Migration Path to A New Learning Management System (LMS) for Michigan Tech
For more information about the LMS transition, a blog is here.
Contact courses@mtu.edu.
Michigan Tech currently employs Blackboard Campus Edition 8 (CE8) as its enterprise-wide learning management system (LMS). Blackboard is slated to end support for CE8 and designate it as "end of life" in 2013 and offers the product “Blackboard Learn 9.1” as an upgrade path.
Blackboard Learn 9.1 is a considerably different platform compared to CE8; this is the best time to evaluate other LMS options.
The following is an outline of the current and future piloting process:
LMS Pilot Phase I
- Summer 2010: a working group consisting of Educational Technology Services, IT and the CIO installed and configured the new Bb Learn 9.1 services in a test environment and attended Bb Learn 9.1 certification sessions. They also conducted informal surveys of other institutions concerning their choice and strategy for LMS migration.
- Fall 2010: a group of instructors were invited to migrate courses (or develop new courses) to utilize Bb Learn 9.1 as an LMS for teaching fall semester.
LMS pilot Phase II/Final Phase
- Fall 2010–Fall 2011: continue utilizing CE8 while LMS options are more fully explored
- Spring/Summer/Fall 2011: expand LMS pilot testing to include additional instructors, three other LMS options along with Bb Learn 9.1, host open forum, develop tools for evaluation
- End of Fall 2011: Finish pilot testing LMS's and collect pilot testing data,. conduct analysis, and make recommendation based on data analysis.
- Final LMS recommendation to senior leadership End of Fall 2011.
- this will be followed by a full semester where training on the new LMS and advanced migration is offered while Bb CE8 is still running simultaneously, culminating in all classes moving into the new LMS the semester after that.
Results:
Canvas Selected as our next LMS
LMS Selection Report and Announcement (PDF)
Results tabulated from students and faculty involved in pilot testing has shown Canvas to be the highest rated/most preferred LMS. A contract has been signed with the creators of Canvas, Instructure, Inc. The timeline has since been revised with the goal of moving all courses to Canvas and discontinuing use of Blackboard CE8 by May 9, 2012. Both LMSs will be available for teaching and testing during Spring Semester 2012. All Spring Semester 2012 courses will be automatically created in both Blackboard CE8 and Canvas complete with student enrollments, allowing instructors to teach using either LMS. All old courses from the Blackboard CE8 system will also be migrated in bulk to the Canvas system.