What is an LMS? A learning management system (LMS) is a web-based platform used by faculty and staff to share and manage course content, administer assessments, and communicate with students who are enrolled in a course. EKU has used Blackboard for over 15 years.
Why change the LMS?
EKU has been with Blackboard for over 15 years and the needs of students and faculty have evolved during that time. The LMS market has evolved as well with more vendors and options to address the changing needs of how we deliver our courses. Our contract with Blackboard will soon be up for renewal (30 June 2025) and during the next contact cycle, we would be migrating to Blackboard's next generation LMS, Blackboard Ultra. We have decided to start early to review Ultra and competitors so we have a migration space to ease the transition.
If we change, when will this occur? If we stay with Blackboard, or choose another LMS, we will begin course transitions as early as January 2024.
Will tools like Safe Assign, Respondus, etc. be evaluated as well? We don't want to give up what we already have with Blackboard Learn, but this is an opportune time to evaluate other LMS provider's tools to see if there are better options and also determine how third-party tools like Safe Assign or Respondus will function within other LMS platforms.
What type of support can faculty and students expect during the transition? User support and training will be part of any LM contract going forward. IT and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and IDC will also provide LMS resources and training materials to support a smooth transition.
How can I provide input and feedback? Faculty and students will be invited to share input and feedback through multiple methods during the evaluation process. Sandboxes of each LMS will be available. Each LMS provider will host demonstrations of their platform. And faculty and students will be able to complete feedback surveys on each platform.
How will course migration to a new platform be handled? As part of their contractual services, each vendor will provide a migration tool to move courses from Blackboard Learn to the new platform. Once a LMS provider has been decided, support will be provided to assist faculty with course migration.
What is the desired outcome of the LMS review process? The goal of the LMS review process is to select the LMS platform that best meets the teaching and learning, administrative, and technical needs across all EKU campuses. This means we may stay with Blackboard, or it may mean we transition to a different LMS that will support the university today and beyond.
Which LMS platforms are being reviewed? (1) Blackboard Ultra by Anthology (2) Brightspace by D2L and (3) Canvas by Instructure
Who is conducting the LMS review process? A systemwide LMS review team has been selected to participate in the review process. However, all stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate in vendor demonstrations, sandboxes, and platform formal evaluations.
Will there be a "sandbox" instance available for the LMS platforms under review? Members of the systemwide LMS Review Team, and individuals who are interested in conducting a formal evaluation of the functionality of any of the LMS review platforms will have access to a sandbox instance as part of the formal evaluation process. The LMS Review Committee will provide evaluation rubrics in the future.
How long will the LMS review process last? The LMS review process will take place between December 2022 and December 2023. The LMS Review Committee will submit a report to the EKU provost. The report will be informed by data from the evaluations related to functionality, technical, and learning innovation of each product.
Who will ultimately decide if EKU will move to a new LMS? The final decision to enter into a contract with a new LMS provider (or renew our contract with Blackboard) will be made by the provost.
If the decision is made to move to a different LMS, what would be the implementation schedule? The LMS Review Timeline will be updated as the process evolves, and as decisions are finalized.
Who can I contact with questions about the LMS Review process? If you have additional questions about the LMS Review process, please contact Lisa Moore.