LMS Comparison
Blackboard
Canvas
Assessments/Assignments/Grade Book
Ability to send grades from LMS to Banner
May use rubrics for online assessment.
Group management features available for creating group assignments
Can create a group discussion topic or assignment
Ability to re-grade assessments
Ability to grade objective quizzes automatically and reveals results to students.
Can grade papers and give feedback without downloading the assignment.
Map learning assessments to evaluate specific outcomes.
All grade book items tied to assignments
Menu customization options
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Planned
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Limited
Other Tools
LMS has a Blog tool.
LMS has a journal tool.
LMS has a Wiki tool.
LMS has plagiarism tool.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Additional Cost
Calendar
Create reoccurring calendar entries
Feed for students to subscribe
Calendar events added automatically from due date
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Discussion Forums
Grade discussion postings/use rubrics
Allow group creation in discussion forums.
Allow anonymous postings.
Ability to search Discussions
Can moderate forums pre-post
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Internet E-mail
Ability to forward internal e-mail to an additional account.
Ability to use the WYSIWIG or HTML editor in the internal e-mail tool.
Ability to use search capabilities in the internal e-mail.
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Mobility
Ability to use mobile devices to access course content.
Access to the LMS’s mobile client is standard.
LMS is mobile-ready using smart phones/tablets.
Yes
Additional Cost
Planned
Yes
Yes
Yes
Social Media Integration
Ability to integrate with YouTube.
Yes
Yes
Student Portfolios
LMS has a portfolio solution
Additional Cost
Yes
Third-party Integrations
Import items in QTI format (Respondus, ExamView).
Publisher content via cartridges, or packages
Supports McGraw-Hill Campus and Connect
Ability to integrate MyLab Suites
Ability to integrate ThomsonNOW
Support for SCORM content
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
through MindTap
Limited
Synchronous Conferencing Tool
Supports Desktop Sharing
Supports Polling
Supports Chat/Private Chat
Can be recorded
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Planned
Why so fast?
Open Faculty Forum –
Canvas LMS Discussion
Why are we talking about Canvas?
Canvas caught the eye of our Center for Teaching, Learning and
Technology (CTLT) last spring. Canvas was a relatively new
entry into the LMS world, but was getting rave reviews from
students and faculty nationwide. CTLT set up a demonstration
site and after a summer’s review, were impressed. But it is one
thing for an administrator to think a product looks good, and
quite another for the faculty and students to think so.
Accordingly CTLT asked a few faculty to pilot Canvas with a fall
semester class. The response was so positive that they ran a
spring pilot with 41 faculty and 1,500 students. Two weeks ago
pilot students and faculty met to discuss their experiences. At
this meeting we heard a level of enthusiasm we rarely hear with
any product. This enthusiasm has driven us to seek broader
input for our next steps.
Are we moving away from Blackboard?
Maybe. That depends on what students and faculty tell us. We’ll
be asking and listening over the next few weeks. President Dunn
and Provost Higginson have been very clear that a decision to
migrate from Blackboard to Canvas must have faculty support.
Is this to save money?
No. Cost is not now – nor has it ever been the primary factor in
making that decision. But we are not immune to cost impacts –
particularly these days – and at these amounts. CTLT began the
Canvas pilot a year ago based exclusively on glowing reports as a
teaching/learning tool.
That said, Canvas would probably be slightly less expensive than
Blackboard in the long term. However, the greatest cost impact
is in the next two years. Recent contract negotiations with
Blackboard and Canvas may mean that if we make the change
this summer we will save substantial money. If we wait, the cost
of conversion will be substantially more; perhaps making the
move cost prohibitive.
If we move to Canvas, when would it happen?
Faculty may experiment with Canvas immediately by creating
test copies of existing courses to a Canvas environment without
disrupting their existing Blackboard courses. Full conversion
would occur by July 1, 2013. We know that we have summer
classes and would work first closely with those faculty to
manage their transition.
I am comfortable with Blackboard. Why change?
Canvas isn’t perfect and neither is Blackboard. However, Canvas
has been written with today’s users in mind. Students report
that it is easier to be successful in Canvas classes. Faculty report
many improvements including an intuitive interface that is
quickly learned and supports much faster grading and feedback
delivery. Canvas would also allow full integration with MyGate,
a feature we have long sought, but which has proven to be
resource-prohibitive with Blackboard.
A recent combination of factors including Blackboard licensing
costs for next year, and an unusual opening to leverage our yearlong pilot with Canvas, has provided an opportunity to make a
change in our LMS – and simultaneously save substantial
licensing fees over a two year period. An LMS is an important
part of our teaching and learning mission. We should use the
best one we can find. If we do not convert now, it may be cost
prohibitive to do so for several years. In short, if we want to
adopt Canvas, we should do it now.
Will this work for non-academic groups (like
committees and departments?)
Yes. Adding those groups would be done the same way as our
existing processes.
How can I find out more?
Pilot faculty are available to describe their Canvas experience.
They are:
Alyx Shultz
Gustav (Claes) Helmers
William Hoover
Christie Fierro
George Rice
John Spinda
Lisa O'Neal
Misty Evans
Brandi King
Johan Koren
Bernard Lewis
Brent Menchinger
Danielle Nielsen
Heidi Ortega
Joshua Adair
Kevin Binfield
Latricia Trites
Margaret Wald
Mary Sroda
Paula Garcia McAllister
Roy Helton
Sarah Austin
Staci Stone
Kala Chakradhar
Sharon Hart
Susan Brown
Becky Richardson
Elizabeth Price
Tonia Mailow
Christopher Mecklin
John Hart
Kevin King
Kevin Revell
Maeve McCarthy
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Business
Business
Business
CEAO
CEAO
Education
Education
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HFA
HSHS
HSHS
HSHS
Library
Library
Nursing
SET
SET
SET
SET
SET
Check out CTLT’s informational Page
http://campus.murraystate.edu/canvasresources.htm
Watch MSU faculty discuss!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1LqIFv4Ty8
Want to see more? Contact our Instructional Designer, Lilia
Murray at 809-3773 or by email at lmurray@murraystate.edu to
setup an appointment.