Subject: August LMS Update

Good Evening, LMS Stakeholders  -

I want to provide a brief update on our ongoing effort to identify and implement a single learning management system (LMS) across MUS institutions. 

In my last update, we shared a timeline to launch a request for proposals to describe our key criteria for a successful LMS, based on what we heard over the past year of gathering input and conducting a needs analysis (summarized in this report). Key themes from this process suggested prioritizing:

  • Improvements to key functionality, particularly email, discussion, video integration, and the gradebook.
  • The general user-friendliness and intuitiveness of any future LMS product, particularly for students. 
  • A requirement that a new LMS vendor be adept at migrating courses into a new system and providing top-tier training and transition services. 

That RFP was launched in May and has now undergone a first stage paper evaluation by a team of IT professionals, LMS administrators, and faculty. Two finalist vendors, Instructure (Canvas) and Desire2Learn (Brightspace), will now move on to a three-part second phase of evaluation, which will include:

  1.     A structured demonstration, focusing on the faculty and student experience of using the LMS.
  2.     A structured demonstration, focusing on the administrative, IT, and analytics capabilities of the LMS.
  3.     Course migration testing, to evaluate the ability of the LMS to import courses with fidelity and lessen any required course uplift or adjustments.

A 14-member team from across the university system will lead these evaluation tasks, with the aim of identifying a final vendor by the middle of September. This accelerated timeline is important, as it both allows us to leverage time-limited funding to support transition costs and ensures adequate planning time for our desired transition date of Fall 2024. Once a vendor is identified, planning for implementation will begin in earnest, a process where your input and engagement will be vital. 

As a reminder, our main goals in seeking a new and unified LMS are to: 

  • Provide faculty and students the best possible tool for teaching and learning
  • Lower licensing and support costs for institutions in the long term, and
  • Create a more seamless environment for multi-campus academic collaborations and for the growing number of Montana students who participate in dual enrollment or transfer between our institutions.  

We are very grateful to the Governor and legislature, who have provided ample resources to support campuses through this transition, including funds from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund and a $3 million legislative appropriation. 

We will continue to post updates to our project website: https://www.mus.edu/che/arsa/LMS/SingleLMS.html. Please do share both this website and updates with campus stakeholders, who we know may be anxious about this work and transition.

And please do reach out to me directly if you have other questions, ideas, or concerns.

Kind Regards,

 

Joseph Thiel

Interim Deputy Commissioner, Academic, Research and Student Affairs

Montana University System