Let’s address the hesitation first.
When the CanvasCon ANZ call for proposals opens, many people (maybe you?) have the same reaction. The idea of submitting a session sounds interesting for a moment, then the internal debate begins.
Someone else probably has a more impressive project. Your Canvas initiative still feels like a work in progress. The work your team has done may feel valuable within your own context, yet not necessarily something worth presenting to peers across Australia and New Zealand.
That hesitation is common, and it’s often the reason some of the most useful experiences never make it onto the programme.
CanvasCon has always depended on educators, learning designers, administrators, and LMS teams who share what actually happens when institutions try new approaches with Canvas. The sessions people remember most rarely come from “perfect” case studies.
Instead, they come from institutions across Australia and New Zealand where teams test ideas, adapt along the way, and gradually discover what works for their learners and staff. Those are exactly the conversations people come to CanvasCon to hear.
What feels ordinary to you may solve a problem for someone else
Many CanvasCon presenters initially assume their experience is too routine to share.
Perhaps your team redesigned a course to improve learner engagement, introduced a new assessment approach, or led a Canvas rollout that required coordination across departments. Work like this can feel like steady institutional progress when you’re the one doing it.
But from another institution’s perspective, that same experience might answer a question they’re currently trying to solve.
CanvasCon sessions resonate when presenters explain how a change actually unfolded. For example, a session might explore how your team redesigned a first-year Canvas course to improve participation, what changed inside the LMS, and how the experience shaped the course once learners began using it. Those types of real-world insights are the ones that keep the conversations going well after the event.
You don’t need to think of yourself as a conference speaker
Another hesitation people mention is the idea that presenting requires a particular type of speaker or role.
In reality, many CanvasCon presenters submit their first proposal simply because they care about improving teaching and learning. The audience is made up of peers who recognise the complexity behind that work, which means the atmosphere tends to feel practical and supportive.
Submitting a proposal simply means sharing something your team has learned while working with Canvas.
Conversations shaping this year’s CanvasCon ANZ programme
This year’s programme is centred on readiness in education—how we’re equipping learners with the tools, mindset, and support needed to confidently succeed—and reflecting how institutions across Australia and New Zealand are responding to the changes and expectations in our sector.
If you’re thinking about submitting a proposal, your experience might connect with areas such as:
- AI, with intention
How institutions are approaching artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, including governance, guidance for student use, and ways Canvas supports responsible integration.
- Ready to learn, ready to engage
Approaches that strengthen learner participation through course design, inclusive learning environments, and engagement strategies supported by Canvas.
- Skills that last
Ways organisations are helping learners develop durable capabilities through authentic assessment, flexible learning models, and skills-focused course design.
These themes are intended to spark ideas rather than limit them. If your work with Canvas has produced insights that could help peers across the region, it belongs in the conversation.
What makes a strong CanvasCon session?
If you’re unsure whether your idea fits, proposals often stand out when they include:
- A clear challenge your institution set out to address
- Insight into how your team approached that work inside Canvas
- Reflections on what changed for educators or learners
Some of the most valuable sessions also include lessons learned along the way, since those experiences help others anticipate similar challenges.
If you’ve been thinking about it, submit your idea
If you and your colleagues have experimented with something new in Canvas, discovered an approach that improved learner engagement, or worked through a challenge that required adaptation, your experience could help another institution move forward.
Submitting a proposal simply begins the conversation by sharing the idea you would like to explore.
Even if a proposal isn’t selected this year, every submission helps shape the programme and highlights the topics educators across Australia and New Zealand want to discuss.
CanvasCon exists because the community (that's you!) shares
CanvasCon ANZ comes to life when institutions across the region share their experiences. Educators, learning designers, and Canvas teams bring stories from their own workplaces and turn them into conversations that continue well beyond the session itself.
Presenting is a chance to spotlight the work happening within your institution and connect with peers across Australia and New Zealand who are exploring similar challenges. If you’ve been thinking about submitting a session, consider this your nudge to submit your proposal. You might just find yourself on stage in Sydney this August.
