Seton Hall University will transition from the online learning platform Blackboard to Canvas during the fall semester of 2023.
The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC) conducted a Canvas pilot program last fall to evaluate if a switch in learning management system (LMS) was needed. According to the Department of Information Technology, “The University’s decision to replace Blackboard Learn with Canvas was based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from participants.”
All professors will switch exclusively to Canvas by the spring semester. This allows professors to choose the platform they prefer for the rest of the fall. This has caused confusion among students as some have to switch between platforms depending on which one the class uses.
"I believe the switch to Canvas in theory was great,” said Mary Kamel, a junior political science major. “However, the lack of consistency and some classes still using Blackboard have led to confusion and have made students' lives more difficult.”
Isabel Fontanals, a graduate student in the professional accounting program, said that the switch had been more complicated than it needed to be, and suggested that if the system isn't broken, it shouldn't be fixed.
Michael O'Brien, a senior communications major, said, "The switch is more challenging because of the back-and-forth transition between the two platforms.”
“If they wanted to do it, they should have had all professors start using Canvas in the same semester, rather than having students switch between Blackboard and Canvas," O’Brien added.
Vivienne Dotoli can be reached at vivienne.dotoli@student.shu.edu.
