Pilot Test: Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)

• Summer 2015—Fall 2016: The technical setup for Canvas took place and trainers were trained. Training is being led and conducted by iLearn staff.
  
  
• Fall 2016: 10 courses taught by 10 instructors, 407 students impacted
  
  
• Spring 2017: 52 courses taught by 26 instructors, 1,396 students impacted
  
  
• Fall 2017: 171 courses taught by 83 instructors, 5,503 students impacted
  
  
• Spring 2018: All faculty members who are interested will have the opportunity to test Canvas. Deadline to register is December 1.
  
  
• Spring and Summer 2018: Pilot testing ends and a decision on whether to make Canvas the new university-supported LMS will be announced.
  
  

Through pilot testing, the university is gathering data from faculty and students regarding the following key features that are considered crucial:

• Has a user experience that provides ease of use, a clean design, and a low learning curve for faculty and students.
• Works with common web-based standards that make it adaptable, flexible, and functional within a wide variety of commonly used web browsers and mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets.
• Uses the open standard known as Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) that makes the LMS work well with other third-party learning tools such as Mediasite, YouTube, and many more. This ability to easily integrate makes an LMS more robust and quickly adaptable for future needs.
• Has Application Program Interface (API) availability which would allow Ball State to more easily add a customizable interface and provide additional functionality needed or requested for our faculty and staff.
• Adheres to Americans with Disability (ADA) standards.
• Provides a stable environment with uninterrupted service and very few downtimes.

As part of the pilot testing, iLearn is working closely with faculty and students to gather feedback regarding their experiences with Canvas as they taught main-campus, online, distance, and blended-learning courses. 

Early Results

Fall 2016

Based on the data from the small group of faculty and students in fall 2016:

• Faculty reported a higher overall usefulness and utility of the LMS for teaching with Canvas over Blackboard.
• Students reported no statistical difference on the impact of their learning experiences with Canvas and Blackboard.

Download the full report regarding the fall 2016 pilot. 

Spring 2017 and Fall 2017

Data from these semesters will be available late in fall 2017 and posted here. 

Faculty Participants

The following faculty have been involved in early pilot tests.

Fall 2017

More than 80 faculty have participated in fall 2017 testing. View the full list.

Spring 2017

Fall 2016

The following tools have already been integrated into Ball State’s test environment for Canvas:

• ALEKS
• Banner
• Box
• Grade posting is integrated with the Ball State Registrar’s Office
• iClickers
• McGraw Hill
• Mediasite
• Pearson
• SmartProctoring
• Technology HelpDesk Support