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Learning Management System Review

Several reasons have inspired a Learning Management System (LMS) review, including the imminent upgrade to Blackboard Learn Ultra, the time lapse since the last review, infrastructure issues, and support issues. There has been a significant time lapse between LMS reviews. Ferris has had two LMS reviews in the last 20 years. The first LMS review would have been completed in 1998 when Ferris adopted WebCT. Ferris began the migration process from the WebCT Campus Edition to WebCT Vista Enterprise in 2006, but it is not clear that an LMS review was done to see if there were better technology. In February 2006, Blackboard acquired WebCT. The second LMS review was performed in 2010, twelve years after adopting WebCT, and included Blackboard Learn, Moodle, Sakai and Desire2Learn. After piloting Blackboard and Moodle, Ferris decided to upgrade from WebCT Vista to Blackboard Learn. It is now 2018 and after 20 years of LMS upgrades, it is time to seriously review and consider other LMS technologies. 

For more information about the LMS Review, please see the Action Plan. A list of your college LMS Review Subcommittee representatives can be found in the Product Review document. 

LMS Vendor Demonstrations

The LMS Review Schedule is listed below. You can use this handy Review Guide as a tool to keep notes about your overall impression of the systems being demonstrated.

Desire2Learn: Brightspace Demonstration and Pilot – November 2019

Thursday, November 8 – FLITE 114

Friday, November 9 – FLITE 114

  • 9:00 - Brightspace demonstration
    • 10:00 - Q&A
  • 11:00 - Brightspace demonstration
    • 12:00 - Q&A
  • 12:30 - Meet with eLearning
  • 2:00 - Brightspace demonstration
    • 3:00 - Q&A
  • 4:00 - Brightspace demonstration
    • 5:00 - Q&A

ePortfolio:  There was a special request for Desire2Learn to demo the ePortfolio functionality and it was recorded so anyone else who is interested could watch it. (Watch the recording of this demo.)

Pilot Brightspace

If you want to play in the Brightspace sandbox, please Email [email protected] to request access.  If you want to try to export a course from Blackboard Learn and import it into Brightspace, the instructions are below.

Export a Common Cartridge course package from Blackboard
  1. In a Bb course's Control Panel, expand the Packages and Utilities section and select Export/Archive Course.
  2. Select Export Common Cartridge button located on the right.
  3. Select the check box for the Common Cartridge version 1.2.
  4. Select Submit.
  5. Refresh the screen and when the CommonCartridge file appears, click the drop-down and select Open.  This will save the .imscc file to your computer.

Import the Common Cartridge course package into BrightSpace

Desire2Learn has created a short instructional video on how to import your Bb course.  (Watch the recording.)

Instructure: Canvas Demonstration and Pilot – January 2019

Thursday, January 24 – FLITE 114

Friday, January 25 – FLITE 114

Canvas Catalog: There was a special request for Instructure to demo Canvas Catalog. Canvas Catalog is an institution branded storefront that allows you to promote paid or free programs, such as MOOCS, Staff Training, and Corporate Training. You can list professional development courses, certification programs, continuing education programs and much more. (Watch the recording of this demo.)

ePortfolio:  There was a special request for Instructure to demo the ePortfolio functionality and it was recorded so anyone else who is interested could watch it. (Watch the recording of this demo.)

Pilot Canvas

If you want to play in the Canvas sandbox, please Email [email protected] to request access.  If you want to try to export a course from Blackboard Learn and import it into Brightspace, the instructions are below.

Export a Common Cartridge course package from Blackboard
  1. In a Bb course's Control Panel, expand the Packages and Utilities section and select Export/Archive Course.
  2. Select the Export Package button.
  3. Click the Select All button to get everything.
  4. Select Submit.
  5. Refresh the screen and when the export file appears, click the drop-down and select Open.  This will save the .zip file to your computer.

Import the Common Cartridge course package into Canvas

Read this guide: How do Import content from Blackboard into Canvas?
 

 

Overall Feedback Survey – End of April 2019

On April 22nd, after the LMS demonstrations and pilots are completed, we will send a final survey link to give people an opportunity to voice their recommendations. The quantitative data collected from this electronic survey will be sorted by college and given to the corresponding LMS Subcommittee members from each college. The purpose of this survey is to inform Subcommittee members about what individuals in their college would recommend. This survey closes on April 26th.

LMS Review Subcommittee Submits Their Selection

The review subcommittee will review the feedback surveys for their college and cast their informed vote as representatives of their college. On May 8, they will tell EMAT their selection and eLearning will submit a Project Request form to IT Governance.

Canvas Chosen by Faculty as New LMS

After a year-long review process, members of the LMS Review Committee has picked Canvas to replace Blackboard as the new Learning Management System at Ferris. The votes and rationale can be found here. The transition from Blackboard to Canvas will take place in the following 4 phases between now and June 30, 2020:

  • A summer pilot with an anticipated 15-20 faculty who will convert quickly and be ready to teach using the new LMS this summer.
  • A summer cohort of faculty who will use the summer to convert and be ready to teach using the new LMS for fall 2019.
  • A fall cohort of faculty who will use the fall to convert and be ready to teach in the new LMS spring 2020.
  • A spring cohort of faculty who will use spring to convert and be ready to teach in the new system after the existing Blackboard contract ends.

Signing up for a cohort is key to a smooth transition and will allow the eLearning team to disseminate information in a timely manner. Each cohort will receive a variety of training options including (but not limited to) workshops (both on main campus and statewide locations), self-paced online training, walk-up consultation tables (“Canvas Bars”), open work labs, and department-specific workshops. 

Please contact the eLearning Team by phone at (231) 527-8700 or by Email at [email protected] if you have any questions.