Instructure Hosts First User Conference InstructureCon 2011

Instructure hosts InstructureCon 2011 (#InstCon11) its first annual user conference this week at the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Utah with over 200 people in attendance from 60 institutions across the US. Speakers include Auburn University, The Wharton School of Business, Howard Community College and many others.

“Over 50 educational institutions have chosen Canvas in the last nine months,” said Josh Coates, CEO of Instructure during his keynote at the conference. “We’re experiencing amazing growth.”

Instructure addressed areas such as how to leverage Instructure’s open API, what it means to be the only commercial open source learning management system and the difference between hosted software and a native cloud app.

“We’re the only LMS native to the cloud, which means we have no software versions,” said Brian Whitmer, co-founder and VP of Products at Instructure. “Our customers don’t have to wait for upgrades and service packs to use the latest features because cloud software updates continuously.”

Institutions presented sessions on a variety of topics, including how Canvas aids in learning outcomes and in distance education on a global scale. They shared best practices and tips on how to train faculty and migrate courses from legacy systems.

Instructure also gave attendees a sneak peak into the product roadmap by providing demos of the new messaging center in Canvas called “Conversations,” the enhanced grade book and the upcoming iPhone app for students.