[ARCHIVED] Canvas DocViewer and What It Means for Mobile

rseilham
Community Champion
‎06-02-2017 07:44 AM

If you haven't heard yet, Instructure is rolling out a new product, DocViewer. This product will replace Crocodoc in SpeedGrader and allow Instructure to more quickly bring new features and updates for users reviewing and annotating documents. The potential for web users is apparent, but what about mobile users?

While reading Insights: Canvas DocViewer I was particularly excited to read the following: 

Mobile Devices

For our institutions using mobile devices, annotations will continue to be supported in our mobile apps. New and improved annotation functionality will be part of our new Canvas Teacher mobile app and eventually replace the SpeedGrader app.

This is further proof that the Teacher App will be a completely new app built on the latest technology. With Instructure having full control over DocViewer, and building this product with mobile in mind, the mobile apps will be able to innovate more quickly and bring much wanted features. 

Teacher App SG Mock Up, Subject to Change

For example, the following idea, that is over 2 years old, has generated a record number of feedback for a mobile feature.

 

Option to Use Stylus with Speedgrader on Ipad 

With SpeedGrader moving to Teacher App, this appears to finally have a finish line. Need more proof? Check out this Tweet by the amazing Canvas Mobile iOS Engineer: 

Notice the emphasis on for everyone? 

Beyond SpeedGrader, what other things might the new DocViewer bring? Personally, I'd like to see further enhancements to Student Annotations, or maybe a sketch pad and collaborative features exclusive to mobile so teachers and students can take advantage of mobile devices to create ideas and collaborate? 

Let me know, are you excited about DocViewer and the potential for mobile? What excites you most and what new innovations can this bring? 

Labels (1)
Labels