IT News

All About Canvas: UM's Next-Gen Learning Management System

Canvas is mobile-friendly, intuitive, and packed with tools that enhance teaching, learning, and accessibility.

On behalf of the Office of the Provost – "The University of Miami is pleased to announce the transition to Canvas as our next-generation learning management system (LMS). This decision reflects extensive feedback from students and faculty who participated in the 2024–2025 LMS Evaluation Initiative, which included piloting Canvas alongside Blackboard. Their insights informed faculty governance's vote in favor of Canvas, recognizing its ability to better support the University’s evolving academic needs."
Timeline and Adoption:
  • Early adoption began in Fall 2025, with over 150 faculty members already teaching courses in Canvas.
  • We anticipate 25% adoption by Spring 2026.
  • By Fall 2026, Canvas will become the official LMS for all courses.
What You Need To Know:
  • Sandbox Courses: All faculty now have access to Canvas sandbox spaces for exploration and practice.
  • Course Migration: At least one year of Blackboard course content will be migrated to Canvas.
  • Training and Support: Comprehensive resources—including self-paced training, documentation, and video tutorials—are available to ensure a smooth transition.
  • Integrated Tools: Canvas will include key applications, such as Respondus, Kaltura, Turnitin, and an accessibility solution.
Community Feedback:

Cards

"I greatly appreciate how easy it is to copy content from one course/semester to another in Canvas. This is a big improvement over Blackboard, especially with regard to copying assignments.

Canvas is very visually appealing and easy for the students to navigate which enhances their experience with the course content. Embedding content from other tools such as YouTube, Padlet, and Genially is very easy to do and allows students to easily access and interact with this content within Canvas.

There are a lot of differences between Blackboard and Canvas that may be frustrating to long-time users of Blackboard. My advice is to keep an open mind and be flexible as you transition your courses to Canvas. Take full advantage of opportunities to learn about Canvas and consider reconceptualizing how you design and implement your courses as you make this transition."

– Christine E. Delgado, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor

"I piloted Canvas for a Fall 2024 hybrid course, and I frequently used fill-in-the-blank quizzes to test active recall. Students found this helpful for rule review and memorization during the semester.

There are so many helpful features and options on Canvas that you can easily become overwhelmed. My advice is to identify a few features that are most essential to your learning outcomes, and become familiar with how these features work, then experiment with one or two additional features each semester."

– Rodney P. Rawls, J.D., Director, Academic Achievement Program, Miami School of Law

More Information and Support:

To learn more about the transition to Canvas, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit the project site.

To request support during the transition, please contact the Learning Platforms team at lpt.it.miami.edu/contact.

We encourage faculty to begin exploring Canvas and take advantage of the available resources to prepare for this transition. Additional details, including training schedules and migration timelines, will be shared through official channels.

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