New and Improved Canvas Mobile 2.0

In 1960, Disneyland opened an attraction called Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. If you liked a leisurely ride past waterfalls, geysers, and animatronic critters, the mine train was boss (that’s 60s lingo for awesome). In 1979, the ride was upgraded, made totally awesome (yes, they said that in the 70s), and renamed the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Incorporating many of the mine train’s original features, Big Thunder is now one of Disney’s most popular attractions.

Today we’re announcing our own Big Thunder Mountain: Canvas Mobile 2.0 for Android and iOS. We’re not throwing in the 2.0 as a version number; it signals a new philosophy for Canvas Mobile.

Some Background

Mobile has been part of the Canvas story since the beginning. When we set out to write the first Canvas Mobile app, we designed it as a communication tool. Canvas Mobile 1.0 let users stay connected, but we knew it lacked full Canvas functionality.

Following its release, we visited many of our K-12 and higher ed customers. We met with students, teachers, administrators, instructional designers, and yes, even a football team. We poured over hundreds of online reviews, comments, and support issues. We even connected with mother nature.

What we discovered is that students prefer their mobile devices over anything else. Sounds obvious, but it was a big eye-opener. One faculty member told us, "We found that when we incorporate mobile devices in the classroom, students are more engaged."

Taking all this feedback into account, we set out to redesign and re-engineer Canvas Mobile.

Canvas Mobile 2.0: Complete a course on your phone

With Canvas Mobile 2.0, our overall goal was to enable students to complete all their coursework on a mobile device. We also built a foundation that will allow us to add more functionality for teachers and admins in the future. We think we’ve succeeded on both fronts and are excited to see how it goes. 

Snazzy new look.

Here are a few of the main features of 2.0:

New dashboard with quick views and grade peekingCourse navigation that includes the same course tabs as the WebThe ability to turn in assignments on the app, including Dropbox and Google DriveAccess to course modules, quizzes, and external tools (LTI)Widget for your Android home screenBuilt-in Mobile HelpAPI for interacting with the app

And the feedback is already overwhelmingly positive. One student summarized it best: “Much better! Now it has everything I need to have a better Canvas experience at school.”

What’s Coming in the Future?

With 2.0 being a major rewrite from the ground up, we had to make a choice. Should we release the app for phones right away? Or should we wait until the app also supports tablets? After some consideration, we decided to get the app for phones into the hands of our mobile users now, and to release new functionality for tablets as quickly as possible.

So, the tablet version of 2.0 is currently in development. When released, it will support Apple and Android tablets. It will have some additional functionality like the ability to rotate into landscape mode. We know how important tablets are, especially to our K-12 customers with 1:1 initiatives. We waited because we wanted to get the tablet experience right.

If you haven’t done so already, head on over to the Play Store and App Store and grab the new app.

Next time you’re entering the line for Big Thunder, look behind you and you’ll see the remnants of the Mine Train tracks.

Keep learning,
Mark

blog comments powered by

View the original article here

Improved Detection Test Developed To Identify Food Contamination, Aid Bioterrorism Defense

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 23 Apr 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Improved Detection Test Developed To Identify Food Contamination, Aid Bioterrorism Defense

Sales of chicken products in China plummeted recently during an outbreak of a deadly new strain of bird flu. From bird flu to mad cow disease, numerous food scares have made global headlines in recent years. A technique developed by University of Missouri Professor of Engineering Shubhra Gangopadhyay's group may make food contamination testing more rapid and accurate. The detection test also could accelerate warnings after bioterrorism attacks.

"Quickly stopping the spread of toxins saves lives, whether those toxins are from natural processes or enemy attacks," said lead author Sangho Bok, postdoctoral fellow working under the supervision of Shubhra Gangopadhyay in MU's College of Engineering. "Our technique uses nanoparticles to make detection one hundred times more sensitive than the standard method now used, known as ELISA. We have also reduced the time needed to detect a threat to only one hour, compared to four to six hours for ELISA."

Currently, Bok's testing method detects a toxin that causes food poisoning, a chemical known as Clostriudium botulinum neurotoxin A. Engineers and biologists at MU now seek to adapt the test to detect many other dangerous chemicals.

Beyond helping protect people from deadly toxins, Bok's technique may bring jobs and foreign investment to America. Study co-author and MU research professor, Keshab Gangopadhyay, hopes to open a factory in Missouri that will manufacture the nanoparticles used in the detection technique. To achieve this goal, Gangopadhyay founded Nanos Technologies LLC.

"Science, employment and economic development are all tied together," said Gangopadhyay. "Food safety testing presents a large market that is growing quickly in developing nations like China and India. MU engineering research helps Missouri tap into that market while creating local jobs and attracting the attention of investors."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our public health section for the latest news on this subject. The study “Femtogram-level detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin immunoassay using nanoporous substrate and ultra-bright fluorescent suprananoparticles,” was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
University of Missouri-Columbia Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of Missouri-Columbia. "Improved Detection Test Developed To Identify Food Contamination, Aid Bioterrorism Defense." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 23 Apr. 2013. Web.
5 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Improved Detection Test Developed To Identify Food Contamination, Aid Bioterrorism Defense'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here