Get Involved: 2024 Fall Canvas Pilot
Overview
The 2024-2025 LMS Study is underway. We will be hosting a pilot program with the Canvas LMS for the Fall 2024 term.
Canvas System Expectations
The Technology & Learning team continues to set-up and configure the Canvas LMS prior to the Fall 2024 pilot. The Canvas system may need to undergo scheduled (or unscheduled) maintenance to improve the strength of the system for all pilot participants. Course content in participating classes will be safe from any set-up or configuration updates due to maintenance.
Only participating faculty and students will be able to login to Canvas during the pilot. We appreciate your patience and understanding while Technology & Learning commits important resources to ensure a successful pilot experience for participating faculty and students.
Participating Instructor Expectations
Class Selections
Participating instructors will only be permitted to teach one class/section in Canvas for the Fall 2024 Canvas LMS Pilot. All other Fall 2024 classes/sections delivered by the participating instructor must continue using the designated LMS for their program. Participating instructors and classes will be coordinated through the Associate/Divisional dean for your school/division.
Time Commitment
The participating instructor must complete 2-3 feedback surveys and focus groups during the Fall term, taking 2-4 hours to complete over the course of the Fall term.
There is an undetermined amount of time that would be needed to develop a new class site in the Pepperdine Canvas environment. The time commitment for developing the new site in Canvas will depend on how much the participating instructor wants to replicate or improve on their current instructional processes.
Instructional Design Assistance
To assist with instructional design needs, TechLearn will be prioritizing training and design consultations in the months leading up to the fall term for all participating instructors. Consultation sessions will be scheduled directly between TechLearn and the participating instructors before the start of the term.
Additionally, TechLearn is collaborating with Canvas (Instructure) to create a template site that will be available to all participating faculty to reduce the strain of starting a new class site from scratch.
Third Party Tools
TechLearn understands that instructors may wish to explore third-party tool (LTI) plugins in Canvas over the pilot period. Given TechLearn’s limited resources and the focus on piloting native Canvas functionality, third party tools cannot be explored or considered at this time. We appreciate the community’s understanding.
Note that the following third-party tools will be available in Canvas during the pilot:
- Zoom Pro
- Turnitin
- Panopto
- H5P
- Linkedin Learning
- Library Guides
Participation Benefits
Participating faculty (and their students) will be influential in shaping the future of Pepperdine LMS choices through their responses in the pilot surveys and focus groups. There is a high probability that many faculty and students that have taught or studied elsewhere in Southern California may already be familiar with Canvas.
Additionally, if the University decides to adopt Canvas and transition away from Courses/Sakai after the pilot concludes, the instructor who participated in the pilot will have a fully designed course in the new LMS and can continue to teach that class in Canvas for Spring 2025 and beyond.
Participating Student Expectations
Students in the participating classes will not be able to opt-out of using Canvas for the course. While student feedback will be invaluable to the LMS Study, students do have the option to opt-out of the focus groups and surveys designed for the pilot.
Canvas Technical Support
Multiple support options will be available in addition to direct support from TechLearn to assist faculty and students during the pilot, including a dedicated Pepperdine Tier 1 support line to Canvas support. Canvas Tier 1 support information is only available to the Pepperdine community upon login to the Canvas LMS pilot environment.
Additional details for Canvas support will be forthcoming.