LMS Review/Canvas Pilot Project - Emory LITS: Information...

LMS Review/Canvas Pilot Project Recommendations - April 2016

Teaching&LearningTechnologies|April2016

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummaryPilotProjectOverview A.Premise B.PilotGoals C.PilotSchedule D.Communication&Outreach E.Training F.Pre-Pilot&MidtermSurveysEvaluation

A. SurveyData–FacultyPerspectivesB. SurveyData–StudentPerspectivesC. FunctionalSupportReviewD. TechnicalReview

SummaryandRecommendationAppendix1:PilotFacultyandClassesAppendix2:FacultyMidtermSurvey:CanvasPilotAppendix3:StudentMidtermSurvey:CanvasPilot

LMS Review/Canvas Pilot Project Recommendations – Spring 2016

1 Teaching&LearningTechnologies|April2016

ExecutiveSummaryInresponsetofeedbackfromstudents,faculty,andstaff,Teaching&LearningTechnologiesbegananeffortinspringof2015toinvestigatepotentialalternativestoBlackboardasourenterpriselearningmanagementsystem(LMS).TherapidgrowthofCanvasinthemarketplaceamongourpeerinstitutionsbroughtitquicklytotheforefrontofourattention,andweassembledagroupoffacultytoperformaninitialassessmentoftheplatformintheirclassroomsinfallof2015.Thatassessmentwasexpandedforspringsemester2016,concludingwithatotalof82pilotcourses,77facultyparticipants,2,450students,andover100sandboxesandorganizationstestingandevaluatingtheCanvasplatform.

AswenearcompletionofourinitialcohortofCanvaspilotfacultyandstudents,wehaveseveralconclusions:

• FacultyandstudentswhorespondedtosurveysfavoramovetoCanvas.81%ofspringpilotfacultyreportpreferringCanvas;59%ofstudents.ReviewofpeerinstitutionsconductingCanvasevaluationsshowsimilarpatternsinpilotsurveyresults.

• StudentsarevocalaboutinconsistentLMSusebyfacultyacrosstheboard,aswellasannoyancewithhavingtousetwoLMS’sduringthepilot.Thisstronglysuggestthatanymovebeexpeditedtolimitconfusionandfrustration.

• Facultyandstudentshistoricallyhavereportedaconsistentfrustrationwiththe“clunky”natureofBlackboard.SomeofthosefrustrationsareobviatedbyCanvas’moremoderninterfaceandunderpinnings,whichtranslatesintosignificantlyincreasedease-of-useratings(74%offacultysurveyedrateCanvasasveryeasytouse,withBlackboard’seaseofuseratingatonly20%).

• FacultysurveydatashowsthetopthreeCanvasfeaturesusedbyfacultywere:Postingannouncements,creatingassignments,andpostinggradesusingthegradebook.ThemostpopularfeaturesusedbypilotfacultywereRollCall,Scheduler,andSpeedGrader.

• CanvasisonasignificantlymoreaggressiveupdateschedulethanBlackboard,anditsroadmapanddirectionareclearerandbetterarticulated.

• Usingacloud-hostedlearningmanagementsystemhasnumerousadvantages,includingreducedliabilityforourlocalinfrastructure,greatervendorengagementand,ideally,theabilitytofocusstaffresourcesonimprovingprocessratherthantroubleshootingproblems.

• Movingtoacloud-hostedLMSalsohassomedownsides,includinggreateropacitywhensolvingproblems,lesscontroloverpermissionsandinterface,andreducedaccesstologsandusagedata.However,thesedownsideswouldlikelybepresentinthefutureroadmapsofbothplatforms,asBlackboard’sproductroadmapisentirelyfocusedontheSaaSspace,withplansforsignificantuser-interfacechangesanddecidedlylessclarityinproductdeliverables.

• Withregardtofunctionality,therearenocriticalfeaturesinBlackboardthatcannotbeprovidedbyCanvas,eitherbythecoreapplicationorwithexternaltools.Infact,manycampuscollaborationtoolsareeasiertointegrateandconnectwiththeCanvascloudinfrastructure(Box,Ares,ECHO).

Insummary,ourrecommendationsareasfollows:

• AdoptCanvasasthecampusLearningManagementSystem.• DevelopandcommunicateacomprehensiveLMStransitionplanthattargetsallnewcoursesitesusingCanvasbyFall

2017.• Createanddocumentabestpracticescoursegallery,completewithcoursetemplatestofacilitatefacultytransition

andencourageexemplarycoursedesign.• DevelopprocessesandpracticesaroundtheevaluationandadoptionofLTItoolsandAPIconnectorsthatextendthe

Canvasproduct.• SecureInstructureTier1supporttoprovide24/7supportforfacultyandstudentsforthedurationofthe

transition/implementation.• Outlineoptionsandbestpracticesfororganizations(non-course)useofCanvas,withguidesandlinkstoadditional

campuscollaborationtools(i.e.Box,Office365Sites,OrgSync,CanvasGroups).



PilotProjectOverviewA.Premise:Inthefallof2014,LITScompletedtwoBlackboard-relatedprojects(BlackboardCSI–ContinualServiceImprovement–andBlackboardAnalytics)toestablishandmeasurestandardsforcustomersatisfaction,productfunctionality,productusability,andinstructionaltechnologymethodology.WhileBlackboarduse,asmeasuredbynumberofactivecourses,increasedforEmoryandOxford,theuserbaselinemeasuresgatheredrevealedahighrateofdissatisfactionwiththeusabilityandperformanceoftheBlackboardlearningmanagementsystem.Keytake-awaysfromtheprojectsinclude:

• HighratesofdissatisfactionfromstudentsandfacultyabouttheirexperiencesusingBlackboard• AdoptabilityofBlackboardtoolsandfeaturesisrelativelylow.WhileoveralluseofBlackboard

hasincreasedacrosscampustoover60%ofcoursesusingitinsomeway,thatusageismostlycenteredondocumentstorageandclasscommunication,withmoreinteractivetoolusagebeingdecidedlylow.

• FrustrationamongstudentsaboutinconsistencyoffacultytoolusewithintheirBlackboard-enabledcourses.

• ManypeerinstitutionshavemovedfromBlackboardinthelast2years,notingsimilarfacultydissatisfactionwithusabilityandfunctionality.

• ReportsfromourBlackboardtechnicalteamnotethatBbtechnicalsupportisnon-responsiveorverylatetorespondtosoftwareandQAissues.

• GivenBlackboard’shighcostofownershipforin-houseinfrastructure,associatedoperationalrisks,andBlackboardInc.’sincreasedfocusontheirSoftware-as-a-Serviceproducts,weidentifiedaneedtoseriouslyconsidermovingtoBlackboard’sSaaSproductifwearetocontinuewithBlackboardasthecampusLMS.Itwasdeemedprudenttobeginalearningmanagementsystem(LMS)evaluationonashortertimetable.

LMSMarketTrends&PeerInstitutionsTheLMSmarket,likeothertechnologyindustries,isundergoingamajorshiftcurrentlyfromon-premisessolutions,wheretheLMSisphysicallyinstalledandmanagedbytheinstitution,toacloudsolution,wheretheLMSishostedormanagedbytheLMSprovider.Emory’scurrentLMSison-premisesBlackboardLearn9.1andissupportedwithlocalstaff,serversandstorage.OurlicensewithBlackboard9.1expiresinthelatesummerandisrenewableannually.

Blackboard’scurrentroadmapisfocusedontheSaaSspace,withnewproductdevelopmentonlyavailabletoManagedHostedorSaaScustomersandminimalcontinueddevelopmentforon-premises9.1installations.Blackboard’scurrentstrategyisdominatedbyaninterfaceparadigmcalledUltrathatrepresentsasubstantialchangeintheuserexperience.SaaSBlackboardwillsupportalegacyLearn9.1look-and-feel,aswellasanUltra-themedversionoftheLearn9.1interface,butmostofthestrategicfocusisontheUltraCourseExperience.ThisentirelynewBlackboardconcepttakesmanyoftherapiddevelopmentpracticespreviouslyadoptedbyCanvasandisanattempttobringBlackboard’sinterfaceandpaceofinnovationuptomodernstandards.



TheUltrainterfaceis,asofthiswriting,inaveryearlydevelopmentphaseandsupportsonlythemostbasiccoursefunctionality.Developmentanddeliveryoffundamentaltechnologyrequiredtosupporteventhemostbasiccourseshasbeenslowincoming,andtherehavebeennumerousmisseddeliverydatesandaconfusinganddisjointedrolloutprocessandstrategy.Thecurrenttechnicalpreviewsuggestsauserinterfacedirectionthatcouldprovedifficulttosupportandsocializewithfaculty,andthereissomeconcernaboutBlackboard’sabilitytodeliveraspromised.

Basedonresearchofourpeerinstitutions,theInstructureCanvascloudsolution/hostedplatformistheleadingalternativetoBlackboard,withthemajoritycitingeaseofuse,coreLMSfunctionality,androbustcloud-basedservicesaskeytoselection.

Institution CurrentLMS

Website PreviousLMS

BrownUniversity Canvas http://brown.edu/it/canvas/ Blackboard

Dartmouth Canvas http://sites.dartmouth.edu/canvas/canvas-learning-center/

Blackboard

HarvardUniversity Canvas http://tlt.harvard.edu/canvas iSites

NorthwesternUniversity

Canvas http://www.it.northwestern.edu/education/learning-management/index.html

Blackboard

StanfordUniversity

Canvas http://gocanvas.stanford.edu Sakai

UniversityofPennsylvania

Canvas http://www.library.upenn.edu/news/1194 Blackboard

YaleUniversity Canvas http://canvas.yale.edu/overview.html Sakai

UniversityofTexasatAustin

Canvas http://www.utexas.edu/its/course-mgmt/index.php Blackboard

Berkeley Canvas http://ets.berkeley.edu/bcourses/ Sakai

EmoryLMSHistoryThehistoryofEmoryUniversity’sLMSusehasbeenevolutionary.Learnlink,amessagingsystembasedontheFirstClassplatform,beganasanemail/e-bulletinboardplatformandwasusedunofficiallyasanLMSbymanyfacultymembersforyears.GoizuetaBusinessSchoolalsohadaseparateinstallationofFirstClassthatservedastheirprimaryLMSduringthesametimeperiod.BlackboardhasbeeninuseatEmorysince2002,butwasinitiallyanopt-inserviceforfacultywithinconsistentadoption.DuetomarkettrendsmovingtowardWeb-basedsolutionsratherthanFirstClass’smorearchaicclient-servermodel,bothLearnlinkandtheGBSFirstClassservicesweredecommissionedin2014,makingBlackboardtheonlysupportedLMSforEmory’scampus.

Duetofacultydemandandstudentexpectations,LMSusehasbecomeintegraltostudents’learningexperiences,facultyteachingandresearchefforts,andinstitutionalcommunicationforEmory.SinceLITSbegansupportingBlackboardmorethan12yearsago,wehavenotformallyassesseditseffectivenesscomparedtootherLMSproductsonthemarketnorassessedthebusinessvalueitaddsfor



ourteachersandlearnersandtheschoolstheysupport.BothobjectiveandanecdotaldatapointtoBlackboardasaservicethatfacultyandstudentshavecometodependupon,evenastheystrugglewithitsarchaicuserinterfaceandinconstantfunction.

B.PilotGoals:Thegoalofthepilotwastoevaluateandrecommendabest-of-breedLMSsolutionthatwillprovidethebestcombinationoffunctionalityandusability,aswellascandeliversoundpedagogicaltoolstoEmory,allwhilegainingthehighestpossibleadoptioninordertoenhanceacademicinstructionforstudentsandfaculty.ThestateofourcurrentBlackboardinfrastructuremakesthiseffortadditionallychallengingbecauseofthebreadthofusecasesandthelackofstandardmethodsforindividualfacultycoursecreation.

OneofthemostcommoncomplaintsaboutBlackboard,bothinobjectivesurveydataaswellassubjectiveconversationswithfacultyandstudents,istheopaqueanddensenatureoftheuserinterface.FacultyandstudentsalikeexpressfrustrationwiththelackofstandardWebUIconventionslikedrag-and-dropfileuploading,aswellasthewaysinwhichfunctionality,wherepresent,isobfuscatedbythecomplexityoftheinterface.OneofthemostcommonissuesweexperiencewithnewBlackboardusersisthedifficultyinfiguringouthowtomakeacourseavailabletostudents.Theprocessisrequiredbyeveryfacultymembertoenabletheircourses,andtakesfiveclicksintothecontrolpanelinBlackboard.ThesameprocesstakesasingleclickinCanvasandispresentedatthetopofthecoursehomescreeninvividcolor.

TheinitialsemesteroftheCanvasPilotprojectwasfocusedonanassessmentofoverallfunctionalityandtoevaluatethedegreetowhichCanvaswouldbeanadequatereplacementforBlackboard.Ourfocuswasonintensivesupportofasmallnumberofcoursestolearnandassesstheplatform.Thesecondsemesterpilotwasmorefar-reaching,withtheintenttoseeifCanvascouldprovideanappropriatelyrobustexperienceforsomeofourmoredemandingLMScustomers.Wetookadvantageoftheopportunitytoexperimentwiththegradebook,communicationandassessmenttools,andtoevaluateCanvas’supportoptions.

C.PilotSchedule:InMarch2015,acallforparticipationwasannouncedthroughtheInstructionalDesign&TechnologyCommunityofPractice(IDTCoP)forfacultyandstaffwhowouldbeinterestedinpilotingCanvasforFall2015.Teaching&LearningTechnologiesthenvettedfacultywhoresponded,toensureadiversesetofcourses,students,andinstructionalcontent.Eighteen(18)courseswereselectedtopilottheCanvasLMSatEmoryforFall2015semester.ThosecourseswererepresentativeofallofthemajoracademicunitsatEmoryUniversityandOxfordCollege.AsimilarcallforparticipationwasannouncedinNovember,2015,foraspring2016expandedpilot.Theexpandedpilotincreasedthenumberoftotalpilotcoursesto82,with77faculty,1,900students,and



112sandbox/organizationstestingtheCanvasplatform.SeeAppendix1forfulllistofpilotfaculty/courses.ScheduleTheprojectschedulewasdevelopedtopilottheLMSatthebeginningoftheUniversity’sacademicyear(fallsemester).Itwasexpandedforspring2016.

April–May2015 Callforfacultyparticipation&vettingofsubmittedcourses

AnnouncementofPilotcampusesandcoursesSetuppilotenvironmentandgetaccesstoCanvasenvironmentPilotprojectteamkick-offmeeting

June2015 DevelopmentoftraininganddocumentationSetupCanvaspilotenvironmentCreatetestcoursesitesforparticipantsSetupcommunicationmechanisms(listserv,discussionboard)forprojectparticipantsTeamattendedInstructureconferencetogatherdataandlearnaboutbestpractices

July-midAugust2015 Orientationandtrainingforfacultypilotusers(18total)StartdesigncoursesitesforfallcoursesBeginningofconsultationandsupportprovidedtofacultyEnrollmentofstudents

August2015 DeliveryofcoursesutilizingCanvasforFall2015Begindevelopmentofprojectassessmentandevaluationtools

September–October2015 AssessmentandevaluationtoolscompletedContinuousconsultationandsupportprovidedtofacultyCollectdataonfacultyandstudentuseofCanvasCompleteanalysisofdatagatheredfromfacultyandstudents

November2015 CompletefinalreportwithrecommendationtoexpandpilottoEmoryUniversityleadershipCallforspringpilotusers

December2015 ExpandPilotforSpring2016

January–March2016 SpringPilotlaunchedwith59newfacultyparticipantsAssessmentandevaluationtoolscompleteCreatedweeklyvideoshighlightingCanvasfunctionsusingtheCanvasWebcollaborationtoolsTeammetwithITandInstructionalDesignrepresentativesfromacrossthevariousprofessionalschoolstodocumentexperiences,andconcerns

April2016 CompleteanalysisofdatagatheredfromfacultyandstudentsRecommendationreportcompleteandpresentedtoITGovernance



D.Communication&Outreach:AWordPresssitewasdevelopedtokeepthegreatercampuscommunityawareoftheCanvaspilotprogressandevents:https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/canvaspilot/.Duringthespringsemester,videotutorialswereaddedweeklytothesite,showcasinguniquefeaturesofCanvasandbuildingacollectionofreusabletrainingmaterial.ACanvastoBlackboardcomparisontoolwasalsocreatedandpostedtothesitehighlightingdifferencesbetweenthetwoLMS’sandprovidinglinkstoonlineresourcesonhowtouseeachtoolareawithinCanvas.



TheUniversitycommunitywasinvitedtolivedemonstrationsoftheCanvasLMStwicemonthlybetweenSeptember2015andApril2016.The“CanvasDrop-inDemo”sessionswereheldinWoodruffLibraryfrom12-2pm.TheTeaching&LearningTechnologiesgroupalsoledLunch&LearnsessionsforfacultyatOxfordCollegeregardingCanvasandthepilotprojectinlateSeptemberandOctober2015,andaCookies&CanvaseventforOxfordstudentsinFebruary2016.Twostudent-focusedoutreachsessionswereheldonmaincampusduringWonderfulWednesday,wherestudentsgavefeedbackaboutBlackboardandtheirLMSpreferences.

E.Training:FacultytrainingforfallpilotparticipantswasdeliveredinlateJuly/earlyAugust2015.TrainingeventswereheldinDecemberandJanuaryforthespringpilot.PilotfacultywereprovidedthreeoptionsforCanvastraining:

• Anonlinetrainingcoursethatincludedstep-by-stepvideoandhandoutdirectionsonhowtobuildouttheirCanvascourse,

• Atwo-dayface-to-facesession,witheachsession3hourseach,and• Anallday,6-hourface-to-facesession.

Eachorientationwasmonitored/facilitatedbyTeaching&LearningTechnologiesstaff.Theonlineorientationwasasynchronous,withnovirtualmeetings;facultywereabletoworkthroughthecontentofthistrainingcourseattheirownpace(printingonlineguidesandwatchingvideo),withcontentthatwasavailable24/7.Allpilotfacultyhadaccesstoablankcourse,wheretheycouldimmediatelytryoutthenewskillstheywerelearningduringtrainingandultimatelybuildafullydevelopedpilotcourse.FacultyrespondedpositivelytomanyCanvasfeatures(suchasSyllabus&Scheduler),buthadlukewarmreactionstothestandardcontentorganizationpracticeofCanvasandtheeffortneededtotransferexistingBlackboardcontentover.EmorystudentswerenotifiedthroughtheirfacultyaboutparticipationintheCanvaspilot.Teaching&LearningTechnologiesstaffwereavailableduringthefirstweekofclassestogiveanoverviewofthepilotandCanvasplatform.ManyfacultytooktheleadingettingtheirstudentsuptospeedonCanvas.FacultyalsoincorporatedstudentsupportresourcesfromInstructuredirectlyintothepilotcourses.Teaching&LearningTechnologiesstaffalsodevelopedastudent-focusedorientationandsupportsitewithinCanvasforthespring2016semester.

F.Pre-Pilot&MidtermSurveys:Thefacultyparticipantsweresentacustomizedlinktotwoelectronicsurveys(usingSurveyMonkey)viaemailtotheiruniversityemailaddress,orwithintheirpilotCanvascoursebyDr.DanaBryant,LeadInstructionalTechnologist,withTeaching&LearningTechnologies.StudentswhowereenrolledinacoursethatpilotedtheCanvasLMSweresentacustomizedlinktotheirsurveysviaCanvasemailbythe



pilotcoordinator,Dr.Bryant.ThestudentswereinvitedtovoluntarilyparticipateinthePre-PilotandMidtermSurvey.Follow-upemailsfortheMidtermSurveyweresent1weekaftertoallnon-respondents.ThefacultyresponseratefortheMidtermSurveyinFall2015was100%;inSpring2016was56%.ThestudentresponseratefortheMidpointSurveyinFall2015was28%and12%inSpring2016.Thefirstsurveyincludedclosed-endedandopen-endedquestionsrelatedtotheuser’sexperienceswithBlackboardLMS;thesecondsurveywasrelatedtotheirexperienceusingCanvas,specificallywithregardtoproductintuitivenessandeaseofuse.Eachsurveytookapproximately20minutestocomplete.Noindividualsreceivedcompensationforparticipatinginthesurvey.SeeAppendix2:FacultyMidtermSurveyandAppendix3:StudentMidtermSurveyfortheentirelistoftheCanvassurveyquestionsandresponses.Evaluation

A.SurveyData–FacultyPerspectivesDescriptionofPilotFacultyFall2015therewere20facultyparticipants;inSpring2016thenumbersjumpedto80.Positivewordofmouthfromthefirstsemestercontributedtotheincrease,withmanyfacultyinquiringaboutjoiningthepilotbeforetheextensiontoSpringwasconfirmed.ThemajorityoffacultyparticipantscamefromEmoryCollegeofArtsandSciences,followedbySchoolofNursingandSchoolofPublicHealth.

6.25%

29.69%

4.69%14.06%

7.81%

12.50%1.6%

7.81%

7.81%7.81%

WhatisyourprimaryEmoryaffiliation?

CandlerSchoolofTheology EmoryCollegeofArts&Sciences

GoizuetaBusinessSchool NellHodgsonSchoolofNursing

OxfordCollege RollinsSchoolofPublicHealth

LaneyGraduateSchool SchoolofMedicine

SchoolofLaw Other(pleasespecify)



Themajorityofpilotfacultyreportedteachinghybridcourses(ablendoftraditionalandonlineinstruction),whichisindicativeoftheinstructionalcultureatEmory.However,allinstructionalmethodswererepresented,asillustratedinthechartbelow.ItshouldalsobenotedthattwoentirelyonlineprogramsatEmory-theRollinsSchoolofPublicHealthExecutiveMPH(http://www.sph.emory.edu/departments/emph/index.html)andNellHodgsonSchoolofNursingOnlinePrerequisitesCourses(http://www.nursing.emory.edu/admission-and-aid/online-prerequisites/index.html)-hadfaculty/coursesthatparticipatedintheCanvaspilot.

CanvasFeatures&FunctionalityRegardlessofcourseformat,thetopthreeCanvasfeaturesusedbyfacultywere:Postingannouncements,creatingassignments,andpostinggrades(gradebook).



BasedonsurveycommentsandfeedbacktoourEducationalAnalysts,thefollowingCanvasfeatureswerealsopopularwithfaculty:

• RollCall:Withthistool,instructorscankeeptrackofcourseattendancebytakingrollelectronically.Instructorscanchoosetoviewthetoolinalistorgridformatandcancustomizetheplacementofeachstudentintheseatingchart.ThetoolalsocreatesanassignmentintheGradebookandcalculatesattendanceasapercentageofastudent'sgrade.

PilotFacultyFeedback:

“RollCallisusefultocreateseatingchartsandquicklyregisterattendancebyhand,soit’sworthkeepingandisastepintherightdirection.”“ILOVEtheattendancemechanism[RollCall].”

• Calendar/Scheduler:ThisispartofthenewCalendarandcreatesappointmentgroups(collectionofindividualappointments)thatstudentscansignupfor.Forexample,youcanuseSchedulerto:createofficehours,scheduleTAsessions,andassignpresentationtimes.




“Schedulerisawesome.ItispreciselywhatIcurrentlyuseathird-partypaidappfornow.”[WhatareyourfavoritethingsaboutCanvas?]“Thecalendar,andthefactthatIcansubmitassignmentstheredirectly.”“Thewayitautomaticallyputstests,assignmentsontothecalendarisgreat.”

• Speedgrader:Asaninstructor,thistoolallowsforviewingandgradingstudentassignmentsubmissionsinoneplaceusingasimplepointscaleorcomplexrubric.CanvasacceptsavarietyofdocumentformatsandevenURLsasassignmentsubmissions.Somedocumentassignmentscanbemarkedupforfeedbackdirectlywithinthesubmission.Youcanalsoprovidefeedbacktoyourstudentswithtextormediacomments.


“Justlookedthroughassignments[forstudents]torespondandsigntheplagiarismandcollaborationpolicy.It[Speedgrader]wasreallyreallyeasyandquickreviewand"grading"(checkingcompleteorincomplete).TotallytheoppositeofmyexperiencereviewingsubmissionsonBlackboardwhereIreallydidhavetoclickatleastfivetimestogettoeachindividualsubmission.”“IlikethatIcangetallgradesforasinglestudentexportedwithoneclick-andIcanPRINTitforthem!”[WhatareyourfavoritethingsaboutCanvas?]“Thespeedgraderwithaudioandvideooptions.Also,thesubmissionofaudioandvideoassignments.”



CanvasEaseofUseTheCanvastasksduringthepilotrated“veryeasy”weremonitoringcourseactivityandstudentprogress,sending/receivingmessagestostudents,andgivingfeedbackonstudentwork/submissions;thetaskrated“difficult”wascustomizingthelookandfeel/navigationofmycourseat27%.



FacultySupportofCanvasAdoptionTheMidpointSurveyaskedspecificallyifEmoryUniversityshouldadoptCanvas.Fiftypercent(50%)ofthefacultyrespondentsinFall2015preferredCanvasandwantedtoadoptit;Spring2016responsesinsupportofadoptingCanvasjumpedto81%.Fall2015

Spring2016

81.00%

19.00%

WouldyousupportEmoryUniversityadoptingCanvastoreplaceBlackboard?

Yes No




“PleasepleasepleaseswitchtoCanvasassoonaspossible.IhategoingbacktoBlackboardformyothercoursesnow.”(Fall2015)“ItissomuchbetterthanBlackboard,pleasedon'tmakemegoback!”(Fall2015)“Canvasisawelcomechange.IhadbasicallygivenupwithBB[Blackboard].Also-ourstudentsseemtolikeandhavetransitionedwelltoit!”(Spring2016)

CommentsWehadveryengagedfacultyparticipatinginthepilot,asdemonstratedbylevelofcommitmentandsurveyresponserate.Mostfacultywerenotawareofthelevelofworkinvolvedinreworkingtheircourse/instructionalcontentforuseinCanvas;however,manywerepleasedwiththefinalresult.FacultywouldbenefitfromacomprehensiveformaltrainingandoutreacheffortforasuccessfulCanvasimplementation.SeeAppendix2:FacultyMid-termPilotSurvey



B.SurveyData–StudentPerspectivesDescriptionofpilotstudentsTheincreasedinterestbyfacultyintestingCanvasresultedinmorepilotcourses,whichinturnproducedalargestudentparticipantpool,totaling1900inSpringsemester.ThemajorityofstudentparticipantsurveyresponsescamefromEmoryCollegeofArtsandSciences,followedbySchoolofPublicHealth,andOxfordCollege(whichonlyrepresented1.6%ofpilotcourses).

CanvasFeatures&FunctionalityStudentswerecandidintheirassessmentofCanvasfeatures.Theirfeedbackcollectedintheopen-endedsurveyquestionscanbecategorizedinthefollowingareas:

• CalendarPilotStudentFeedback:

“Ireallylikehowtheassignmentsarelistedtogetherandbydateandthecalendarviewinthecornerthatshowsthehighlighteddaysofwhenassignmentsaredue.”“Thecalendar(alltheday'sassignmentsfromeachclassinoneplace).”

13.01%

21.10%

8.67%

9.54%8.96%

14.16%

12.14%

7.80%4.62%

WhatisyourprimaryEmoryaffiliation?

CandlerSchoolofTheology EmoryCollegeofArts&Sciences GoizuetaBusinessSchool

NellHodgsonSchoolofNursing OxfordCollege RollinsSchoolofPublicHealth

SchoolofMedicine SchoolofLaw Other(pleasespecify)



• Communications&Notifications

PilotStudentFeedback:

“Ialsolikethatyoucanmessageotherstudentsinyourclassthroughcanvas“Todolistonthesideofthescreensoicanseeallupcomingassignmentsandthereforenotmissanything.”“Ienjoybeingabletoseeresponsesfromprofessorsregardinggradedassignments.Ialsoappreciatehavingausableandintuitiveapp;Blackboard'sappneverworkedforme.Itallowsformorecollaborationsanddiscussions.”

• SubmittingAssignments&GradebookfeaturesPilotStudentFeedback:

“It'sreallyeasytouploadassignments.”“Abilitytoresubmitassignmentworkifnecessary.”“Beingabletotypeinagradeandseehowyouroverallgradewouldchangeautomatically.”

Pilotstudentsalsoprovidedthoughtful,specificsuggestionsforimprovementinCanvas,whichincluded:

“Canvaswouldbemuchmoretolerableifyoucouldsaveadraft.IhavemultiplewindowsopenandIdon'twanttocreatemydocumentatanotherlocation,soIcancutandpastelater.”“Thetimerforquizzesandtestsisonlyatthetopofthepage,soasyouscrolldownforquestionsyoucannotseethetimeranymoreandhavetokeepscrollingbackuptocheckyourtime.”“Acalculator”

CanvasEaseofUseThetoptaskspilotstudentsrated“easiest”inCanvasweresubmittingworkassignments,exporting/viewingcoursecontent,andnavigatingmycoursetofindthingsinalogicalmanner;thetasksrated“difficult”werenavigatingmycoursetofindthingsinalogicalmanner,viewing/usingrubrics,andparticipatinginDiscussions.



SomepreliminarycommentsaboutCanvasincluded:

“IthinkCanvasisactuallymoreuserfriendly.Ilikethatdocumentscanbeviewedbeforedownloadingandit’sfasterandbetterorganized.”

“Wellorganizedanduserfriendlyinterface.”

“Therejustseemstobemorevarietyinwhatyoucando,likepeeredit.”

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Canvashelpsmeto

completecourse

assignments

Canvasiseasyformetouse.

Canvashelpsmesavetimeandcompletemorecourseactivities.

Canvashelpsme

communicatewithmyprofessor.

Canvasexpandsaccesstoavailable

courselearningmaterials

(print,audio,video,etc).

IndicateyouragreementwiththefollowingstatementsaboutusingCanvas

StronglyAgree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

StronglyDisagree



StudentSupportofCanvasAdoptionTheMidpointSurveyaskedspecificallyifEmoryUniversityshouldadoptCanvas.Fiftypercent(50%)ofthestudentrespondentsinFall2015preferredCanvasandwantedtoadoptit;Spring2016responsesinsupportofadoptingCanvasroseto59%.Fall2015

Spring2016

50.90%

22.60%

26.40%


Yes No Undecided

58.90%

41.10%


Yes No



PilotStudentFeedback:

“IlikecanvasalotmorethanBlackboard.Everythingiseasiertofind,andIreallylikethetodolistonthesideofthescreen.”

“Ihaveusedblackboardforyearsinanothersetting.IfoundCanvastobemoreintuitive,easiertonavigateandmademore"sense"tomethanblackboard.highlyrecommend.”

CommentsOurstudentpilotpopulationhadlesstime(thanfaculty)togetacclimatedtousingCanvassincetheirorientationcoincidedwiththestartofclasses.Feedbackismoremixedfromthestudents’standpoint;forexample,thereisbothpraiseANDdislikenotedfortheModulespages.WhiletheintegratedcourseCalendarfeaturewasanoverallhit,theDiscussionfeatureinCanvaswashardforsometomaneuver.StudentswouldbenefitfromcomprehensiveandextendedtrainingandsupportforanyCanvasimplementation.SeeAppendix3:StudentMid-termPilotSurvey

C.FunctionalSupportReviewTheEducationalAnalysts,LeadInstructionalTechnologist,andLMSAdminsfromTeaching&LearningTechnologiesformedtheprimaryfunctionalteamprovidingsupporttopilotparticipants,whileexploringthefunctionalityandtechnicalaspectsofCanvas.TrainingforsupportstaffwasprovidedbyInstructure(parentcompanyofCanvas)viawebinarsinJuly2015.Afterfacultyorientationconcluded,eachEducationalAnalystwasassignedindividualfacultymembers/coursestoprovidededicatedsupportforthedurationofthepilot.PilotfacultyusedaDiscussionBoardontheOnlineOrientationsitetoaskquestionsandsharesolutionsduringthepilot.KeyObservationsThegroupwasinagreementwiththefacultyonthepositivefeaturesofferedbyCanvasincludingthedynamic,integratedCalendarandAssignmentfunctions;uniformcoursenavigationdesign;andqualityofCanvasresourcematerials.Interestingly,someoftheCanvasfeaturespraisedbyfacultyandcitedcurrentlylacking(inlinegrading/editsandnotifications)arealreadyavailableinBlackboard,butthecomplexityoftheBlackboardinterfacemayhavehamperedadoptionofthosetools.ThismayspeaktoanedgetowardCanvasregardingintuitivenessandeaseofuse.

Consultsduringcourse-buildingwithfacultyalsorevealedsometoolssuchastheGradeBookandDiscussionarenotasfeature-richasthecurrentLMS.However,theessentialLMSfeaturescanservethemajorityoftheusersandasimplecleaninterfacecanbeaplus.TherearealsoexternaltoolsthatcanenhanceCanvasfunctionalitythatareeasytointegrateduetotheopenLTIframeworkCanvasfullysupports.Intheinstanceofdiscussionboards,theexternaldiscussionboardtoolPiazzawaseasilyinstalledandintegratedintopilotcoursesfortesting.



ItisclearthatfacultyexpectationsshouldnotbetorecreatetheCanvaspilotcourseasareplicaoftheircurrentBlackboardcourse.Adifferentproductcallsfordifferentcoursedesign,especiallywithregardtocontentorganization(breadthvs.depth).Facultywilldefinitelyneedmorethanonesemestertobecreativeintheenvironment.WhiletheessentialfeaturesofCanvasareeasytouse,theTeaching&LearningTechnologiesfunctionalteamrecognizesfacultyneedmoretrainingandtimetoexploreinstructionaldesignbestpracticesthatarespecifictoCanvas.

FeatureComparisonThemaindistinctionsnotedbytheFunctionalTeamare(1)Modules&Pagesusedforcoursedesign(vs.foldersinBlackboard)and(2)nobuilt-inplagiarismdetectiontoolforCanvas.Blackboardincludesanintegratedplagiarism-detectiontool,whereasCanvassupportsthird-partyplagiarismservicesviatheLTIstandard.Aftersomeresearch,wefoundotherinstitutionshavedocumentedotherfeaturedifferencesandincorporatedtipsfornavigatingthesedifferencesintotheirtrainingandoutreachinitiativeswhiletransitioningtoCanvas.Withregardtoananti-plagiarismtool,CanvashasrecentlypartneredwithVericiteandisrollingoutanativeversionoftheiranti-plagiarismtoolthatintestingissimilarinfunctionalitytoBlackboard’sSafeAssign.ThisisaseparatelicenseagreementandwillneedtobeacquiredforEmoryfaculty.

ManyfacultyandsupportstaffalsoexpressedaninterestinseeingcoursesthatexemplifiedbestpracticesfortheuseofCanvasininstruction,aswellasmoredetailsonhowBlackboardfeaturescompareandtranslateintoCanvas.Providingsamplecourselayoutsandtemplates,aswellassupporttoolsfortransitioningfromoneLMStoanother,willbeanimportantcomponentofanyimplementationplan.

EducationalAnalystswillcontinuetolookatthequalitativefeedbackforissuesthatshouldbeaddressedwithCanvastraininganduseasaguidetoimprovetheuserexperienceaspartofanyproposedimplementation.

AccessibilityCanvasstatesitwasdesignedwithaccessibilityinmind,withspecialattentiontoensuringallCanvascoursesscreen-readable,aswellaslimitingcustomizationsofcolorsandschemessothatcontentisaccessibleforallusers.AsofMay2015,WebAIM.org,athirdpartyauthorityinwebaccessibility,certifiesCanvastobesubstantiallyconformantwithLevelAandLevelAAoftheWebContentAccessibilityGuidelinesversion2.0.Canvas/InstructureprovidesaVoluntaryProductAccessibilityTemplate,orVPAT,forLMSadministratorsandinstructionaldesignerstoevaluateCanvas'conformancewiththeaccessibilitystandardsunderSection508oftheRehabilitationActandtheActWCAG2.0AAStandards.Seehttps://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2061formoreinfoonaccessibilitywithintheCanvasLMSplatform.



InstructureSupportInstructure(parentcompanyofCanvas)providedPremiumTier124/7UserSupportduringthispilot.AllcoursesfeaturedthefollowingHelpfeatureembeddedwithin:

ThePremiumTier1UserSupportprovidesend-userswithanInstructurephonenumberfordirectsupportfromthevendor,24hoursaday,alongwithenhancedchatandemailsupportavailablearoundtheclock.Teaching&LearningTechnologiesprovidedInstructurewithguidance/exampleresponsesforanyinquiriesthatfelloutsideofthescopeofInstructuresupportsothattheinquirywouldberoutedbacktoEmoryforappropriateresolution.InstructureCommunityInstructure’sproductdevelopmentprocessisfocusedona“student-centered”designmethodologythatintegratesbothusagedataandcommunityfeedbackintoongoingiterationsandfuturedirectionoftheplatform.BecauseofthehostednatureofCanvas,Instructureisabletoreacttousagetrendstobetteranticipatestudentandfacultyneedsandprioritiesthanourcurrenton-premisesBlackboardproduct,whichhasverylong,monolithicupdatecycles.UpcomingproductfeaturesaredirectlyinformedbyfeaturerequestsintheCanvascommunity,andthecompanyactivelyandpubliclyengageswith



customersinthatforum.Likewise,customershavenumerous“birdsofafeather”groupswithinthecommunitytosharesolutions,scripts,andbestpracticeusesoftheapplication.SupportSurveyResponsesPilotFacultyFeedback

“Theironline(chat)supporttotallyrocks!Everysingleoneofthe(multiple)timesthatIhavehadtoopenachattoaskforhelpfiguringsomethingouttheyhavebeenfriendlyandhelpful.Sometimestheywereabletojustpointmetowardsanonlinehelparticleandothertimeswehaveworkedproblemsouttogetheronlinebutitwasalwaysareallypositiveexperience;whichisnotalwaysthecaseinthecomputerITuniverse.”“IwouldhighlyencouragecolleaguestojustgetonChatLivewithCanvas–theyareamazingbeyondwords!!!ItisfareasierforeveryoneasCanvaspeoplerespondevenat2amonSundays!!Ihaveusedhoursofhelpsofar,andwithoutthemIwouldnothavebeenreadyyesterday[1stdayofclasses]”

AggregateDatashowsamajorityoffaculty(38%)usedsearchofguides(availabletoanyCanvascustomer),butthesecondlargestgroup(21%)usedlivechat(partofTier1support).Manyfacultyexpressedaneedforthisforcoursebuildingandquestionsoutsideofregularbusinesshours—whenfacultyareusuallybuildingcourses.23%offacultystatedtheydidnotuseanysupportatall,whichmayspeaktoeaseofuseandtherelativelyshortlearningcurveforCanvas.

38.33%

1.67%

3.33%

21.67%

8.33%

23.33%

3.33%

PleaseindicatethefollowingCanvassupportresourcesyouusedduringthepilot:

SearchoftheCanvas(online)Guides

ReportaproblemtoCanvas

CanvasSupportHotline(844-765-2516)

LiveChatwithCanvasSupport

AskingquestionwithintheCanvasCommunity

NA(IdidnotneedtouseanyoftheCanvasSupportresourcesabove)

IwasnotawareofanyoftheCanvassupportresources



AggregateDatashowsthemajorityofstudentsdidnotneedtousesupportresources(61%).Studentstendtobefamiliarwithmostlearningmanagementsystems,somereportinghavingusedCanvasbeforeinhighschooloratotherinstitutions.Afairnumberwerenotawarethatonlinesupportwasavailable(29%),showinganeedtoimprovemessagingtoletstudentsknowthisresourcesisavailable.

OrganizationsForhistoricalreasons,alargenumberoforganizationsandnon-coursecontenthasbeenhostedinBlackboardatEmory.WithchangesincentralITservicesandtheadditionofvariouscloudofferingsoverthepastfewyears,manyorganizationslookingforonlinecollaborationtoolshavemoreoptionsthanwerepreviouslyavailabletothecampus.WhileCanvasdoeshavea“Groups”feature,it’sprimaryfunctionisinsupportofacademiccoursecontent.Organizationsthatsimplyneedaccess-restricteddocumentsharingtoolsshouldbedirectedtootherservicesdesignedtosupportonlinecollaborationthatarenoweasilyavailable(Box,Office365Sites,OrgSync,etc.).Thosewhomaybenefitfromcourse-likefeaturesfoundwithinanLMS(ex.discussionboards)canbeaccommodatedwithintheCanvasplatformasaCanvasGroup.

6%

1% 0%1%

2%

61%

29%

PleaseindicatethefollowingCanvassupportresourcesyouusedduringthepilot:

SearchoftheCanvas(online)Guides

ReportaproblemtoCanvas

CanvasSupportHotline(844-765-2516)

LiveChatwithCanvasSupport

AskingquestionwithintheCanvasCommunity

NA(IdidnotneedtouseanyoftheCanvasSupportresourcesabove)

IwasnotawareofanyoftheCanvassupportresources



D.TechnicalReviewArchitectureCanvasisaSoftwareasaService(SaaS)applicationhostedonAmazonWebServices.Thisarchitectureprovidesscalability,nodowntimeformaintenance,andpermanentretentionofdata.EachuserlicensedinCanvasreceives0.5GBofdatastorageaggregatedglobally.Canvasoffersitsinstitutionsthreeinstances:Production,Test,andBeta.TheBetainstanceprovidesearlypreviewsofupcomingenhancementsandfeaturestoCanvasbeforetheyarereleasedtoTestandProduction.Whileitisadvantageoustoseetheseearlypreviews,Instructurehasastrictrefreshschedulethatcannotbealteredorcontrolledbyanyinstitution:BetaisrefreshedweeklyandTestisrefreshedevery3weeks.ApplicationAdministrationandCustomizationCanvasisadministeredviaeithertheWebGUIorbyscriptingwiththeWebServicesAPIs.Institutionaladministratorsaregivenaccesstothesystematsub-administratorlevelwithaccesstoalimitedsetoftabsandbuilt-inconfigurationoptions.Thoughthisfreesuptheadministratorstopursueotheravenuesofexternalintegrations(listedinfollowingsubsection)andscripting,itpresentslimitationsrelatedtopermissions,built-infeatures,andcustomization.WhiletheGUIadministrationinterfaceislimitedincustomizationoptions,institutionaladministratorscanaddaglobalJavaScriptandCSSURL.Thisaddsagreatlevelofcustomizationinwhatourusersseeandwhattheyhaveaccesstowithintheircourses.Atpresent,CanvasreliesheavilyonCSStoallowsystemadministratorstocustomizeaspectsofthepermissionsmechanismnotdirectlysupportedbythenativeroleoptions.ThisdependenceonhidingfunctionswithCSSratherthantrulydisablingthemwillrequireadditionalscrutinyonthepartofsystemadministrators.IntegrationsSIS:IntegrationusingfeedfileswithinCanvasappearstobeverysimilartoBlackboard'sprocess,allowingintegrationbetweenCanvasandPeoplesoftwithminimaleffort.However,duetothewayCanvashandlesoverallintegration,includinglackoflogging,alocalservertomanageintegrationfilesandautomationwouldbeneeded.CanvasdoesnotsupporttheindustrystandardIMSLIS,preventingrealtime'outofthebox'integrationwithPeoplesoft,thoughitisontheirroadmap.LTI:InstructureprovidesmyriadthirdpartyapplicationsthroughtheirEduAppCenterthatcanbeinstalleddirectlyintoCanvasviastandardLTI.Duringtheset-upofourenvironmentforthepilot,weutilizedtheEduAppCenterforapplicationssuchasYouTube,Box,andRespondusLockdownBrowsersuccessfully.IntegrationscurrentlyinourBlackboardproductionenvironmentwerealsosuccessfullytested,includingECHOandAresCourseReserves.SomepolicyconsiderationsaroundindividualfacultycreatingtheirownLTIintegrations,aswellasmanaginguserexpectationsaroundLTIintegrationstheymightrequest,willbeneededforfullproductionimplementation.



API:Canvasoffersarich,well-documentedsetofREST-basedWebservicesAPIsthatallowforautomationandintegrationsthroughoutmultiplelayersofthesoftwarestack.CanvasAPIscriptsareinvokedwithanapplicationaccesskeythatmustbecarefullyprotected,astheaccesskeyprovidesanyaccesstoCanvasadministrationaffordedtothekey’screator.Nearlyanynon-LTICanvasfunctionaccessiblethroughtheGUIcanbeaccessedormodifiedwiththeWebservicesAPIs,andtheyarecriticaltolearningtoautomateandoptimizeuseoftheCanvasinfrastructure.BlackboardwillprovideitsownsetofREST-basedAPIsintheSaaS-basedUltraenvironmentbut,asofthiswriting,thelistoffunctioncallsisminimalandrestrictedtouserandcoursecreationandmodification.SecurityAuthentication:Duringourset-upphaseforthepilot,wewereabletoimplementShibbolethsuccessfullywithCanvassothatallusersinvolvedinthepilotcouldusetheirEmorylogincredentials.Audits:Canvashasprovidedyearlysecurityauditsofitsapplicationandenvironmentatitsexpense.Logging:Providedthroughtheapplication,thoughloggingofCanvasadminaccessisminimal.DataAsnotedabove,Canvasstorescustomerdatapermanently.Thiscanbeadvantageousforrecoveryoptions,butitalsopresentsanissuerelatedtodataretentionpolicies.DatacanbepermanentlydeletedthroughsupportrequeststoCanvas’helpdesk,butInstructure’sexpectationisthatmostinstitutionswillmaintaintheirdataindefinitely.CentraltoourtechnicalreviewisaccesstoourdataintheCanvasdatabase.Canvashasmadeseveraldifferentdataoptionsavailableforusers,includingfreeaccesstodatadownloadsevery24hours.Thedatadownloadshavetobeloadedintoalocaldatabasetobeprocessedandviewed.ThedatabaseschemaisdocumentedintheCanvasDataPortal.Forinstitutionsthatdon’twanttorunalocaldatabase,InstructureoffersanoptionalhosteddatabaseintheAmazonWebServicesspaceusingAmazon’sRedShiftservice.ReliabilityDespiteCanvas’AmazonWebServicesunderpinnings,wehaveseenperiodic,briefissuesshowupbothinactualpracticeaswellasdocumentedontheCanvasstatuspage(http://status.instructure.com/history).Duringthepilot,Canvashasexperiencedbetweenthreeandtwelveservice-impactingissuesduringthecourseofagivenmonth,withissuesrangingfromdegradedperformancetoregional“whitescreen”errorsforcertaincustomers.OneofthefundamentalrealitiesofmovingtoaSaaSenvironmentisthattheperformanceofaservicebecomesentirelyvendor-dependent,versusanon-premisesimplementationwherelocalstaffcanhavecontroloverthehardwareandsoftwarestack.Inmostcases,though,issuesobservedonthestatuspagehavenotresultedinuser-reportedproblemsonourcampusandCanvashasrespondedquicklyandtransparentlywithresolution.



Summary&RecommendationInsummary,keyfindingsfromthe2015-2016CanvasPilotatEmoryinclude:thesystemisoveralleasytouse;transferofBlackboardcoursecontentcanbechallengingdependingoncomplexity;theuserinterfaceissimpleandmodern,butthelowerdegreeofcustomizationcanbeinterpretedaspositiveornegative;someofthenewfeaturesareverywell-liked;performancethroughthehostedservicewasgenerallyreliable.ThispilotprojectprovidedusadditionalinsightsonfeaturesofferedandtheactualexperienceofusingCanvasfromfacultyandstudents.Whilethefeedbackandexperiencesarelargelypositive,therearecertainprogramsandgroupsthatexpressedconcernswithfunctionalityofCanvasduringthepilot.Thiscanpossiblybeattributedtothefollowingfactors:limitedpersonalizationofCanvascoursenavigation;users’overallresistancetochange;facultynothavingenoughtimetouseCanvasdifferentlythantheircurrentBlackboardpractice(s);studentsneedingmoreinitialorientationtotheCanvasplatform;andgeneralfrustrationwithusingtwolearningmanagementsystemsduringasemester.Evenwiththeseconcerns,81percentofthefacultyparticipatinginthespringpilotstatedtheysupportamovetoCanvas.FeaturesandfunctionsthatweremostvaluedincludetheCalendar,RollCall,Scheduler,SpeedGraderandtheintuitiveandmodernnatureoftheinterface,mostfeaturescurrentlynotavailableinBlackboard.PilotusersalsorespondedpositivelytoInstructure’s24/7Tier1support.Canvasdoesnotprovideaone-to-onereplacementforeveryfeatureandtoolfoundinBlackboard.Tothatpoint,manyfacultyreportedthatthecombinationofTeaching&LearningTechnologiesandInstructuresupport,alongwithhavingextendedtime(1-2semesters)usingCanvas,provedcriticaltorevisingcourseinstructionaldesigntocomplimentCanvas’uniqueenvironmentandfunctionality.Fromatechnicalperspective,thepilotshowedthatthenativecloudarchitectureprovidesasimplerintegrationwithexternaltoolproviders,aswellasstreamlinedupdateswithnosystemdowntimeandcontinuousproductrefinements.ThereisalsosignificantcostsavingsfrommigratingtheLMSservicetoanativecloud-hostedplatformversusmaintainingon-campusserversandsupportinginfrastructure.TheCanvasopenplatformallowsLMSadministratorstofocusmoreontesting,installation,andsupportofLTI/APIenhancementstothelearningmanagementenvironment,insteadofafocusonapplicationadministration,legacytools,andrecurringbreak-fixthatisinherentinthecurrentBlackboardself-hostedmodel.Blackboard’sexistingSaaSmodelisanotheroption,butis,inouropinion,ariskierstrategicdirection.ThecompanyhasyettoarticulateaconsistentandclearstrategyforthefutureofitsUltraproduct,andthereisagreatdealofskepticismamongthosewhotrackthelearningmanagementsystemproductspacethatBlackboard,Inc.cancompletelyrewriteandreinventtheircurrentplatformwhilemaintainingthefewtechnologyadvantagescurrentlyseenwiththatproduct.EithermovingtoCanvasorstayingthecoursewithBlackboardwillinvolvesignificantchangemanagementchallengesforourfacultyandstudents,butInstructurehasmadeamorecredibleandarticulatecasewithCanvasandthemajorityofourpeerinstitutionsagree.



OurpilotresearchshowsthatCanvasdirectlyaddressestheconcernsofdissatisfactionwithBlackboardexpressedbyfacultyandstudentsovertheyearsinongoingsurveys.AmovetoCanvasalsobringsusinlinewiththemajorityofourpeersandwiththeemergingindustrystandardLMSplatform.Amigrationtoanewlearningmanagementsystemwillnotbetrivial,butthereareclearlong-termbenefitstotheEmorycommunityineaseofuse,systemreliability,andexpandedfunctionality.Basedonpilotfeedbackandafunctionalandtechnicalreview,weproposethefollowingrecommendations:

• AdoptCanvasasthecampusLearningManagementSystem,withfullcampuslicensingstartingJune1,2016toprovideservicecontinuityforpilotfacultyteachingsummercoursesandfourfullsemestersformigration.Blackboardwillcontinuetobelicensedandsupportedforthe2016-2017academicyeartoallowsufficienttimefortrainingontheCanvasplatformandcoursemigration.BlackboardlicensingwouldnotberenewedSeptember1,2017.

• DevelopandcommunicateacomprehensiveLMStransitionplan,detailingtechnicalandfunctionaltasksrequiredtomovetofullproduction;outliningfaculty,student,andinstructionalstaffsupportoptionsformigration;coordinatingeffectivecommunicationtothecampusaboutimplementationtimelines;andfullydocumentingandpromotingCanvastrainingplansforthe2016-2017migrationperiod.

• Createanddocumentabestpracticescoursegallery,withstartercoursetemplatesandpages,toprovideexamplesandready-to-usecourseshellsmodelingexemplarycoursedesignwithintheCanvasplatformandencouragingbothefficientandeffectiveonlineinstructionalcontentcreationanddelivery.

• DevelopprocessesandpracticesaroundtheevaluationandadoptionofLTItoolsandAPIconnectorsthatextendtheCanvasproduct,leveragingthenativecloudarchitectureandstandards-baseddesigntoprovidenewfunctionalityandautomation.

• SecureInstructureTier1supporttoprovide24/7supportforfacultyandstudentsforthedurationofthetransition/implementation.Thiswillcomplementandexpandonexistingcampusinstructionalsupportresourcesforamoreseamlessandexpeditedmigration.

• Outlineoptionsandbestpracticesfororganizations(non-course)useofCanvas,withguidesandlinkstoothercampussolutionsthatmayprovidemoreappropriateandusefulfunctionalityforonlinecollaborativework(Box,Office365Sites,OrgSync,CanvasGroups,etc.).



Appendices

Appendix1:PilotFacultyandClasses

Appendix2:FacultyMidtermSurveyCanvasPilot

Appendix3:StudentMidtermSurveyCanvasPilot

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