Category: faculty

Message sent to faculty:

Dear Colleagues:

We are pleased to provide you with this month’s update on the progress of the Canvas implementation.

Canvas Access and Sandbox Courses

The project team anticipates sandbox spaces will be available by late April. These environments allow instructors to experiment with Canvas functionalities, refine their skills, and create engaging materials for future classes. They are separate from course shells that will be created for live courses. Self-paced training opportunities will be available when the sandbox courses are generated. Synchronous training opportunities and support from Canvas Mentor Faculty will be available through the summer and fall.

Course Migrations

In mid-April, faculty will receive an email with a list of pre-selected Blackboard courses that will be migrated to Canvas with the option to choose additional Blackboard courses. These migrated courses will be available in Canvas in early June.

Fall 2024 Courses in Canvas

Faculty may opt-in to Canvas for one or more fall 2024 course(s) later this semester; however, migrated course content will not be available until June. Once available, migrated courses can be copied into your live fall courses.

We encourage the following groups to consider using Canvas this fall:

1. Faculty who are new to Mason
2. Faculty with previous experience teaching in Canvas
3. Faculty developing new courses for fall 2024 and beyond

Blackboard Organizations Retirement

Canvas does not have an equivalent tool to Blackboard Organizations (Bb Orgs). As part of the Canvas implementation, content from Bb Orgs must transition to new locations. The use cases for Bb Orgs are being documented and aligned with other supported technologies; in some cases, Canvas could be the most appropriate solution. The project team will work closely with organization leaders to determine the best tool(s) to transition their activities over the next 12 months.

We encourage you to visit the project website, https://lms.gmu.edu, for project updates, the progress of third-party integrations, timelines, FAQs, and other relevant information. As always, we value your feedback as we refine our Canvas implementation plan. If you have thoughts, please share them at lms@gmu.edu or through your school/college’s Advisory Committee representative (https://lms.gmu.edu/committees/).

Thank you for your continued cooperation and engagement throughout this process.

Charles Kreitzer
Executive Director, Mason Online
Office of the Provost

Joy Taylor
Executive Director, Learning Support Services 
Information Technology Services  

Dear Colleagues:

We are pleased to provide you with a monthly update on the progress of the Canvas implementation. Since our last update, the project team has been diligently working to ensure a smooth transition to Canvas as our primary Learning Management System (LMS) in the following areas:

3rd Party App Integrations
We are integrating more than 70 third-party applications, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2024. These integrations span a variety of categories, including enterprise applications such as Zoom and Poll Everywhere, publisher connections like Pearson, and course media solutions like Kaltura. 

Sandbox Courses 
Sandbox course sites serve as dedicated spaces for practicing with Canvas and developing content for forthcoming courses. Anticipated for availability in late April, these environments are for instructors and administrators to experiment with Canvas functionalities, refine their skills, and create engaging materials for future classes.

Fall 2024 Courses in Canvas
For the upcoming fall 2024 semester, we expect 30-40% of courses offered will be hosted in Canvas. In preparation, we strongly encourage specific groups to transition to Canvas for course delivery, including new-to-Mason faculty, instructors with previous experience teaching in Canvas, and those developing new courses during the summer term.

Feedback and Suggestions
We value your feedback and suggestions as we continue refining our Canvas Implementation. If you have thoughts, please share them at lms.gmu.edu or through your school/college’s Advisory Committee representative (https://lms.gmu.edu/committees/). 

Resources and Support
Updated information and resources, including a migration timeline, frequently asked questions, and ongoing project status updates, are available at lms.gmu.edu. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Canvas Implementation Team at lms@gmu.edu. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support throughout this process.  

Charles Kreitzer 
Executive Director, Online Operations 
Office of the Provost 

Joy Taylor 
Executive Director, Learning Support Services 
Information Technology Services 

Email sent to Mason faculty

Dear Colleagues,

As was announced before Winter Break, George Mason University is moving its Learning Management System (LMS) from Blackboard Learn to Canvas by Fall 2025. We know many of you would like to get started as soon as possible and work is underway to set up Canvas and ensure you can get started on the right foot. 

Because the transition represents a major change for faculty and students, the campus is taking a phased approach to the rollout to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. 

What will the phases look like? 

• Spring 2024 (Foundations): A cross-functional team is working in earnest to learn, deploy, and configure the new system (which includes over 70 different integrations with tools like Kaltura, Zoom, Poll Everywhere, etc.) and to assemble resources for faculty and students. 
• Summer 2024 (Pilot): Through a call for participation sent at the end of last semester, 126 faculty indicated their interest in the pilot. The list of participants selected has been finalized. This group will pilot course(s) in Canvas, providing feedback on the new system, the course migration process, and our support resources.  
• Summer 2024 (Preparations and Course Migrations): Faculty and students will be invited to access live and asynchronous resources and trainings to familiarize themselves with the opportunities that Canvas provides; faculty may choose to have recent or selected courses from their collection migrated from Blackboard into Canvas where they can make final adjustments. Additional information about the course migration strategy will be shared in the coming weeks. 
• Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 (Initial Implementations): Faculty will be encouraged to complete the switch from Blackboard to Canvas for their courses. Support resources will continue to be available for faculty and students. 

What can faculty do to prepare? 

• February 2024: Identify your unit’s Advisory Committee member; they will be soliciting feedback from their colleagues and communicating essential information. 
• March-April 2024: Watch for Mason migration resources 

• Stearns Center Course Preparation Guide 
• Course Migration Option Descriptions and Instructions 
• Blackboard-to-Canvas Feature Comparison Guide 
• May-August 2024: Begin accessing resources 

• Request course migration support or new Canvas site(s) 
• Attend synchronous workshops 
• Consult with Mason Canvas mentors 
• Explore recommended videos and guides from Canvas Commons
• September 2024-December 2025: Full support and migrations continue 

As we develop resources to assist faculty and students with the transition, you can find updated information and resources, including a migration timeline, frequently asked questions, and ongoing project status at http://lms.gmu.edu. 

Charles Kreitzer
Executive Director, Online Operations
Office of the Provost
  
Joy Taylor
Executive Director, Learning Support Services
Information Technology Services

Email sent to Mason community

Dear Colleagues: 

After a multi-layered and comprehensive process, we are happy to announce the selection of Canvas by Instructure as George Mason University’s new Learning Management System (LMS).  

Throughout the Request for Proposal process, the engagement from groups across the university was invaluable in making this selection, and we are immensely grateful for everyone’s participation and patience during the negotiation of the contract. Feedback from the vendor demonstrations this spring showed that the Mason community overwhelmingly preferred the functionality, ease of use, and integrated tools offered by Canvas over the other solutions.  

Additionally, many in the Mason community are already familiar with Canvas: 

• 63% of faculty who responded to the LMS survey indicated they have previously used Canvas 
• 72% of students surveyed indicated they have previously used Canvas 
• 70% of R1 institutions use Canvas; In Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, Canvas schools include American University, Georgetown, James Madison University, Marymount University, Northern Virginia Community College, Old Dominion University, University of Maryland, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech 

An implementation team of diverse members of the Mason community has been established to ensure a smooth transition. Because this shift in LMS providers is a major change for the entire university, a phased approach will be utilized to aid with the rollout and adoption of the new platform. The implementation phase is scheduled to officially kick off in January 2024. 

While additional details will be shared with the community in the coming weeks, a high-level timeline for the implementation process includes: 

·         Spring 2024: System setup, configuration, and testing 

·         Summer 2024: Limited pilot 

·         Fall 2024: First wave of courses migrated to Canvas 

·         Spring 2025: Remaining courses migrated to Canvas 

·         Fall 2025: Final move to Canvas; Blackboard no longer available 

Throughout the transition, comprehensive training, various resources, and hands-on assistance will be available to aid the Mason community. For up-to-date information about the project, including governance committees, timelines, FAQs, and information on how you can participate visit lms.gmu.edu. 

Thank you again for the input and support in making this decision for the university. Email questions to the implementation team at lms@gmu.edu. 

Ken Walsh, PhD                                                                       Jackie Ferree 
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President                        Senior Vice President, Operations and Business Services

Email sent to faculty and posted in Blackboard

We need your help in choosing a new Learning Management System (LMS) for Mason! Please join us May 8, 9, and 10 for a showcase of options. Demos will be provided for Canvas, Blackboard Ultra, and Brightspace. This is your chance to ask questions directly to the vendors and provide your feedback. Join in person or by Zoom. Recordings and survey will be available for review.

Canvas – May 8, Merten 1201
BrightSpace – May 9, Merten 1201
Blackboard Ultra – May 10, Merten 1202

Visit the LMS Website to learn about the project, see presentation times, and join by Zoom.

Dear Patriots:

The current learning management system (LMS), Blackboard (Bb), has served George Mason University for more than a decade. Since Mason adopted Bb, new LMS solutions have entered the market and the university has grown, making this a great time to take stock of our faculty and students’ current and future needs in this space. 

While the current version of Bb is fully supported, Bb has no plans for innovation in this version. In addition, the pandemic provided valuable insight and best practices in face-to-face, online, and hybrid course delivery, and our next LMS must reflect what we have learned about the unique learning needs present at Mason. As the landscape of higher education evolves, we invite the university community to be involved in the conversation to take inventory of current practices, explore future opportunities, and document our LMS needs for today and beyond.

This fall, the community will have many opportunities to share feedback that will be used for a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to determine Mason’s next LMS solution. The project is a joint effort between Information Technology Services (ITS) and the Office of the Provost, as well as other stakeholder groups. A Steering Committee has been formed to lead this effort that will be co-chaired by Charles Kreitzer, Office of the Provost, Online Operations and Joy Taylor, ITS, Learning Support Services. 

Faculty and student participation are key to this effort’s success. Visit the project website at lms.gmu.edu to learn how to get involved, stay current on the project’s progress, and provide feedback.

Mark Ginsberg                                                                                 
Provost and Executive Vice President      

Kevin Borek
Vice President and Chief Information Officer