Faculty Perspectives: Teaching in the SP22 Canvas Pilot

The transition to a new learning management system (LMS) can be daunting. As we prepare to design and deliver our online courses in Canvas, leaving Blackboard behind, questions naturally arise about working within the new LMS. Three EP faculty members—Dr. Stephyn Butcher, Dr. Eleanor Chlan, and John Romano—volunteered to pilot their spring 2022 courses in Canvas, testing the waters before our full-scale launch in the summer term. They have generously shared insight from their pre-semester preparation and their first few weeks managing the courses in Canvas. 

When asked about his interest in participating in the pilot phase, Romano displayed the enthusiasm of an early adopter. “When I was asked,” he recalled, “I figured…I might as well jump in from the get-go.” Butcher was also eager to serve in a role that will aid his colleagues, as well as support staff and administration, pointing out that he “just wanted to help out by being a tester.” All three assumed an exploratory role—surveying the landscape of Canvas courses, testing features, and reporting their discoveries.  

Before the courses were available to students, these faculty members had to sufficiently prepare them, ensuring students could effectively engage with the content. Romano found this process involved intensive consideration of the course architecture. Noting this, he shared, “I wasn’t sure how material would be structured in the Canvas course shell so I had to ask a lot more questions…to make sure I was actually going to end up with a better experience for the students…” Both Butcher and Chlan mentioned some helpful “digging around” in Canvas before the term started. To assist faculty in reimagining their courses in Canvas, Faculty Forward is offering a variety of training opportunities to provide sneak peaks into the platform.  

Our white-glove migration service, aided by instructional support staff, will prepare Canvas courses to launch successfully, allowing faculty to provide unique finishing touches. Refining course content in Canvas the first time may involve more frontloaded labor, but the pilot faculty members have enjoyed the general layout of items within their course sites. Butcher highlighted structure as a plus, appreciating the “flatness” of the organization and adding, “I feel like you had to click twice as much to get anywhere [in Blackboard].” Echoing that sentiment, Romano suggested that “it also seems much easier to move content objects if you want them in different order.”  

Beyond the general structure of content, other features have proven useful during the pilot phase. Chlan noted that Canvas makes communicating with students easy. She appreciates that “you can email a group of students easily from the gradebook…[including] all the ones that did not complete an item.” This can be an especially valuable communication method, as reaching out to students after missed assignments is a vital strategy for retention.  

Other beneficial features our pilot faculty praised include the ability to allow replies to course announcements and the course-level reports available to instructors. The former provides agency to students who have follow-up questions about important briefings, while the latter equips instructors with data to assess students as well as the efficacy of their instruction. Romano also identified the Canvas Teacher app as an asset. “I’ve already used it quite a bit to keep tabs on class,” he explained. 

As expected, the pilot phase has not been perfect. Pilot phases include a significant amount of testing, and inevitably, some tests produce less-than desirable results. However, those results can be productive as they inform our approach for a larger adoption of Canvas. As Butcher concedes, “There have been a few hiccups.” Yet he was quick to recognize the efforts of several “go-getter” students who promptly engaged with content, reported issues, and helped work towards solutions.  

According to the pilot faculty, grading in Canvas will require some adjustment as will setting the availability of items and organizing discussions. What’s more, students will also need to acclimate to the new LMS. It is difficult to imagine transitioning to a new learning environment in which teachable moments do not occur for all involved. Instructional support staff will assist faculty in developing and maintaining courses that make the best use of Canvas features and quickly address issues that present themselves. Keep an eye on your inbox for updates about more Canvas training sessions as well as important information about sunsetting Blackboard. 

As we navigate the shift to Canvas, community will prove an asset. We encourage faculty members to share knowledge and resources. The EP Faculty Community serves as a hub for interacting with colleagues and tracking important information related to the migration. Follow along in the Canvas Migration channel as we all develop a sense of what is possible to achieve in Canvas.