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LMS Evaluation Committee

Description

March 2022

The Learning Management System (LMS) Evaluation Committee is comprised of faculty, staff and students who will examine whether Blackboard continues to serve the diverse instructional needs of our campus or if we should explore Canvas. We invite all interested parties to participate in this process in a variety of ways. 

We very much appreciate your participation, and we will operate from a position of complete openness throughout this process.  

Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D.

LMS Review Committee Chairs, North Carolina Central University

 

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Description

The LMS Review Committee's final evaluation report will be shared in the summer of 2022.

 

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Committee Chair

  • Siobahn Day Grady: Assistant Professor and Program Director for Information Science, School of Library and Information Sciences

Extended Studies

  • Kimberly Phifer-McGhee: Associate Vice Chancellor for Extended Studies and Student Support​
  • Paulette Morrison-Danner: Director, Division of Extended Studies​
  • Dr. Larrisha McGill-Youngblood: Director, Office of e-Learning

Blackboard and Canvas Administrators

  • Sharon Alston​
  • LaToya Parker-Hayes

Information Technology Services

  • Kamini Patel​
  • Damond Nollan​
  • Robert Childs​
  • Kristian Theissen

Spring 2022 Pilot Faculty

  • Lakesha Allen​
  • Pia Anderson Duncan​
  • Nadia Bodie​
  • Sabrina Butler​
  • Brett Chambers​
  • Gregory Downing​
  • Kia Eason​
  • Kimberly Harris
  • Sonya Harris​
  • Freda Hicks​
  • Danielle Colbert-Lewis​
  • Larisha McGill-Youngblood​
  • Jaleh Rezaie​
  • Jennifer Rounds-Bryant​
  • Khadijah Salaam​
  • Erma Jean Smith-King

 

Below are answers to frequently asked questions.

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North Carolina Central University is reviewing our current Blackboard LMS and comparing other LMS platforms. On average, universities evaluate their LMSs approximately every five years. It has been eight years since our last LMS review, and our Blackboard contract ends within the next academic year.

An LMS Review Committee has been created to assess our learning management needs and evaluate potential alternatives. The Committee is led by your fellow faculty member Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D.. The committee has recommended that we review the potential of utilizing Canvas in response to the growth of hybrid and online course offers and programs.  

We do not know. This is one of the questions put before the LMS Evaluation Committee — comprised of 35 faculty, staff and students — to make a recommendation on whether we continue with Blackboard as the best system for our campus or move toward Canvas.

No, this evaluation is about reliability and usability. We want faculty and students to have the best system possible. A new system may or may not cost more.

Yes, we would aim for at least a one-year period in which both systems would be running simultaneously, to ensure a smooth transition.

Please speak with your faculty colleagues from your college who are on the committee to give them feedback or to ask questions about the progress of the committee's work. You can also provide input about your experience using Canvas to the LMS Review Committee chairs.

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Greetings, 

On behalf of the Division of Extended Studies, we are seeking your expertise on a new and upcoming project. North Carolina Central University is reviewing our current LMS, Blackboard, and comparing other LMS platforms. On average, universities evaluate their LMSs approximately every five years. An LMS Review Committee has been created to assess our learning management needs and evaluate potential alternatives. The Committee is chaired by your fellow faculty member Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D. The committee has recommended that we review the possibilities of utilizing Canvas in response to the growth of hybrid and online course offerings and programs.  

As online and face-to-face learning continues to advance, so do our technological needs; therefore, we are reaching out to you in hopes that you will consider participating in a pilot group to use the Canvas Learning Platform here at North Carolina Central University. This pilot group will be the first round of NCCU faculty to use Canvas and will target courses offered in the second eight weeks of the Spring 2022 semester. This pilot aims to provide faculty and students with an LMS that can meet the needs of our growing campus. The Canvas team will provide training towards the latter part of this month that will help you prepare for your courses. In addition, the Office of e-Learning will be on standby to assist. We will also conduct a pre-survey and post-survey survey to understand faculty and student needs better. The data collected will aid in determining if the University should stay with Blackboard or switch to the Canvas system. We are still in the beginning stages of fleshing out the final details, but we hope you will consider serving your university in this capacity.  

If you agree to participate in this pilot, you will be committing to offering your second eight-week course utilizing the Canvas LMS starting on March 14, 2022. We will agree to provide all the technical training and support you may need to get started. Please note that you are not required to switch to Canvas; however, if you are willing and capable of working within this timeline, your work will be recognized by listing you as a member of the LMS Review Committee. We realize this request is a big ask, but we want this to be an inclusive and collaborative experience. Having input from faculty like you will be invaluable for full implementation and campus rollout. For priority consideration, please respond to this email by noon on February 17, 2022, with your agreement to participate in this pilot project. Responses received after this deadline will be considered as space permits. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

We look forward to working with you! 

Sincerely, 

Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D.

LMS Review Committee Chair

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