Published: 2018-10-01 01:08 |
Category: Comment | Tags: canvas lms, changes, digital instruction, lms, online, teaching, transition
Source: The role of the faculty in the post-LMS world (opinion)
I don't work at a university, but we're in the process of moving teachers into using Canvas in our district, so this resonates. I see two groups of people:
- those who already had material online and are struggling to work backwards (essentially) to fit items into Canvas.
- those who have nothing online and are struggling to make sense of what works well digitally and what doesn't.
The LMS is a weird stepping stone. I've had materials online for years, so I don't like the constriction an LMS brings to what I've done in the past, but I _do_ appreciate the streamlined data I can grab from the system (I need to write more on using Outcomes in Canvas later...)
For the second group, it's a great intermediate step and I'm already seeing people look for more online on their own. They want to push the system now that they understand it more. They're seeing the benefit if using the Internet as a whole and not limiting their courses to the flow in Canvas.
Striking the balance between structure and variety is difficult. I'm not sure the LMS will ever completely go away, but I can see the influence waning as skills develop and alternatives becoming more accessible to teachers.