Courtesy | Sean Callaghan
Hillsdale College has adopted Instructure Canvas as its new learning management system, replacing Blackboard. The change took effect shortly before the fall 2021 term.
“It was time to look at the learning management systems on the market and select the best fit for Hillsdale College,” IT applications manager Heidi Bergerhoff and academic application analyst Mike Brinkmann said in a joint statement.
A learning management system is a software application that provides students with the digital framework to manage their education.
“Canvas is a much more modern, streamlined learning management system compared to Blackboard Learn both in terms of features and appearance,” Bergerhoff and Brinkman said.
Junior Griffin Johnston said she believes Canvas is superior to Blackboard.
“Because of Blackboard I almost failed—granted it was Physical Wellness,” she said. “I wouldn’t get notifications about new assignments so I wouldn’t do them on time.”
“I love Canvas so far,” sophomore Alydia Ullman agreed.
Peter Blum, professor of philosophy and culture and director of sociology and social thought, and a member of the task force that recommended Canvas to the administration, also expressed his satisfaction with the switch.
“I’m very happy with the choice, and I was struck by the student input we received that indicated they found Canvas very intuitive and user-friendly,” he said. “My students this semester, most of them freshmen, seem to be navigating the system just fine. I like the way it provides a lot of flexibility for faculty, but within a structure that allows students a consistent general feel across multiple courses.”
Before choosing Canvas, the task force considered multiple alternatives, interacted with vendors, and gathered input from faculty, students, and staff.
“From that feedback, Brightspace and Canvas were selected as semi-finalists,” according to Bergerhoff and Brinkman.
The committee then recommended Canvas to the provost’s office, which ultimately made the final decision to accept the new system.
While many professors use digital tools to post readings, make assignments, and communicate with students, some prefer to limit their use of such digital platforms or decline to use them altogether.
“It is not appealing to me because I already feel oppressed by the amount of information and communication I’m sent online,” Associate Professor of English Dwight Lindley said. “I became a professor because I wanted to deal with people. And texts—but not chat texts.”
Sophomore Margaret Potter said she finds the new platform’s layout cleaner and easier to navigate, though she still has some concerns about the switch.
“Canvas can stress me out more because professors have been posting my grades more quickly,” she said. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
