To: Dr. Erika Paterson
From: Cody Gagnon
Date: June 19, 2020
Subject: Improving UBC’s Learning Management System for Remote Learning
Introduction
On June 8, 2017, the University of British Columbia (UBC) announced that Canvas had been selected as the university’s new Learning Management System (LMS). Although Canvas is an undoubted improvement upon Connect (the LMS previously used by UBC) the flaws and failings of Canvas are increasingly clear in today’s remote learning context. Canvas often fails to meet the needs of professors and students. As a result, many courses taught at UBC must depend on external software applications, such as Piazza, edX, Facebook, Gradescope, Slack, and Zoom. The need to master so many tools may impede professors in designing and delivering lessons and detract from the learning experience had by students. In a world that is increasingly dependent upon online learning tools, the quality of a university’s learning management system is paramount.
Statement of Problem
Many courses taught at the University of British Columbia are dependent upon external software applications, because Canvas, the university’s Learning Management System, fails to meet the needs of professors and students. The tools most commonly used to supplement Canvas (such as Piazza, Facebook, Slack, and Zoom) focus on communication. Other tools often used to supplement Canvas (such as Handback and Gradescope) focus on grading and the delivery of critical feedback. Therefore, communication and grading are two principal areas for improvement to Canvas.
Proposed Solution
The University of British Columbia should conduct a survey to better understand the needs of stakeholders and to establish which features of Canvas should be improved. In addition, competing Learning Management Systems and their available features should be researched. Similarly, research into the strengths of tools used to supplement Canvas should also be conducted. Finally, experts in user experience and user interface design should prototype a new LMS and conduct observational studies, interviews, and other forms of user testing to determine how best to implement new features and functionalities. Alternatively, if a competing LMS is found to meet the needs of professors and students, then it should be adopted by UBC as a replacement for Canvas.
Scope
To assess the needs of professors and students and to establish which features of Canvas are most in need of improvement, I plan to pursue 7 areas of inquiry:
- How satisfied with Canvas are professors and students?
- How much demand currently exists for improvements to Canvas?
- What features of Canvas are least satisfactory for professors and students?
- What features of Canvas are most satisfactory for professors and students?
- What digital tools are most crucial in remote learning contexts?
- What external software applications are currently being used to supplement Canvas and what are their strengths?
- What are the strengths of Learning Management Systems used by other universities and colleges?
Methods
I will conduct primary research by surveying and interviewing undergraduate students and professors at UBC. I will also research secondary sources, such as online publications, company websites, and scholarly journal articles on remote learning and teaching pedagogy.
My Qualifications
As a software developer and fourth-year computer science student, I have studied Human-Computer Interaction and I have experience with the software design and development process. I have worked with several teams to build web applications and I am currently working with a team of graduate students at the Centre for Digital Media to design an educational mobile application. In addition, I am currently working as a software developer with UBC’s Department of Psychology to develop an online educational tool. As a former professor, I have formal training in pedagogy and years of experience in teaching. I have used several Learning Management Systems as a student and, as a professor, I have used an LMS to design and deliver lessons and assessments. I believe that my experience affords me with valuable insight into improving UBC’s Learning Management System for remote learning.
Conclusion
Online education has been growing in popularity for years and remote learning has recently become the only safe alternative to large, in-person gatherings available to post-secondary institutions. A large majority of courses taught at UBC during the upcoming academic year will be taught online. In the post-pandemic future, we may see more courses taught online despite a return to university classrooms and lecture halls. Given that many courses at UBC must depend on external software applications to supplement Canvas, it is clear that Canvas does not meet the needs of professors and students. Demand for remote learning tools is rapidly rising and UBC must adapt to meet the changing needs of its stakeholders. With your approval, I will begin research into how UBC should improve its Learning Management System for remote learning.
Hello Cody,
Thank you for posting this proposal. My first question is – who is your reader(s)? As a longtime online professor who designed three online courses – I agree with you that both Connect and Canvas fall short of my needs, especially when it comes to interaction and engagement among students and between myself and students (which is why I use UBC blogs).I am a little unclear as to what your proposal will provide other than primary data on how teachers feel about using Canvas. Can you be a little clearer about the proposed solution? Thank you, Erika
Hello Professor Paterson,
Thank you for your comments and questions. In answer to your first question, my intended readers are administrative staff at UBC who have the authority to implement changes to the university’s Learning Management System. In answer to your second question, my formal report will provide the following:
1) Recommendations for improvements to existing features of Canvas. For example, the “Chat” feature might be improved.
2) Recommendations for new features that could be added to Canvas.
3) Rationale explaining why existing features should be improved and new features should be added.
The recommendations and rationale will be supported by the following:
1) Primary data collected from UBC professors.
2) Primary data collected from UBC students.
3) Secondary research gathered from scholarly journal articles on best practices for online and remote teaching and learning.
4) Secondary research gathered from company websites on Learning Management Systems used by other leading universities.
Does this clarify my proposed research report? Please let me know if I can clarify anything further.
Thank you,
Cody Gagnon
Hi Cody – thanks for clarifying for me – excellent.