As the university welcomes another new class of students, it’s also taking a closer look at some of the technologies that support student learning. Northeastern’s learning environment should enable learning at any time, from anywhere, and with anyone, which is the focus of the pilots underway this fall for a new learning management system and lecture capture replacement.
Searching for Northeastern’s next, modern LMS
Northeastern is exploring alternatives to Blackboard as it seeks a modern new learning management system (LMS) that can empower more customized teaching and learning and fulfill the Northeastern 2025 vision. The next LMS must enable learning at any time, from anywhere, and with anyone.
Canvas is a leading platform in the LMS market that is already used by more than 4,000 institutions of higher education. Initial research has shown it has the ability to support a university of Northeastern’s size and the needs of all of its campuses and learners.
With this in mind, Canvas is undergoing pilot testing at Northeastern, with nearly 50 faculty members and over 2,000 students across seven different colleges using the platform this semester. The fall 2019 pilot includes classes in online, hybrid, and face-to-face formats.
Opportunities to help shape the next LMS at Northeastern are available. Visit the NextLMS website to learn more about the initiative, share your insights on what should be considered in a modern LMS, and to sign up to receive updates. Faculty interested in participating in future pilots, which will continue into spring 2020, should email nextlms@northeastern.edu.
Replacing Tegrity lecture capture
Tegrity, a tool that faculty and staff have come to rely on for making lectures and other instructional video accessible and convenient to the Northeastern community, is being discontinued by its service provider in June 2020.
To prepare for this, alternative lecture capture tools are being evaluated and piloted later this fall. Similar to the next LMS, the lecture capture tool that is ultimately selected to replace Tegrity must help fulfill the Northeastern 2025 vision by being flexible, portable, and easy to use.
Contact Academic Technologies for questions about the pilot or to share information that should be considered in a lecture capture tool.