enhancing Discussions with Kialo: Kialo is a free tool, offering a unique discussion format designed to boost learner engagement, develop critical thinking skills, and deepen topic comprehension. This course explores Kialo’s core features and its LTI integration with Canvas.
    • PollEverywhere: Engage Your Audience: PollEverywhere is the ultimate tool for transforming your classroom into an interactive learning environment. Seamlessly integrating with Canvas, it empowers you to engage learners like never before through live polls, quizzes, and discussions. This course gives you everything you need to use PollEverywhere with Canvas confidently, from foundational knowledge to advanced tips.
  • Portal Course Updates: In addition to the courses listed above, we have been working hard to update our courses to reflect Canvas updates and releases. This quarter, we updated images, videos, and content for the following features: Rubrics, Modules, SpeedGrader, and Grading Schemes. These updates appear in the following courses: Course Cross-Listing & Grading Schemes, Creating a Canvas Course, Grading and Feedback, Customizing Canvas Content, Home Pages, Buttons, Modules, Oh My!, Performance-Based Teaching: Transforming Teaching with Canvas Tools, and Assessment Tools for Canvas Admins.

Other Changes

  • Business/Government Tab
    • In response to feedback from our Business and Government institutions, who now have a dedicated space in the Instructure Community, we’ve added a Business/Government tab to the training portal landing page. We understand that not all portal content applies to our professional users. Therefore, we have made it easier for them to find relevant courses and webinars.
  • Instructure's Learning Platform Tab
    • The Instructure Learning Platform tab, previously known as the 'Products' tab, is located on the training portal's landing page. This tab allows users to access additional pre-purchased courses, providing supplementary training on various Instructure Learning Platforms (ILP) and expanding their knowledge and skills within the platform's ecosystem.

      • Courses currently offered include Canvas Catalog, Canvas Credentials, Impact, and Studio, with LearnPlatform and Intelligent Insights coming soon. Contact your Canvas Admin for questions about access to an ILP course.

Note: Please allow the On-Demand Training Portal landing page to fully load before selecting the tabs to filter content. 

Portal Tabs - Blog Image.png

Live Webinars

  • What's New in Canvas?: Explore the latest Canvas updates designed with you in mind. Discover how these enhancements can transform your teaching experience. The “What's New in Canvas?” webinar's agenda will be adjusted based on the most recent updates released by our product team. This, along all of the webinars found in the On-Demand Training Portal, is available for those users with a Premium Subscription Package.
DID YOU KNOW? Our Live Webinars are the perfect complement to your asynchronous learning strategy, offering timely, interactive sessions that reinforce and expand on concepts introduced in self-paced courses. Whether you're onboarding beginners or empowering advanced users, our wide variety of topics ensures there's something for every role—from instructors to admins.

 

What’s Next?

Future Updates

This quarter marks the start of an exciting year ahead. We plan to continue providing fresh updates and content. Below are just some of the content that will be coming soon.

All Training Portal Users

  • Accessibility Course: We’re thrilled to announce an upcoming accessibility course in the On-Demand Training Portal. Recognizing the importance of creating accessible online content, this course will be offered free to all portal users (Free, Essential, Standard, and Premium Subscriptions). Stay tuned for details!

Live Webinars

  • In an effort to improve communication and organization, users with a Premium Subscription access will soon be receiving reminders for any Live Webinars that you have been enrolled in. 

Instructure Learning Platform Courses

  • Intelligent Insights: The Instructure Learning Platform will soon offer a new course for purchase titled Intelligent Insights: From Data to Action. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of Intelligent Insights in Canvas, an AI-powered tool that offers data-driven insights for improving student success, course effectiveness, and LTI usage. Contact your Canvas Admin or CSM for more information.
  • LearnPlatform: A new Edtech Insights with LearnPlatform course will also be available for purchase soon on the Instructure Learning Platform. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to effectively use LearnPlatform, understand edtech tool adoption, and make data-driven decisions for administrative purposes. Contact your Canvas Admin or CSM for more information.

     

Final Thoughts

 

We'd love to hear how you are using the On-Demand Training Portal! Share your experience in the comments. Until next time, be well and keep learning!