Bye bye Blackboard

By Regina Robert Staff Writer

In this new era of online learning, many educational institutions have implemented the use of learning management systems (LMS). Amongst them is UTSA, which currently uses Blackboard Learn, but will switch to Canvas starting Fall 2023. According to the university, this change is meant to match “the needs of [UTSA] students as well as [the university’s] broader goals to be a model for student success.” While the change could be a positive step up from Blackboard, it will no doubt cause some trouble among the faculty and students. One of the biggest obstacles for both will be learning how to navigate the new platform. Even though almost everyone has a basic understanding of the technology and its uses, it can be tough for some. This is a problem that becomes prominent on the first day of the semester. Even after multiple semesters, many of the professors on campus have difficulty with Blackboard, either with how to use it accordingly or where to find the assignments and material they had uploaded. In addition to causing problems with professors, this has presented an issue with students. Many students have become accustomed to the LMS their school used during the

COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools used Blackboard, Canvas or Google Classroom to accommodate teachers, students and parents. Some students are excited about using Canvas since it was the LMS their school used during that year and a half of being stuck at home, and it helped them keep up with their education. Others have absolutely no experience with Canvas and have become heavily accustomed to Blackboard, either because of their high school experience or because it is what they have used throughout their entire college career. Either way, some students will be happy and excited about this transition, while others will struggle to learn a new LMS.