[SpeedGrader] Culturally Conscious Identifiers and Emojis

[johnsow]

Problem statement:

Dear Canvas Team, I am writing to suggest that Canvas take an important step towards promoting inclusivity and diversity in its platform by offering Culturally Conscious Identifiers and Emojis. In today's society, it is essential that we recognize and celebrate the different cultures, races, and ethnicities that make up our communities. By offering a wide range of Culturally Conscious Identifiers and Emojis, Canvas can help promote a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all its users. Many students come from diverse backgrounds and may feel more comfortable expressing themselves using emojis and identifiers that reflect their cultural heritage. By providing a range of culturally sensitive options, Canvas can help these students feel more included and valued. Furthermore, as a leading platform in the education industry, Canvas is responsible for ensuring that its users feel safe and respected. By offering Culturally Conscious Identifiers and Emojis, Canvas can take a step towards creating a more inclusive and equitable platform for all. I strongly encourage Canvas to consider implementing these changes, and I believe it would be a positive step toward promoting diversity and inclusivity. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Wilber Johnson American River College

Proposed solution:

Offer emojis that represent people of color, as well as the current offerings.

User role(s):

instructor

[KristinL]

Hi @johnsow - 

Thank you for taking the time to share this idea with the Instructure Community. Before this idea can be added to a theme, we'd like to know some more information from you!

How do you envision the emojis changing or expanding? In which places of Canvas LMS would you like to see these changes applied?

I did a quick search and I found [Profiles] Add Profile Setting for Emoji Skin Tone, and that's aligned to a theme! How would you expand upon that thread with your proposal?

[johnsow]

Hi Kristin L,

Thank you for your reply. 

Emojis have become an integral part of our online communication, and it is exciting to think about how they may continue to evolve and expand. 

I would like to see these changes applied in Canvas LMS; incorporating emojis into the Speed Grader sector would be a valuable addition. 

It could allow for more efficient and personalized communication with students and help convey tone and emotion in a way that text alone may not always be able to do. 

There may also be a greater emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, with more options to represent different identities and experiences. 

Advance thanks for your consideration.

👨🏾‍⚖️ 🙂

[jpoulos]

Thanks for submitting this idea!

Is the idea here to incorporate this only into speedgrader? or anywhere that the content editor is exposed?

[jpoulos]

Thanks for your submission! Based on what's being asked here, I've identified a theme that I think this would fit well with. It's called Facilitate inclusion of diverse student groups in Canvas. I've associated this idea to the theme.

[johnsow]

Problem statement:

I am writing to express a suggestion that could enhance our digital communication and make it more inclusive and representative of our diverse society. I propose including varietal emojis alongside the traditional generic ones as standard in our emoji sets.

Proposed solution:

Give the end user a choice of colors. For students, access to a diverse set of emojis can help to normalize the acceptance of other cultures, races, and people. Emoji diversity can also help children and young adults feel more comfortable accepting their identities by seeing shareable representations of themselves and their classmates.

User role(s):

admin,instructor,designer,observer

[TKB]

Problem statement:

As I have been starting to use emojis in speed grader, I was pretty surprised to find that only one race/color of people is offered (yellow) for hands or faces. There are hundreds of seldom used emojis we don't need (clock faces, weight lifters, car types), why can't some of those be replaced with options for hand colors? Canvas seems a few years out of date with becoming more inclusive.

Proposed solution:

Switch your emoji database to a more modern one with more options for skin tone. This shouldn't be something that needs voting on but a simple switch of your emoji database.

User role(s):

instructor

[johnsow]

I haven't kept up with the updates regarding this issue, so I'm curious if any actions have been taken to address the oversight.