Instructure Canvas pilots at KSC
From Jenny Darrow, CELT:
Keene State College is piloting the Instructure Canvas learning management system this spring with faculty from the Academic Technology Steering Committee (ATSC) and volunteers from Integrative Quantitative Literacy (IQL). The 11 faculty and their 365 students are using Canvas in place of Blackboard and are trying out the suite of tools including Speed Grader, attendance taker, integrated calendaring, and the communication options.
Why pilot an LMS now? Blackboard has been the learning management system at KSC for close to a decade and during that time the LMS industry has evolved dramatically. Given the changes in the educational technology industry and the contract with Blackboard expiring soon, the timing is right to test out a different learning management system.
Full time faculty, adjuncts and teaching staff are all represented in the pilot and will be asked for their feedback along with their students, towards the end of the semester. Input from Academic Technology will also be included in the pilot evaluation.
Faculty in the pilot are:
- Stephen Bismarck (Mathematics and Academic Technology Steering Committee – ATSC)
- Cynthia Cahoon (Nursing – ATSC)
- Celine Perron (Theater and Dance – ATSC)
- Armagan Gezici (Economics – ATSC)
- Jonathan Schwarz (Film – ATSC)
- Jeff Timmer (Physical Education – ATSC)
- Kara Young (Mason Library – ATSC)
- Tamara Stenn (Integrative Quantitative Literacy – IQL)
- Dick Jardine (IQL – Mathematics)
- Kim Schmidl-Gagne (IQL)
- Patrick Lagace (IQL)
- Seif Habib (IQL)
If you’re interested in learning more about Instructure Canvas and would like to see it first hand, contact Jenny Darrow jdarrow@keene.edu for an overview and directions for setting up a free account.
