Q- What do I need to do?

A -There will be many channels of communications for our students, faculty and staff. We will be updating you frequently on the progress of each phase of the migration.

Q – How long do I have to transition my courses from Blackboard to Canvas

A – We will continue to license Blackboard Learn until the end of the fall 2023 semester.

Q – What sort of supports are in place to help faculty make this transition?

A – Our Faculty training and workshop schedules will be coming soon.

Q – How soon may I begin using Canvas to teach my courses?

A – Academic Technology will be working directly with individual college’s Deans and Chairs. We will keep you posted via email.

Q – Can I get early access to Canvas to begin developing my courses?

A – Yes, but not yet. Our plan is to have the official Canvas environment available for faculty access in June 2022. We will provide further details as soon as they are confirmed.

Q – Will we still have access to our Blackboard course material/records after migrating to Canvas?

A – Yes. We will archive all your Blackboard courses. If you need to access course material, grades, discussion board posts, etcetera, we will be able to retrieve it for you.

Q – Can I import my existing Blackboard course into a Canvas shell?

A – We are working with a vendor that will be migrating your Blackboard courses to Canvas. We will migrate Blackboard courses for 2019, 2020, and 2021 into a universal template.

Q – Does it make more sense to rebuild my Canvas course from scratch?

A – This depends on how you originally structured your course in Blackboard. We suggest you rebuild it from scratch for three reasons. First, it’s not hard to do. Second, it’s a good way to learn how to use Canvas. Third, it will let you revisit course material that may be outdated or otherwise in need of modification.

Q – How does Canvas differ from Blackboard?

A – While Canvas only offers a few, they are all reliable and useful. Canvas courses are best laid out in a modular, step-by-step approach that guides students from one item to the next. Canvas also includes a virtual classroom experience similar to Blackboard Collaborate for instructors as well as a robust, free-for-students mobile application that works on both IOS and Android-based devices.

The good news is, Canvas can do everything Blackboard can do, AND MORE! Below is a brief comparison of features that you may find useful.

If you used Blackboard...	You’ll love...
Course Content	Canvas Modules
Assignments	Canvas Assignments
Discussions	Canvas Discussions
Assessments	Canvas Quizzes & New Quizzes
Grades	Canvas SpeedGraderTM
Gradebook	Canvas Gradebook
Tasks	Canvas Calendar& To Do
Announcements	Canvas Announcements
User Directory	Canvas People
Open Content	Canvas Commons
Mobile Learn	Canvas Mobile Applications

Q - I use Panopto, Respondus, Zoom, VoiceThread and/or Turnitin, McGraw-Hill Connect, WileyPlus, etc. Are they available on Canvas?

A - Canvas works exceptionally well with 3rd party tools such as Panopto, Kaltura, Respondus, Zoom, and more. By Summer 2022, we plan to have all vital 3rd party tools in Canvas courses for use by faculty.

Q - How can I prepare for this change and know what to do?

A - No action is needed from faculty or students right now. More information will be announced on this website and from your division in Spring 2022. We will send emails that include LMS project updates, announcements, and important information.

Q - Does Canvas protect student privacy?

A - Canvas is compliant with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and IT@JH evaluated the platform’s security during the evaluation period.

Q- Is Canvas accessible?

A - Canvas had the top rating in Student Disability Services’ evaluation. The team carefully evaluated the accessibility of the core Canvas features, navigation, and content. Canvas also has a strong commitment to accessibility, and more information can be found on the “What are the Canvas accessibility standards?” page. As a reminder, the content added to Canvas by faculty and staff will still need to be accessible to support all students’ learning.

Q - Will Canvas have an improved mobile experience?

A - Canvas’s mobile experience was rated highest by faculty, staff, and students. Evaluators indicated that Canvas’s mobile apps were a significant improvement when compared to what we have now. They are also highly rated in both the Apple Store and on Google Play.