Preparing for Learning Management System Disruptions

In the event of an extended learning management system (LMS) disruption, instructors should have an alternative plan in place for continuing course activities until access has been restored. As part of the university’s continuity plan, the following recommendations can assist in reducing instructional disruption if an outage occurs.

Consider what class activities may be affected by course downtime and how this information can be provided to students while access to the LMS is being restored. Consider access to course content, exams, web conferencing/synchronous meetings, assignment submissions, etc.

To stay current on the LMS status:

 

Backup Communication Plan for Course Technology Issues

Add a plan for LMS disruption to your course syllabus. Include expectations for communication, class meetings, assignments, and tests/quizzes while the LMS is down.

Establish backup communication methods in advance. Let students know that they should regularly check their UIC email for updates and how they can contact you outside of the LMS.

Be prepared to contact your students via email.

  • Prepare a template message for outages that you can send as needed.
  • Use Banner email to contact students. Refer to these instructions if needed: Banner Faculty Self-Service – How do I Email my class? What if I have a Problem/Question?
  • Access student email addresses from Blackboard: Go to the Gradebook and use the Download option to export a CSV file containing student email addresses.
  • Access student email addresses from Canvas: Go to Settings and then Navigation. Enable Course Analytics. Select the Students tab. Click the download icon in the right corner of the page. This will download a CSV file containing student email addresses.

Include Course Continuity Information in Your Syllabus, Course Site, and Announcements

Faculty may add the following language to a syllabus: ‘Start Here’ module, course orientation page, or beginning-of-term announcement so students know what to expect before a disruption occurs.

Prepare Access to Course Materials Outside the LMS

An important part of preparing for a temporary LMS disruption is ensuring students can still access essential course materials. While instructors do not need to duplicate their entire course outside the LMS, identifying how students would access key materials during a disruption can help reduce confusion and support instructional continuity.

Before a disruption occurs, consider what materials students would need immediate access to and how those materials could be shared temporarily using university-supported tools.

Maintain Backups of Important Course Materials

Maintain local or cloud-based backups of instructional materials, including:

  • Syllabi
  • Readings
  • Lecture Slides
  • Videos or Recorded Lectures
  • Assignment Instructions
  • Due Dates
  • Grading Rubrics
  • Discussion Prompts
  • Other Content Critical to Grading and Participation

If you don’t have course materials saved on a local computer, you can download files at once from a learning management system course.

Methods for Sharing Course Content

Identify UIC-supported tools you could use to temporarily share course materials during a disruption, such as:

Accessing Panopto Recordings During an LMS Outage

If the LMS becomes unavailable, course recordings may still be accessible through Panopto. Instructors can help students locate recordings by directing them to:

  • Browse > My Folders in Panopto
  • Or by sharing a direct share link to the course recording folder

This guide explains how to share a Panopto folder using permissions and shareable links: How to Share a Folder

Accessing Zoom Outside the LMS

If Canvas is unavailable, you can still access your scheduled Zoom meetings by logging in directly to UIC Zoom with your UIC credentials. After signing in, select Meetings from the left navigation menu to view your upcoming sessions and meeting links. UIC Zoom

Prepare Alternative Assignment Collection Methods

Before a disruption occurs, determine how you would temporarily collect student work if LMS assignment submission tools become unavailable. Create a “Plan B” for collecting student work.

Alternative submission methods may include:

When selecting an alternative assignment collection method, instructors should consider student privacy, file access, and ease of use. Students should receive clear instructions that explain what to submit, where to submit it, acceptable file formats, file naming expectations, and any revised deadlines.

For assignments that require file uploads, instructors may consider preparing an upload-only folder in advance inside Box, Google Drive, Google Forms, One Drive. This helps ensure that students can submit their own work without viewing or downloading other students’ submissions.

Adjust Assessments

If quizzes, exams, or other assessments cannot be completed in Canvas or another LMS tool, instructors may need to adjust the assessment plan temporarily. The goal is to preserve instructional continuity while maintaining fairness, accessibility, and academic integrity.

In most cases, the simplest option is to delay the assessment or extend the deadline until LMS access is restored.

Depending on the situation, instructors may also consider:

  • Extending the assessment window if students could not access or complete the assessment.
  • Delaying the quiz or exam until the LMS is available again.
  • Using an open-book or take-home assessment if it fits the course goals.
  • Replacing the assessment with another assignment or project that measures the same learning objectives.
  • Holding the assessment in-person if that is feasible.
  • Using a computer lab or approved campus testing space if a supervised testing option is needed.
  • Using an oral presentation, discussion, brief conference, or Zoom-based assessment if students can demonstrate learning in that format.

Faculty who are considering in-person, computer-lab, or proctored testing should review the UIC Office of Testing Services policies before changing the assessment format.

Instructors do not need to redesign every assessment in advance. However, they should identify which assessments could be delayed, extended, or shifted to an alternate format if necessary.

Additional Considerations

If an assessment is affected by the disruption, instructors may also need to:

  • Adjust due dates or availability windows (i.e. extend deadlines)
  • Modify the assessment format
  • Provide alternate arrangements for impacted students
  • Review accommodation needs for students with approved testing accommodations. Instructors should consult UIC DRC Testing policies when assessment changes may affect accommodations.
  • Communicate updated expectations clearly through the approved backup communication method. UIC email is recommended.
  • Document any changes made during the disruption.
  • Issue incompletes only when appropriate and consistent with academic policy.

Suggested Faculty Guidance

Faculty should avoid creating rushed or inconsistent workarounds for major assignments or exams. In most cases, the preferred approach is to pause, delay, or extend the assessment rather than move quickly to a process unfamiliar to students.

When changing an assessment, instructors should consider whether the temporary option still gives students a fair and accessible way to demonstrate the intended learning objectives.

Backup Grades and Course Data

Grades, student submissions, and assessment data are important course records that may be more difficult to access during a temporary LMS disruption. Regularly exporting grade data and maintaining copies of important assessments and submissions can help support continuity in grading and course management if access to the LMS is interrupted.

Faculty should consider maintaining temporary records outside of the LMS during an outage, including:

  • assignment submissions
  •  grades and grading notes
  •  feedback provided to students
  •  attendance or participation records
  •  quiz, exam, or assessment completion data

The links below provide step-by-step guides for downloading or exporting student submissions and grades from LMSs.

Recommended backup and storage options are UIC-supported storage tools, including:

  • Excel spreadsheets
  • Box
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive

Protect Access to Backup Files and Records

When storing grades, submissions, or other course records outside of the LMS, ensure that access is limited to authorized faculty and teaching assistants only. Review sharing and permission settings before storing student-related information in UIC-supported shared storage tools.

Additional information on limiting access to shared storage:

Once LMS access has been restored, temporary records and grading information can be transferred back into the LMS as appropriate.

Temporary LMS disruptions can affect access to course materials, communication, assignments, and grading activities. Preparing alternative communication methods, maintaining backup copies of important course data, and identifying temporary instructional workflows in advance can help minimize disruption and support continuity for both instructors and students. While outages are typically resolved as quickly as possible, advance preparation can help ensure that teaching and learning activities continue with minimal interruption.

What To Do When There's an LMS Service Disruption?