Hello students,
Welcome to the Fall ’24 semester!
We are excited to inform you that UMass Dartmouth is upgrading the myCourses platform to Canvas. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the university will gradually transition from exclusively using myCourses (Blackboard) as the campus Learning Management System (LMS) to Canvas.
Transitioning to Canvas will promote even greater innovative learning experiences for students by reimagining the design and delivery of course content and leveraging a range of new instructional technologies with robust, modern, media-rich engagement features. Students will also be able to customize elements of their course view to accommodate their auditory, visual, and learning needs.
Here’s what you need to know now about this exciting improvement…
Timeline of Transition:
| Fall’24 | A few courses from various departments are already using Canvas.
Most courses will still use Blackboard. |
| Winter’25 | A few courses from various departments will use Canvas.
Most courses will still use Blackboard. |
| Spring’25 | Additional courses will be added to the number of courses in Canvas.
Most courses will still use Blackboard. |
| Summer’25 | All courses will use Canvas. |
| Fall’25 | All courses will use Canvas. |
How will transitioning to Canvas impact students?
Throughout the 2024-25 academic year and leading up to the start of the Fall’25 semester, some students may have courses in both Blackboard and Canvas. This will give these students who have previously only used Blackboard the opportunity to explore Canvas and get a feel for its course navigation structure, system features, and functions.
What should participating students do to prepare for transitioning from Blackboard to Canvas?
Before the start of a semester, participating students will receive a notification in their campus Outlook accounts informing them that their course will be taught in Canvas instead of Blackboard. This notification will relay instructions for accessing the Canvas system and course site and guidance on how to utilize Canvas features. Participating students should access their course site(s) as soon as possible and explore the new system.
Once in Canvas, we strongly encourage students to visit the Passport to Canvas student course site and navigate through the materials available there. Passport to Canvas resources will be essential to student success in learning how to navigate course sites, engage with content, submit to a variety of assessment types, and locate grades and feedback from instructors.
What are some major differences between Blackboard and Canvas?
Blackboard and Canvas are similar in many core functions for students. The systems are a place for students to access content, submit assessments, and communicate with their instructors and peers. When it comes to features, Canvas, and other newly acquired instructional technologies will offer a more modernized and media-rich engagement experience. (Check out our Blackboard to Canvas comparison chart!)
The Canvas user interface has a modern look and feel, with a greater focus on user-friendliness to promote intuitive usage. There is also a powerful mobile application component for use on tablets and other mobile devices.
Who should students contact with questions?
CITS has created quick links to important Canvas resources:
We will communicate more information about Canvas and the transition over the year. We look forward to guiding you through this pilot. Good luck with your fall semester!
Ramprasad Balasubramanian, PhD
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs