The Queensland University of Technology will switch its learning management system from Blackboard to Canvas in 2023, after over two years of consultation with staff and student representatives.
Planning for this transition commenced pre-COVID, with preliminary discussions and market analysis of available options.
A spokesperson for QUT said Canvas was selected as the preferred choice, and is so for many universities ‘throughout the world and Queensland.’
‘There is some limited early adopter activity in Summer Semester, with the first university-wide rollout in Semester One 2023 and related teaching periods,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Full rollout will be completed in 2023, with ongoing upgrades.
‘Canvas is responsive to the needs of students and staff, and aligned with QUT’s strategic learning and teaching objectives.’
University staff say benefits of a switch to Canvas could include a more consistent and intuitive user experience, enhanced digital capacity to support academics, improved functionality, and better analytics.
Student feedback throughout the development has helped inform the templates being used for unit site development.
Outgoing QUT Student Guild President Oscar Davison said the Guild have been working with QUT on this project all year, and helped develop and design the system.
The Disability Collective has also had a significant role in providing feedback to the project to improve accessibility and create a better overall experience for students.
The University has confirmed training for the new platform will be open in January for the wider student community.
A communication campaign will be launched soon, including a short online training module to help students navigate their sites before their study periods commence.
More to come.
