SynaptiBlog #001 | What matters when implementing Learning Management Systems?

What matters when implementing new Learning Management Systems?

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Brandon Carver (BC): By way of introduction, according to her SynapticPub.com bio, Mrs. Sarah Roy has been a teacher at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, CT since 2013. In the 2018-2019 academic year, she was named Educator of the Year for her efforts in the classroom as well as her extensive work with the Technology and Innovation Committee.

BC: Hey Sarah! I’m really eager to hear more about your T&I leadership at Holy Cross. Aside from being a timely conversation, I’ve led similar efforts for non-profits before so I know how difficult and slow-moving these transitions can be. That being said, let’s jump in:

“Part of an ‘underground movement’...”

BC: What events or issues sparked LMS change at Holy Cross (HC)?

Sarah Roy (SR): A colleague in my department was using Instructure's Canvas... she and I decided to start getting our students used to the system because that’s what they would be using in college. Ever since, some of my colleagues and I have been part of an underground movement in our school to adopt Canvas as our primary Learning Management System (LMS).

BC: What events or issues impeded LMS change?

SR: For several years, there was pushback from people in my school who wanted to continue using older systems because that’s what they were comfortable using. We even had an “upgrade” from a system called Edline to PlusPortals, but both were only student information systems (SIS) and didn’t promote student experience.

“[Try] to be as objective as possible...”

BC: What systems made your LMS “shortlist?”

SR: We tried to be as objective as possible when evaluating the various LMSs out there, but we mainly had Canvas and Schoology on our shortlist. Most of us had used Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, etc. at some point in our academic careers, so we had a lot of background and experience with various LMS.

BC: Were there specific requirements or constraints informed by the selection?

SR: We wanted to make sure that we moved from SIS-only to an LMS that allowed us to have a give and take with students. Canvas allowed me to post assignments, receive student work, and grade that work all in one place.

BC: Which LMS best fit HC’s needs?

SR: Canvas was, by far, the best LMS that we evaluated. It outperformed all other LMS in terms of efficiency, aesthetics, usability, and overall performance. Beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year, we will be using Canvas exclusively.

BC: What surprised you about the LMS selection process?

SR: During the selection process, we were told that we could have about a dozen free accounts with access to the full complement of features on Canvas so that we could run a pilot program. We had a year of access to this program and many faculty members took advantage of it. If not for that, I’m not sure that the selection process would have gone so smoothly.

“Most of us on the Technology and Innovation Committee can now be described as Canvas gurus.”

BC: Let’s talk about the student experience. Increasingly, students are “digital natives.” Given their fluency with digital systems, students tend to do well with technology adoption and integration. Despite their digital fluency, students tend to do less well with sudden change.

BC: How did HC students respond to LMS adoption?

SR: Overall, I think most of our student body was ready for the online, asynchronous learning that occurred due to COVID-19. This past year, we initiated a pilot program with any teachers who felt like they wanted to take on the challenge of incorporating the LMS into their course, and we had about a dozen teachers sign on to the program. Because of this proactive approach at the very beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year, most students had some Canvas exposure and were ready for the extended online learning.

BC: In what ways does HC leverage its learning management system (features, functions, integrations, etc.) to enhance student learning?

SR: Most of us on the Technology and Innovation Committee can now be described as Canvas gurus. We started exploring all of the features of Canvas immediately and teaching each other about the incredible things we were doing with our students. I’ve been using the quiz and assignment features for all of my assignments and tests since I’ve gone paperless. It’s so easy to track who has submitted work, who is missing assignments, and what needs to be graded. It’s helped keep everyone—students and teachers—accountable for their work and getting things submitted or graded in a timely manner.

One of my colleagues in the English department uses TurnItIn—plagiarism software that integrates with Canvas—for all of his assignments. We all use YouTube integration to show students quick videos right in the assignment. Most of our students use Google Suite to complete their work and notes, and Canvas integrates seamlessly with Google. The calendar feature on Canvas helps keep students and teachers updated on due dates. I believe that all of the features offered by this LMS help me to be a better, more present teacher, and students to be better, more aware learners.

"What helped immensely was the support from our administration this year..."

BC: At the risk of sounding very “Okay, Boomer,” I know that tech adoption can be overwhelming for senior faculty that aren’t digital natives. Given that reality, did you encounter any teacher push-back?

SR: We did have some teachers that initially struggled with the idea of online learning, as opposed to traditional brick-and-mortar style education. However, some of our most enthusiastic learners were those senior faculty. Once they came to terms with the new reality, they jumped right in and were excited about the new possibilities.

BC: How did the T&I team maintain faculty buy-in?

SR: What helped immensely was the support from our administration this year in making the decision to adopt Canvas school-wide instead of just as a continued disconnected pilot program. We also had so many opportunities for professional development the last two years that it wasn’t really a shock that we were moving in this direction.

The Technology and Innovation Committee made it known that we were available to teachers at any time if they were struggling with the LMS. We had a lot of weekend, night-time, and early morning conversations with teachers about how to better interact with the LMS, and I think they were appreciative of our time and availability. That also helped with buy-in.

"Having the type of leadership that is willing to take on new challenges and is willing to fail is critical.”

BC: Putting on your “Technology and Innovation Committee” hat, what advice do you have for Tech Committees or Tech Officers trying to ensure that all stakeholders (faculty, students, family, etc.) can confidently use content management systems?

SR: I think the more exposure all parties have to the LMS, the less terrifying it’ll be when the school moves toward adopting it. We didn’t jump right into Canvas adoption—though I would have loved to do that! An LMS like Canvas is so user-friendly that casual play with it and making random mistakes actually teaches the user pretty quickly how best to interact with the LMS. Offering quick presentations about the power of the LMS and how much simpler it could make the day-to-day “drudgery” of teaching is a great selling point.

"The first day of quarantine, we hit the ground running and had very few issues with teachers and students."

BC: Any final thoughts for decision-makers wondering where to start their CMS or LMS or tech transitions?

SR: Having the type of leadership that is willing to take on new challenges and is willing to fail is critical. We had so many ups and downs leading into this year of piloting an LMS, but we were certainly better for it once quarantine started and we didn’t have time to fully prepare everyone… The first day of quarantine, we hit the ground running and had very few issues with teachers and students. We accomplished this because we had plans in place and several years of LMS experience to call on.

BC: These are great insights, Sarah! Teachers who want to start their underground LMS movement or instructional leaders and innovation committees looking to be more supportive of ongoing digital transformations could learn a lot from you.

SR: Sure! Connect with me through SynapticPub.