Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is committed to constantly improving the online experience of students and faculty by selecting a single learning management system (LMS), replacing our two current LMS systems — Blackboard Learn and Engage/Moodle.
Following months of extensive evaluation and community engagement, and at the LMS Task Force team’s recommendation, campus leadership is excited to announce that Saint Mary’s has chosen Canvas by Instructure due to its:
- Superior user experience
- Clean and intuitive user interface
- Mobile friendliness
- Flexibility and interoperability with outside tools
The LMS Task Force is confident Canvas will allow for greater university efficiency and consistency in the teaching and learning experience. The selection of Canvas will provide a superior student and faculty user experience, clean and intuitive user interface, and the ability to position the university for growth in new programming, certificates and badging, and utilizing mobile rich technology. Additionally, the move to Canvas will enable robust course migration and comprehensive technical support and training.
Canvas is the world’s fastest growing LMS, with more than 30% of all higher education institutions on the platform. It boasts nearly 100% uptime and 24/7 support. Users will also have access to the global Canvas Community, with more than 685,000 members collaborating and sharing resources. Its innovative structure allows the seamless plug-in of various learning tools.
To meet the growing accessibility needs in an online environment, an additional tool we are particularly excited to adopt is Blackboard Ally (which will be integrated with Canvas). Ally makes digital content more accessible for a variety of learners. Some innovative features include alternative formatting, audio capabilities, language translation, instructor feedback, and institutional reporting.
The LMS Task Force was formed in September to brainstorm solutions and has been actively researching and reviewing products, pricing, content, and strategies. Responses to a request for proposals were submitted by five vendors. Three of these vendors presented demonstrations on the Winona and Twin Cities campuses for faculty and students. The committee narrowed the selection to two vendors in the first part of 2020 and compared community survey results, rubric scoring, customer feedback, and migration strategies. This review, as well as a detailed financial analysis, demonstrated the value of changing to Canvas.
As we move from evaluation and selection into implementation and adoption, more information will be provided in the coming weeks about a phased migration plan, the timeline, and the support and resources that will be available to assist our university in this important work. The goal of the LMS Task Force is to introduce our first courses in fall 2020 and target a full implementation to the new platform within the year.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email LMS@smumn.edu.
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