Exciting LMS Update: Here Are The Results of Our Survey!
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We want to complete this groundwork over the summer and move course content into the new LMS by early fall. And once courses are migrated, we’ll implement a year-long transition plan for all classes, involving collaborative efforts, course updates, workshops, and training for faculty and students.
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We have some exciting news to share!
After a thorough evaluation of various Learning Management Systems (LMS), and campus visits from both Anthology (Blackboard Ultra) and Instructure (Canvas) to hype their products, we are pleased to announce the results of our campus-wide survey. A final decision depends on a lot of things, as you can imagine, so we are still awaiting input from the provost’s office. But the results of the survey showed a clear winner, especially amongst the many students who participated!
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Key Takeaways from the Survey
The survey results show a strong preference for Canvas among different groups. Among staff, Canvas snagged a solid 70% of the votes, while Blackboard Ultra trailed behind with just 30% of the votes. The student responses were even more in favor of Canvas, with 73% votes compared to Blackboard Ultra’s 27% (and far more students voted than any other category). Overall, Canvas came in at 70%, and Blackboard Ultra 30%. Campuswide, across student and faculty populations, Canvas appears to be the go-to platform for academic tech and learning tools among the groups surveyed.
Selecting an LMS
The selection process is detailed and will take multiple factors into account. We carefully analyzed costs and long-term expenses, reviewed both systems, made vendor recommendations for a smooth transition, and reviewed each vendor’s resources and support. Campus leadership has weighed all this information to ensure they make the best choice for your learning experience.
What’s Next?
We are currently in the process of finalizing a contract with each vendor and are excited to wrap this up soon. We will only move forward with the vendor best suited to UIC’s particular needs. Following the contract finalization, we will work collectively to integrate the new LMS into our current digital systems. This includes connecting to our ERP system (Banner) to ensure a smooth exchange of student and course data.
After setting things up, we must conduct thorough testing to ensure your data is secure. We want to complete this groundwork over the summer and move course content into the new LMS by early fall. And once courses are migrated, we’ll implement a year-long transition plan for all classes, involving collaborative efforts, course updates, workshops, and training for faculty and students. Supporting everyone during this transition is a top priority.
Given our limited resources, we will need to be creative in our approach. We will kick things off with town hall meetings for both the east and west campuses to hear people’s concerns and provide updates through our newsletters and websites. To aid in this transition, the LTS team will hire instructional designers and graduate and teaching assistants.
What Does This Mean For You?
A transition like this is obviously a big deal. And it will take some getting used to. But, as the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So we will also introduce essential tools you are already familiar with, such as Panopto, Echo 360, Acadly, iClicker, ExamSoft, and more. Our goal is to build or modify applications that enhance your learning experience. Furthermore, we are exploring new software solutions and want to ensure all course content is accessible and meets your needs. We are reviewing some promising new applications to assist with this.
You may be seeing courses in the new LMS by the summer of 2026!. Plans can always change, of course, but we are committed to providing you with the support and resources needed to embrace this new platform confidently.