Canvas as TV Drama

ssimpso4
Community Contributor
16
3170

For whatever reason, I view the underlying tension in this thread (Idea System Broken?) as similar to that of a great TV series.

 

Here's a great one, by the way, that you may have missed (and that I miss):

228770_blog_the_knick_free_trial.jpg

Please bear with me . . .

 

Every great series has a show-runner who is typically the creative force behind the show's core narrative. Sometimes this is a pair of brilliant and visionary types who then put their trust in (and participate along with) a crack team of writers and production-types that craft each episode so that it accurately conveys the show-runner's vision, style, and moves the narrative forward.

 

Lots of shows that have original source material (or that grow very popular) receive a tremendous amount of feedback (and pressure) from fans who, once invested in the plot and characters of the series, increasingly feel they should have a voice or influence in the narrative.

 

Some show-runners embrace what's called 'fan-service' and increasingly devote screen-time to things that are likely to 'please' the show's core audience like Easter eggs and guest appearances. Other show-runners view fan-service with disgust and, seeing themselves as independent auteurs, sometimes insert plot twists, deaths of beloved characters, etc. for no other reason than to spite the die-hard fans. Which approach produces the most compelling drama, on-screen? Is there a middle-ground in which fan-service is present but never compromises the show-runner's overall vision?

 

Obviously, Canvas is not a TV series.

 

Instructure is a corporation with a vision & mission predicated on making teaching and learning awesome. In its wisdom, it recognizes that, while it has significant expertise in these areas, it is of tremendous value to listen and respond to its customers who can frequently provide insights that enhance its core product (and in so doing, increase its bottom line). And boy do those customers have a lot of opinions! 

 

Personally, I hope that Instructure will continue with the balancing act it maintains in regard to blazing its own product-development trail in pursuit of its vision while still allowing for (and often responding to) user input via forums like the Canvas Studio. My recent experience at Project Khaki certainly confirmed my optimism that the company not only values user input but is willing to invest resources in pursuing those projects specifically-requested by its users and that are very much informed by the many relevant and specific feature requests & ideas that currently exist in the Community.

16 Comments
mjennings
Community Contributor

Love the analogy! Great thoughts Stephen.

228797_salute.gif

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

Oh, this is a great analogy; the fan-fiction model is basically how my own classes work, and fan energy very much fuels my classes!

But I still think viewers should get to pick the next Doctor. 

IDRIS. IDRIS. IDRIS. IDRIS.

By coincidence I have a nifty TED talk about Doctor Who and transmedia development at the BBC in my class announcements this very day 🙂 

Online Course Announcements: Wednesday, April 19 

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

laurakgibbs, IDRIS will be far too busy to be the next Doctor because I have already chosen him to be the next Bond. Smiley Wink

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

I will accept Bond as a consolation prize. 🙂

kblack
Community Champion

I hope Stephen is a Doctor Who fan, given the way the comments have evolved that way!  But I might add that Canvas, like the TARDIS, is bigger on the inside than it at first appears on the outside.

ssimpso4
Community Contributor

Alas, @ken_black, I've never seen Doctor Who (although multiple folks have described it to me and encouraged me to do so). Too many great shows, not enough time!

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

ssimpso4‌ I grew up on the old Tom Baker Doctor, so it has been such a joy to me to have Doctor Who come back to life, and to be so popular with my students, too. So also with the Star Trek reboots. Everything old is new again! 🙂

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

 @kblack  I love the TARDIS comparison!!!

Here is a graphic I share with my students:

Learning by HEART: Every books is a TARDIS 

every book is a tardis

tdelillo
Community Champion

I actually used a TARDIS reference in my recent CanvasLIVE about LTIs, because especially when you use integrations to expand it, Canvas is DEFINITELY bigger than the box it appears to be Smiley Happy

kblack
Community Champion

I remember that, Tracy, because I watched the video!  No stealing of your comparison was intended on my part! Smiley Happy

ronmarx
Community Contributor

Just like our brains...or, at least the brains of Canvas users!

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

Ohhhh, now I am thinking I want to find some neuroplasticity infographic built with a TARDIS theme.

Or I might even make one myself since learning how to make good infographics is on my to-do list for this summer. 🙂

ronmarx
Community Contributor

Laura,

I've always like the infographics Starbucks has created to promote itself or social causes it aligns to: Infographic: the Anatomy of a Starbucks Beverage | Starbucks Newsroom and The History of Starbucks - Infogram, charts & infographics .

In fact, just Googling "infographics" will get you many cool examples. You can learn a lot from both the good and not-so-good!

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

Exactly! There are some infographics I think are just fabulous and some that are disasters. I've heard Piktochart is a good choice, and some people I really like are avid users of it, but I've never made an infographic ever.

I need to share that Starbucks one with my husband. He is our family barista! 

The way I'm getting started is by going through my growth mindset infographics collection and transcribing them! That makes the graphic more useful... and it is a way for them to think to myself just what I like and/or don't like about each one along the way:

Growth Mindset Resources: newinfographic 

tdelillo
Community Champion

Hey, steal away! This is the Canvas Community and openness is our culture, right? Smiley Happy

laurakgibbs
Community Champion

And the Doctor himself stole the TARDIS to begin with... 🙂