Canvas Learning Management System usage increases in Fall Semester

The start of the fall semester proved to be an enormous milestone in the Canvas implementation project at Ohio University.

As of mid-September 2024, of the OHIO courses active in a learning management system (LMS), 83% are utilizing Canvas, OHIO’s preferred LMS. In addition, 3,498 course sections have been published in Canvas, compared to 720 course sections published in Blackboard.

Seven colleges are fully utilizing Canvas as their LMS for all college courses. Remaining colleges and programs will migrate their courses to Canvas over the next few semesters. Blackboard will remain available for faculty to access their previous files and data through the fall 2025 semester.

Instructors can share their Canvas questions with the Office of Information Technology via the LMS Questions form. This form is continually monitored to answer faculty questions and to enhance the FAQ portion of the Canvas website. Additionally, both instructors and students can submit their ideas for improvement to Canvas directly.

Students react to Canvas 

During the first week of classes, University employees attempted to survey as many students as possible in person across all OHIO campuses. Of the 742 students surveyed, 99% knew the key details of our transition to Canvas and 89% indicated they felt good about the transition.

Comments from OHIO students have included:

• “I love the confetti that appears whenever I submit an assignment. It's so fun!”
• “This is my first time using Canvas and it’s been easy to get used to.”
• “It’s so much more visually appealing than Blackboard. It’s easier to navigate.”

Student feedback is crucial to our improvement efforts as the University migrates to Canvas in a phased approach. As OHIO instructors use Canvas for their courses, they are encouraged to share their experiences and suggestions, whether they are positive or negative. Students can use the anonymous Canvas student feedback form at any time to provide feedback. Ohio University is eager to hear from students, faculty and staff and make necessary adjustments based on the input.