FAQs - Why...
Why are we changing our learning platform and implementing Canvas? And why now?
There are several reasons that provide the drive for this project, but here are the big ones:
Why did we choose Canvas, and what process was followed to make this decision?
Why should I put effort into developing my current Blackboard courses right now if we’re moving systems soon? And what can I do in Blackboard to prepare?
There are several reasons that provide the drive for this project, but here are the big ones:
- Our current LMS, Blackboard Learn, is being removed as a supported platform by the vendor soon. It must be replaced now, so we have enough time to do it on our own terms.
- Our experience of recent disruptions, including earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic, has demonstrated a need for a more resilient digital learning platform, but also the need to embed more flexible and resilient ways of using tools to deliver learning and teaching.
- Our student demographics have changed, and so have their expectations around how they prefer to engage with teaching and learning, and the technologies that enable them. We need to ensure we can change to meet these expectations and remain future-focused as an attractive place to study.
- Our competitors are undertaking their own learning platform transformations for the same kinds of reasons. If we don't keep pace and offer a good student experience, we will lost students to these competitors.
- Growth in professional, industry, and international programmes, for which a fit-for-purpose online delivery platform is essential to ensure we remain up to date with global demands for creating valuable learning experiences for our students.
Why did we choose Canvas, and what process was followed to make this decision?
- Of the four systems we tested, we chose Canvas because it scored the highest overall against our requirements, and we judged that it provided us the best opportunities to grow and develop our platform in the future. The consensus from people involved in testing was that it was also the easiest to learn and use, which is a very important consideration for many people.
- The process to choose a new learning platform began in 2021 with a series of town halls and workshops with staff and students from across Te Herenga Waka. The outcomes of these engagements were used to define a list of requirements outlining what we needed our future learning platform to do.
- Once we had these requirements, we went to market with Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes according to standard procurement practice. Four vendors responded with information and proposals for their Learning Management Systems (LMS) and about 80 staff and students representing a diverse range of disciplines and perspectives from were invited to participate by attending vendor demonstrations, testing the different systems, and evaluating them against our list of requirements.
Why should I put effort into developing my current Blackboard courses right now if we’re moving systems soon? And what can I do in Blackboard to prepare?
- Any development work that you put into your Blackboard now is win-win. It will undoubtedly be valued by your current students, and it will all come across in the migration, which will save you time later, or allow you to use that time to focus on taking it to the next level again.
- As you finish teaching courses in Blackboard this year, it’s good practice to complete some basic course housekeeping to ensure that your course is ready for migration when the time comes. This means you won’t have to come back and do this at migration time, while you are also trying to teach another course or complete other activities.