Overwhelmingly positive feedback from pilot testers has led to a decision to adopt a new learning management system, or LMS, on campus. 

According to information from Frances Bronet, acting senior vice president and provost, and Adriene Lim, dean of the UO Libraries, the new system will save time, improve learning outcomes and allow for mobile access.

Thousands of students, faculty, GTFs and staff were part of the evaluation process over many months, which was led by an LMS Task Force, to select Canvas by Instructure as a replacement for Blackboard.

Faculty, GTFs and student pilot testers rated Canvas very positively for the friendly and easy-to-learn user interface, grade book feature, e-mail communications/notifications, overall navigation and speed grader functionality. Canvas also provides a free mobile interface.

Use is expected to begin in spring term 2015. More information about implementation and transition details is at http://blogs.uoregon.edu/canvas/.

“We would like to take this opportunity to recognize the faculty, staff and students whose hard work and thoughtful feedback on this very extensive review made this important decision possible,” Bronet and Lim said.

Task Force Members: 

• Juliet Baxter (COE)
• Louise Bishop (CHC)
• Jim Blick (Registrar’s Office)
• Andrew Bonamici  (Library, Co-Chair and Administrative Sponsor)
• Greg Bothun (CAS, Physics)
• Ron Bramhall (LCB)
• Deb Carver (Library, Chair / Convener)
• Helen Chu (Library, CMET, Co-Chair and Convener)
• Kassia Dellabough (Academic Extension) * for Sandra Gladney
• Kenneth Doxsee (Academic Affairs)
• Lisa Freinkel (Undergraduate Studies)
• Sandra Gladney (Academic Extension)
• John Hardwick (CAS, Chemistry)
• Kirstin Hierholzer (Library, User Experience and Assessment)
• Noreen Hogan (Identity Management, Information Services)
• Samantha Hopkins (CAS, Geology & Honors College)
• Abigail Owen (Honors College)
• Rachel Drummond Sardell (AEI)
• Nancy Slight-Gibney (Library, Budget and Assessment)
• Gretchen Soderlund (SOJC)
• Ying Tan (AAA)
• Eric Wiltshire (SOMD)
• Melissa Woo (Information Services)

LMS Spring Pilot Testers

The 24 faculty who taught credit-bearing courses in Canvas and another platform during the Spring term 2014.

• Mark Blaine, Journalism & Communications
• Greg Bothun, Physics & Robert Donald Clark Honors College
• Edward Davis, Geological Sciences
• Rachel Drummond Sardell, American English Institute
• Keith Eddins, Law/Conflict Resolution
• John Fenn, Arts and Administration
• Beth Harn, Special Education and Clinical Sciences
• Michael Hennessy, Computer and Information Sciences
• Samantha Hopkins, Robert Donald Clark Honors College
• Cristin Hulslander, Biology
• Chuck Kalnbach, Management
• Andrew Karduna, Human Physiology
• Colin Koopman, Philosophy
• Alison Kwok, Architecture
• Kelli Matthews, Journalism and Communication
• Dan Morrison, Journalism
• Abigail Owen, Robert Donald Clark Honors College
• Timothy Pack , Music
• John Park, Art
• Raghuveer Parthasarathy, Physics
• Joan Rocklin, Law
• Jon Runyeon, Human Physiology
• Fang Yin, Decision Sciences

The 38 graduate teaching fellows and nearly 2,000 students of the following courses:

• Journalism 207: Gateway to Media III
• HC434H: Cultural Disasters
• GEOL 103: Evolving Earth
• AEIS 102: Advanced Oral Academic Communication
• CRES 399: Diplomatic Role
• DSC 335H: Operations Management
• AAD 301: Understanding Arts
• SPED 431 & SPED 531: Introduction to Learning Disabilities
• CIT 281: Advanced Business Systems
• GEOL 431: Paleontology
• BI 213: General Biology III
• MGMT 410: Organizational Development and Change Management
• HPHY 212: Evidence, Inference & Biostatistics
• PHIL 420: Pragmatism & Metaphysics
• ARCH 407: Case Studies in Sustainable Design
• J 453: Strategic Planning & Cases
• HC 233H: Honors College History
• MUS 133: Music Theory III
• ARTD 252: Interactive Digital Arts
• PHYS 171: The Physics of Life
• LAW 610: Advanced Legal Writing
• HPHY 433: Neurophysiology of Concussions
• EC 202: Introduction to Economic Analysis

The technical staff who supported the faculty, GTFs and students of the winter pilot tests.

• Tim Boshart
• Tyler Brandt
• Helen Chu
• Nargas Oskui-Tabrizi
• Sean Sharp
• Doug Simpson
• Robert Voelker-Morris
• And the student staff at CMET Consulting

LMS Winter Testers

Faculty tested five LMS platforms during Winter term 2014. Quantitative and qualitative feedback were key in selecting two platforms for further testing during Spring term 2014.

• Jagdeep Bala, Psychology
• Kathie Carpenter, International Studies
• David Chamberlain, Classics
• Colleen Chrisinger, PPPM
• John Conery, CIS
• Katherine Cook, English
• David Crumb, Composition & Theory
• Jennifer Ellis, Finance
• Eric Wills, CIS
• Brigid Flannery, Educational and Community Supports
• Elizabeth Frost, LRW
• Michael Furtado, History
• Nancy Heapes, Educational Methodology, Policy & Leadership
• Scott Huette, Arts & Administration
• Jacob Callister, PPPM
• Nicholas Kohler, Geography
• Adam Layne, Mathematics
• Jessyca Lewis, Marketing
• Roberta Mann, Law
• Henney Michele, Accounting
• Margie Paris, Law
• Alan Rempel, Geological Sciences
• Idit Shner, Saxophone and Jazz Studies
• Bartlomiej Siudeja, Mathematics
• Sonja Boos, German & Scandinavian
• Elizabeth Tippett, Law
• Hai Tran, Finance
• Eleanor Vandegrift, Science Literacy Program
• Valentino Vasquez, Communication Disorders & Sciences
• Julie Weise, History
• Marsha Weisiger, History
• Mary Wills-Gordon, AEI
• Benjamin Young, Mathematics
• Michal Young, Computer and Information Science

LMS Usability Test Participants

10 faculty instructors from the following disciplines participated in usability testing.

• Academic Extension
• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Composition
• East Asian Languages and Linguistics
• English Literature
• Human Physiology
• Mathematics
• Product Design
• Yamada Language Center

LMS Technical and Policy Review Committee

• James Bailey, Disabilities Resource Center
• Jim Blick, Registrar
• Tim Boshart, UO Libraries
• Tyler Brandt, UO Libraries
• Helen Chu, UO Libraries
• Leo Clark, Information Services
• Sue Eveland, Registrar
• Nina Fox, UO Libraries
• Stefanie Freeman, Information Services
• Francisco Gray, Information Services
• Susan Hilton, Information Services
• Noreen Hogan, Information Services
• Jeff Jones, Information Services
• Troy Knabe, Information Services
• Jon Miyake, Information Services
• Nargas Oskui-Tabrizi, UO Libraries
• Micah Sardell, Information Services
• Sean Sharp, AAA IT
• Robert Voelker-Morris, TEP
• Tyfanie Wineriter, Information Services
• Melissa Woo, Information Services

LMS Assessment Team

• Kirstin Hierholzer, UO Libraries
• Wendy Ames, School of Journalism and Communication

Purchasing, Contracting and Legal Support

• Melissa Matella, Office of the General Counsel
• Jamie Moffitt, Vice-President, Finance and Administration
• Allie O’Connor, Purchasing and Contracting Services
• Doug Park, Office of the General Counsel
• Nancy Slight-Gibney, UO Libraries
• Greg Stripp, Finance and Administration
• Catherine Susman, Purchasing and Contracting Services

Project Manager

• Helen Chu, UO Libraries, CMET

Migration & LMS Manager

• Nina Fox, UO Libraries, CMET

Administrative Project Sponsors

• Andrew Bonamici, Associate Dean of Media & Instructional Services
• Deborah Carver, Philip Knight Dean of Libraries, Emeritus
• Adriene Lim, Philip Knight Dean of Libraries