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Department of Information Technology
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Canvas LMS Pilot

Seton Hall University has been using Blackboard as its LMS since 2000. In its continuous effort to deliver a flexible, reliable and inclusive learning environment, the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center established a Learning Management System (LMS) review committee, comprised of key stakeholders and representatives from across the institution, to investigate both the University’s needs against the available technology and to recommend a solution that works best for Seton Hall.  

Using the criteria below, the LMS Committee evaluated Blackboard Ultra, Desire 2 Learn and Canvas. 

  • Pedagogical: providing the tools needed for faculty and students. 
  • Technology Management: system architecture, scalability, security, development, quality assurance, etc. 
  • Organizational Administration: policy issues (academic, operational), data retention, user support, training, etc. 
  • Cost: hardware, software, lifecycle, operations and maintenance, staff, etc. 

Fall 2022 Canvas Pilot 

Following the committee's review and recommendations, the TLTC launched a Canvas pilot program in the Fall 2022 semester. The pilot included fifteen faculty and 327 student participants, and consisted of a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate courses representing a variety of schools and academic units across campus. The University’s decision to replace Blackboard Learn with Canvas was based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from participants. 

 Feedback from Faculty:  

  • “I think it's a really intuitive program and incredibly easy to use. Love the 'Speed Grader' function and the attendance function as well.”  

  • “Canvas is user-friendly and very easy to navigate. My planning of Modules and recorded lectures was seamless and stress-free. I especially appreciated the one-step button which allowed me to improve the visual accessibility for students.”   

  • “Canvas is very intuitive. So much easier to set up the gradebook and enter grades. Canvas is easy to use. I love the way we can copy an existing course. It is very easy. The announcements and modules are much easier to set up. The view is clear for students. Everything is so much easier.”  

Feedback from Students:   

  • “When using Canvas, I enjoyed the way in which it broke down each module/week. This system presented itself in a very organized way which was nice to navigate.”  

  • “I liked the way the Modules were set up for each week and you could see how all the material was posted and what the expectations were for each week all on one screen. This way you did not have to keep clicking in and out of screens to find what you were looking for.”  

  • “I liked the interface, it seemed much more intuitive. I also like the Modules tab that gave you a comprehensive view of the semester broken down by unit. I also liked the course summary tab at the beginning of the course page.”