Universities continually strive to enhance and evolve their educational infrastructure to address the dynamic needs of students, faculty and staff. A pivotal aspect of this endeavor is the selection and implementation of an effective learning management system (LMS). But as anyone who has gone through LMS selection and implementation knows, it’s a complex and lengthy process.
D2L partnered with EDUCAUSE and USC to host the webinar Undergoing Digital Transformation: How to Evaluate and Implement a New Learning Management System. Featuring Ashley Smith, (associate CIO for application services at USC), Kenneth Chapman (vice president of market research at D2L) and Greg Sixt (senior sales executive at D2L), the webinar covered the four areas of focus (comprehensive assessment, shared governance, implementation planning and organizational change management) that led to a successful transition.
Let’s take a closer look at how USC navigated this process.
A Necessity for Change
We all know that change isn’t easy. When faced with the opportunity, many are tempted to ask if it’s even necessary.
In USC’s case, it was. According to Ashley Smith, USC had been using Blackboard Learn for over 25 years but had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of innovation. The team was also concerned about the lack of support they’d be receiving from Blackboard.
“A couple of years ago, Blackboard announced its decision to sunset support for Blackboard Learn, which would essentially introduce a mandatory upgrade to Blackboard Ultra. Knowing that this would also introduce a significant change for our faculty, USC made the decision to pursue a holistic assessment to inform our next steps,” Smith shared.
USC’s shift was driven by the need for a more modern, dynamic LMS that could better support the university’s teaching and learning goals.
Once it had made the decision to switch LMSs, USC had to properly assess and implement strategies for a smooth transition.
Pre-Transition: Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment
Rather than dive right in, USC began its LMS transition with a thorough assessment to understand the needs and preferences of its faculty, students and administrative staff. This assessment was divided into three main parts: pre-assessment research, a committee evaluation and user research.
For the pre-assessment research phase, USC’s team of UX researchers conducted qualitative user interviews with faculty and students over seven months. They also consulted with Gartner for market research and conducted peer interviews with other institutions that had undergone similar LMS transitions.
Next, a dedicated committee, including 21 faculty members, 9 students and 8 administrative staff, was formed to evaluate three LMS options: Blackboard Ultra, Canvas and Brightspace. This committee used specific use cases and sandbox testing to assess each platform’s capabilities.
Lastly, USC’s product strategy and design team conducted in-depth user research to understand the specific needs and preferences of faculty and students. This research helped identify the most critical features and workflows required in the new LMS.
Create a Shared Governance Plan
With the initial assessment over, USC moved on to creating a shared governance plan. Doing this was crucial for ensuring that all stakeholders were involved in the decision-making process. USC established several governance groups to guide the transition:
- Core Strategy Team: This team met bi-weekly to expedite decision-making and ensure alignment with USC’s mission and goals. It included representatives from various departments and schools across the university.
- Brightspace Champions Group: This group consisted of faculty champions from each school, local IT staff, and instructional design support. It played a key role in disseminating information and gathering feedback from their respective schools.
- Project Sponsors and Program Leaders: These groups provided additional leadership and expertise, ensuring that all decisions were aligned with USC’s strategic objectives.
As Smith noted, this approach is what worked for USC’s transition, but the benefits of taking the time to think strategically about governance will serve the institution well into the future.
“It is a very complex but thoughtful approach to governance. It really influenced the success of the program. But what I think is most important—and maybe most fascinating—is that it’s become the norm for how we approach digital transformation moving forward,” she said.
Create and Follow an Implementation Plan
When it came time for the actual transition from Blackboard Learn to Brightpace, USC needed to run a tight ship: its implementation timeline was only 11 months.
“We had to be disciplined,” Smith shared. “If we had to course correct, we needed to course correct. But mostly we had to use the data to inform our decisions so that we could clear the noise as it came in and keep moving forward.”
USC’s implementation timeline included several key components:
- Foundations Week: At the start of the project, USC held a four-day Foundations Week to align all team members on the project’s goals, deliverables and mission. This helped establish a strong foundation for collaboration and discipline throughout the implementation.
- Work Streams: The implementation was divided into four work streams: academic, technical, change management and sustainment. Each work stream had specific responsibilities and coordinated closely with the others to ensure a cohesive approach.
- Course Migration and Uplift: USC partnered with K16 for course migration and D2L’s creative services for course uplift. They migrated three years of course data and uplifted the most recent one year, ensuring that faculty had access to their course materials in the new LMS.
Using this timeline and approach, the USC team were able to migrate over 40,000 courses and uplift a further 10,000 courses.
“We really turned this into a mindset. We turned away from the idea of a checklist and thought about this as a way of working. And I really think this is why we’ve been able to reap so many benefits from this implementation,” Smith shared.
Prepare for Organizational Change Management
The last spoke in USC’s successful transition plan was organizational change management (OCM). The OCM approach focused on preparing and supporting faculty, students and staff throughout the transition via a variety of channels and initiatives.
For starters, it conducted listening sessions, town halls and roadshows to gather feedback and address concerns. This helped build trust and buy-in from all stakeholders.
Smith shared that the USC team operated on the ethos of “if you see something, say something,” because they were committed to addressing it right away. The approach worked.
“I remember going to one meeting with one group and I felt like I was on the hot seat for 45 minutes,” Smith said. “Three months later, I went back to that group, and there were no questions at all.
A comprehensive communication plan was also tantamount to the success of the transition. USC implemented one that included newsletters, website updates and regular meetings with the Brightspace Champions group to keep everyone informed about the transition process.
Lastly, USC offered a wide range of training and support options to accommodate different learning preferences. This included facilitated training sessions, one-on-one consultations, office hours and extensive DIY resources such as user guides and online tutorials.
Results and Key Takeaways
USC’s transition from Blackboard Learn to Brightspace was a complex but successful endeavor.
“So far, we’ve transitioned just over 4,700 faculty and over 46,000 students from our original LMS to Brightspace at USC,” Smith shared. “Our team has worked diligently to support this user base with countless resources, training, office hours…any sort of service needed, our team has stepped up to provide it. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Smith is also quick to acknowledge the collaboration between internal and external teams as being a driving factor in the project’s success.
“When I say our team, I don’t just mean the program team or just D2L. We began this project with the intention of having a one team mentality. And that meant that no matter what department or institution or company someone works for, we’re all equally invested and responsible for achieving success through the lens of USC’s unifying values.”
Webinar panelists shared four key takeaways for similar sized institutions looking to transition to a new LMS:
- Involve Students Early: Engaging students early in the assessment and implementation process can provide valuable insights and help ensure a smoother transition.
- Continuous Assessment: Regularly assessing technology needs and staying up to date with market trends can help institutions remain innovative and responsive to changing requirements.
- Strong IT and Academic Partnership: A close partnership between IT and the academic community is essential for successful digital transformation projects.
- Focus on Change Management: Effective change management strategies, including stakeholder engagement, clear communication, and comprehensive training, are crucial for ensuring user readiness and adoption.
Ready to Start Your LMS Transition?
USC’s strategic approach to transitioning from Blackboard Learn to Brightspace serves as a valuable case study for other higher education institutions considering similar digital transformations.
By focusing on comprehensive assessment, shared governance, detailed implementation planning and organizational change management, USC was able to achieve a successful transition that meets the needs of its diverse academic community.
Interested in the full discussion? Watch the webinar now.
(Please note you will need an Educause account to watch.)
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