LMS Study Initiative

Letting your voice be heard. Charting the next path to the Courses LMS at Pepperdine University.

Overview

At regular intervals, the Technology & Learning team conducts a Learning Management System (LMS) Study which is a University-wide initiative to measure the efficacy of and satisfaction with Pepperdine's LMS.

Our current LMS is called Courses (powered by Sakai). While Courses remains a useful platform, it is important for us to periodically assess our primary learning management system for its future growth and improvement. To this end, the Technology & Learning team routinely partners with our faculty and University leadership to evaluate the community's satisfaction with the LMS, generate ideas to improve the platform, and facilitate comparisons with alternate systems.

LMS Transition

Canvas Pilot

LMS Study FAQ

Background

More than a decade ago, Pepperdine University selected Courses (powered by Sakai) as its primary learning management system (LMS). This selection process involved multiple avenues of feedback from students, faculty, and staff. Since 2011, Courses LMS has served Pepperdine well. Between 2018 and 2020, the University conducted an LMS study, focusing on community satisfaction with the functionality of Courses. While the study was concluded earlier than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community's feedback was highly favorable regarding Courses. Consequently, TechLearn concluded the study, and the University renewed its agreement through July 31, 2025 to continue with Courses (powered by Sakai).

Prior to the next LMS contract renewal period, TechLearn initiated another LMS Study. Learn more below.

2023-2025 LMS Study

In Fall 2023, Technology & Learning initiated the most recent LMS Study. Driven by the University's needs to meet faculty and student satisfaction, academic program objectives, and LMS functionality to deliver content for traditional, hybrid, and fully online modalities, the study seeks feedback from our current students and faculty about Courses LMS. The study has concluded, and this website will be updated once the final community report is available.

The key parts of the study include:

LMS Marketplace Review
Community Satisfaction Surveys
Canvas LMS Pilot and Assessment
LMS Recommendation and Study Report

LMS Marketplace Review

Starting in 2023, Technology & Learning researched the current state of the LMS marketplace. This process involved research into the major commercial and open-source solutions and their adoption within higher education. The team contacted vendors, scheduled demonstrations, and sought price comparisons. This review process continued into early 2024. After careful review, the Canvas LMS was chosen for a future pilot.

Community Satisfaction Surveys

In early April 2024, TechLearn administered general LMS satisfaction surveys to all faculty and students. These surveys sought feedback about the most important features within an LMS and ratings on how well Courses/Sakai is meeting the general needs of our community. The surveys also asked for open-ended feedback on how features or support options can be improved.

The Final Survey Deadline was Friday, May 10, 2024.

Canvas Pilot

In addition to the early surveys, Pepperdine launched an LMS pilot. For the Fall 2024 term, the University chose to pilot Canvas for comparison with Courses. The Technology and Learning team partnered with senior leadership at each of the schools to identify faculty participants. The pilot included additional surveys and focus group discussions to gather feedback.

LMS Recommendation and Study Report

The TechLearn team analyzed the feedback from our community, from faculty/student LMS preferences to the pilot participants' experiences. Based on the data and findings, the team recommended switching to Canvas from Sakai. This recommendation and preliminary report was shared with our LMS pilot faculty, the TechLearn Faculty Steering Committee, the broader faculty, and academic leadership. In the end, the Provost's Office and the Deans of all the schools decided that Pepperdine would adopt Canvas as its next LMS.

A final LMS Study community report will be published, and the community can explore initial information on the LMS Transition and Canvas pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the overall initiative and glean additional details about the latest study below. Select an FAQ topic to expand the answer.

What is the timeline for the most recent LMS Study?

Table of Tentative Learning Management System Study Timeline
Time Period	Actions
Fall 2023	Evaluate LMS marketplace
Spring 2024	Develop faculty and student surveys to measure perspectives of learning management systems at Pepperdine and elsewhere Obtain feedback on faculty survey from the Technology & Learning Faculty Steering Committee Complete Institutional Research Board (IRB) application and receive IRB approval for surveys Distribute faculty and student surveys Determine criteria for reviewing/comparing LMS platforms to our current solution Select LMS Pilot Vendor (Canvas) Configure the Canvas environment for a Fall 2024 Go-Live
Summer 2024	Promote the LMS Pilot Determine and coordinate the creation of pilot groups with school programs and divisions Create training and documentation for the pilot environment Host training webinars for faculty and support staff Go Live with the Canvas LMS pilot in late summer
Fall 2024	Launch the Canvas LMS pilot Support faculty, staff, and students during the pilot Gather feedback in the form of surveys and focus groups Analyze and summarize community feedback Produce a preliminary report and recommendation for academic leadership and faculty
Spring 2025	Continue to support students and faculty with the pilot Gather additional feedback for LMS considerations Publish the final LMS Study report for the University community

What is the LMS Study Initiative?

The Learning Management System (LMS) Study is a routine University-wide initiative aimed at measuring the efficacy and satisfaction with Pepperdine's primary LMS, Courses (powered by Sakai).

Why pursue an LMS study?

Pepperdine recognizes how learning needs and available technologies continue to evolve. In collaboration with all Pepperdine schools, the Technology & Learning team regularly seeks feedback from students and faculty on their user experiences to inform data-driven decision-making. The formal study is a due diligence exploration and will repeat approximately two years prior to each LMS contract renewal.

Does this initiative mean that Pepperdine is moving to a different LMS?

Not necessarily. At its heart, the LMS Study has an investigative mission. The University seeks to gather feedback on the current LMS (Courses/Sakai). TechLearn will evaluate the LMS marketplace and seek community feedback about LMS needs and satisfaction. We will also pilot a leading LMS platform (Canvas was selected), and compare it with Courses. Based on the findings from these efforts, the TechLearn team will produce a report and share it with academic leadership and faculty. Ultimately, the Provost and Deans of each school will make the final decision about LMS direction. If the University decides to switch LMS platforms, then TechLearn will commence a transition plan to prepare and onboard the faculty and students for a new LMS.

What was the outcome of the 2018-2020 LMS Study?

Given the impact of COVID-19 and based on favorable feedback about the Courses LMS from the community in the early phases of our research, we closed the study and renewed our contract to offer Courses LMS (powered by Sakai) as the primary University LMS. You may review the 2018-20 LMS Study Executive Summary.

What was the outcome of the 2009-2010 LMS Study?

Prior to adopting Sakai as the primary LMS for Pepperdine University in 2011, the Technology & Learning team conducted a thorough needs and satisfaction assessment about our previous LMS from our faculty and students. The community overwhelmingly selected Sakai to replace the prior LMS. You may review the 2009-10 LMS Study Executive Summary.

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