Memorandum

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Sessional Lecturer, Department of English Language and Literatures, University of British Columbia
From: Cody Gagnon, ENGL 301 98A Student CG
Date: July 10, 2020
Subject: Progress Report

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to recommend improvements to or replacement of Canvas, the University of British Columbia’s Learning Management System (LMS), to enhance teaching and learning experiences in remote contexts.

Audience

This report would be addressed to the User Committee or the Innovation Committee within UBC’s Learning Technology Hub, depending upon the specific recommendations made. If this report recommends improvements to Canvas, then the appropriate audience would be the User Committee; however, if this report recommends that Canvas be replaced with a new LMS, then the appropriate audience would be the Innovation Committee.

Current members of the User Committee include Joseph Anthony, Florian Gassner, Kayli Johnson, Suzie Lavallee, Neil Leveridge, Cyprien Lomas, Tim Silk, Ray Taheri, and Qian Wang.

Current members of the Innovation Committee include Natasha Boskic, Loch Brown, Gregory duManoir, Jon Festinger, Jerome Goddard, Claudia Krebs, Jason Lieblang, Marianne Schroeder, and Tiffany Timbers.

Significance

The User Committee recommends user experience improvements and the Innovation Committee recommends the adoption of new learning technologies. Both committees provide their recommendations to the Learning Technology Hub Leadership. Moreover, both committees exist to ensure that faculty and students have the right tools to create the best possible teaching and learning experiences. With the recent and sudden shift to remote online learning, these committees must ensure that the tools employed by UBC continue to meet the needs of faculty members and students. This report will provide information that is highly relevant to these committees.

Research Plan

• Distribute survey (attached) to UBC faculty members and students.
• Analyze survey results.
• Review scholarly journal articles on best practices for remote teaching and learning.
• Investigate strengths of Learning Management Systems used by other leading universities.

Writing Schedule

• Create a survey for UBC faculty members and students – Complete
• Distribute the survey to UBC faculty members and students – Friday, July 17
• Review scholarly journal articles on best practices for remote teaching and learning – Saturday, July 18
• Investigate strengths of Learning Management Systems used by other leading universities – Sunday, July 19
• Analyze survey results – Friday, July 24
• Submit a formal report draft – Saturday, August 1
• Submit a review of a peer’s formal report draft – Friday, August 7
• Submit the formal report – Monday, August 17

Thank you in advance for reviewing this document. I look forward to your feedback.

Encl. Survey for current UBC faculty members and students