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The Learning Management System (LMS) is not only a crucial tool for the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) but also a cornerstone of educational institutions. It serves as the backbone of academic operations, enabling seamless coordination and delivery of courses across disciplines and programs.
Through content management, assessment creation, and student engagement, the LMS empowers faculty to design dynamic learning experiences tailored to individual learners. Additionally, it fosters collaboration and community-building among students, facilitating discussion forums, group projects, and peer-to-peer interactions essential for holistic learning outcomes.
Background and goal
The goal of the Learning Management System (LMS) initiative is to optimize the educational experience within our university. The LMS serves as a centralized platform that facilitates the delivery of courses, the management of educational resources, and communication between faculty members and students.
Transition to the cloud
In 2020, UFV’s Learning Management System transitioned to the cloud.
In 2022, UFV adopted Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation, introducing a new navigation experience within the Blackboard environment. However, the courses remained in their original environment.
Planned upgrade to Ultra courses
As a final step, all courses were slated for an upgrade to Ultra courses in the summer of 2023. This transition would have meant migrating all courses to a new course environment.
After careful consideration, it was determined that the effort required for course migration and faculty training would be equivalent to moving to an entirely new LMS.
Review of the LMS
Given the rapid pace of technological change, we recognized this as an opportune moment to conduct an LMS review, the first since 2009.
The LMS review was approved by the Educational Technology Governance Committee (ETGC) in February 2023 with the project timeline.
Focus group feedback
The first phase of the project consisted of requirements gathering. This phase involved collecting criteria through feedback from focus groups, which included both faculty and students, and was completed in 2023.
24
faculty members
from 7 schools
20
students
from 5 schools
Who is involved?
ITS
TLC
Faculty & students
Maximized support for excellence and innovation in Teaching & Learning
Information Technology Services (ITS): focuses on the technical aspects of the LMS, such as maintaining the infrastructure, ensuring system security, and providing technical support.
Teaching and Learning (TLC): focuses on the pedagogical aspects of the LMS, including course design, educational resources, and support for teaching methods.
Faculty & Students: are the end-users of the LMS, including professors, instructors, and students. Their needs include user-friendly interfaces, accessible content, and reliable communication tools.
Outcome: the collaboration between the two departments aims to provide comprehensive and optimized support for the LMS initiative, addressing both technical and educational needs and ensuring a smooth user experience for faculty and students.
Our commitment to success
Information Technology Services (ITS) and Teaching and Learning (TLC) are fully committed to the successful migration of all courses and the effective adoption and utilization of Brightspace.
All the courses will be migrated over to Brightspace by the project team in collaboration with the instructors and TLC. After the migration, we kindly ask instructors to do a quick review and minor cleanup of their courses to ensure everything is in order before making them available to students. Our team will provide guidance and support to help with this process.
Recognizing that each faculty member may have unique needs and concerns, one-on-one support is always available — now, during the migration, and after the migration.
Connect with asktlc@ufv.ca for personalized help with Brightspace.
Questions?
Get in touch
Stay up to date
Bookmark this page and check in regularly to learn about the latest developments. Here, you can track the progress of the project and stay informed about any updates or changes.
Contact us
Do you have questions or wish to provide feedback on the project? Email us at LMSreviewteam@ufv.ca. We value your input and are here to assist you throughout the process.