LMS and Quality Matters Evaluation
The problems: 1.Students are confused when they log into the online class and are not sure what to do. 2. The drop out rate for the online class is much higher than the face-to-face class. 3. Students get frustrated and do not know where to go for help.
LMS Evaluation Introduction
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The task this week is to compare two learning management systems (LMSs): D2L Brightspace and Canvas by Instructure to see which of the two is more efficient, more intuitive and more functional for both faculty and students. For each of the learning management systems this week, the following tasks will be completed and compared:
1. create a new customized homepage. 2. create a "start here" folder and a link to a news widget. 3. create a new widget with contact information. 4. customize the navigation bar. 5. post an audio message in the news tool. |
D2L Brightspace LMS Evaluation |
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Create a New Customized Homepage
The home page is the opening or landing page for Brightspace by D2L. The homepage can be edited to meet the needs of the instructor and learners. To change the properties of the homepage click on course admin in the navigation bar. Then click on homepages.
Click on the Course Homepage and using the drop down menu next to it select copy. After you get the copied homepage click on the blue hyperlink.
When your copied homepage opens, rename it. You do not need to enter a description. Include a homepage header. Click on the change layout button and select a layout.
After you have selected your layout, the next step is to add widgets. Click on add widget and a large selection of possible widgets will be listed such as: bookmarks, calendar, class list with images, content browser, etc. Some widgets are system widgets and some are custom widgets that have been designed and shared. Brightspace also allows instructors to design their own widgets. When you are finished, click save and close.
Create "Start Here" Folder and Link to News Widget
Brightspace provides the opportunity to easily create modules and then link to these modules from other areas of the course. A module is created by clicking on content in the navigation bar, scrolling to the bottom of the list of current modules and typing in the name of your new one. The suggested "getting started" module was added to orient students to the course and moved to the top of the list of content modules. To easily direct students to this new module create a news item by clicking on the down arrow next to news and select new news item. Name your news item, in the content section type in the title of the link, select the text and then click insert Quicklink. This will make your link a hyperlink. Click on publish to make it available.
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Under your getting started module, upload a copy of your html file template from manage file. This file template already has CSS headings formatted in the HTML text box. Provide information that clearly informs students about the course components, how to get started and what tools and background are needed to succeed as stipulated in the "Quality Matters" directive.
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Create New Widget with Contact Information
Learners need to know how to readily contact their instructor if they have questions or need assistance. A widget can be designed to provide that contact information. Click on course admin and then click on homepage. Next click on widgets and then create widget.
When the widget page opens, name the widget and then click on save. The description area's purpose is to describe the widget not to provide content.
Click on the content tab and enter your contact information. To add a photo, move your mouse cursor to the desired spot and then click on add file from the tool ribbon at the top of the content box. If you want to text wrap the photo, select align right for the photo and the text will be on the left. Since the widget is a narrow column the end result will be text above and below the photo.
Customize the Navigation Bar
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Brightspace by D2L provides the opportunity to customize the navigation bar for individual courses to decrease cognitive load. Click on course admin at the top right of the course. Click on tools and you will get a list of available tools.
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Click on the box to the right of the tool name and change it from active to inactive or vice versa. There is also the option to rename the tool name.
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Post Audio Message in News Tool
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Open a new news item.
Instructors can add audio messages for their students in the news tool. The news tool can be found on the homepage. Click the down arrow next to news and then select the green plus new news item. 
Record the audio message.
Make selections in the pop up box to select the microphone and camera if desired. When options have been properly selected, the denied by flash message will change to allow. Click the red record button and record your message. Replay your message to verify that it meets your expectations. Click on add. 
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Format the news item.
Name your audio message and type in a short content message. Scroll down to the add attachments section and select record audio. 
Audio message on home page.
Make sure to impersonate a student to do a quality check. 
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Canvas by Instructure Evaluation |
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Create a New Customized Course Homepage
To create a customized home page in Canvas, click on home to start and then look to the column at the far right. Select the tab labeled choose home page.
The default for the home page is to have the navigation menu to the right and items that are upcoming in the center. When you edit the home page, descriptions can be added as well as hyperlinks to files, images or other items in the course.
To perform a quality check, the student view was selected. Students will see the navigation menu on the left. Your course description and hyperlinks to content in the center and upcoming assignments on the right.
Create "Start Here" Folder and Link to News Widget
"Quality Matters" requires that a course have a clearly defined starting place to guide students when they first log into a course. To set this up in Canvas click on Modules and then add a module. Name your module start here. Click the + icon in the upper right hand menu of the module and select add a new page from the pull down menu. Name your page start here as well.
After you have added the page to Canvas, use the CSS headings under paragraph to add your relevant content.
To provide easy navigation to the start here module provide a direct link from an announcement. Click on announcement and then on + announcement. Name your announcement and type in the name of the hyperlink. Select the content in the course that should be hyperlinked to the announcement and then save and close.
Create New Widget With Contact Information
Canvas does not have widgets for its home page, but there is the option to design HTML buttons that can function like widgets. Below are two options for displaying the instructor contact information. In the first option, add a new page and call it instructor information and communication policy. Put your information on that page.
Next, go back to your home page and insert a hyperlink to the instructor information and communication policy.
A second option is to put your instructor information and communication policy right on the home page. You can still provide a link to that page as well.
Customize Navigation Bar
Customizing the navigation bar was very straight forward in Canvas. Click on settings and then the tab labeled navigation bar. Select the items you want to activate or inactivate in the navigation bar. Drag and drop the items in the navigation bar so that they are ordered in the preferred manner. Drag items to below the navigation bar if you do not want them to be visible to students.
Post Audio Message in News Tool
To add an audio message to Canvas, click on announcement. Name the announcement and then click on the icon labeled upload/record media. Allow the adobe flash player access to you webcam and microphone. Record your message and then save it.
LMS Weekly Recommendation
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1. Create a New Customized Course Home Page
Designing a new customized course homepage is easier with D2L than it is with Canvas. It is easy to change the layout and to add and remove widgets. In Canvas the only option is to add content, media and hyperlinks.
2. Create a "Start Here" Folder and Link to the News Widget.
It is equally straight forward to add a start here folder and module to both Canvas and D2L. In D2L a new news item is created and it is linked to the start here folder. In Canvas a new announcement is opened and hyperlinked to the start here folder.
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3. Create New Widget with Contact Information
Designing a contact information widget is easier in D2L because no widget option exists in Canvas. Instead the contact information can be either pasted onto the home page or provided by hyper link.
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4.Customize the Navigation Bar
Customizing the navigation bar is easy in both D2L and Canvas, but it is easier and requires fewer clicks in Canvas.
5. Post Audio Message in News Tool
Posting an audio message in the news tool in D2L and the announcement tool in Canvas is the same in both LMSs. I did find that it required fewer clicks, however, in Canvas.
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Weekly Recommendation: Tied for the week, but overall Canvas is ahead
Carlson, A. (2014) Atomic learning tutorials Canvas from http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/canvas-student.
Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric Workbook. 5th ed. MarylandOnline,Inc., 2014. Print.
Richard, B (2014) atomic learning tutorials Desire2Learn 10 instructor training http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/d2l10_instruct.
Richard, B (2014) atomic learning tutorials Desire2Learn 10 student training http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/d2l10student.
Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric Workbook. 5th ed. MarylandOnline,Inc., 2014. Print.
Richard, B (2014) atomic learning tutorials Desire2Learn 10 instructor training http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/d2l10_instruct.
Richard, B (2014) atomic learning tutorials Desire2Learn 10 student training http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/d2l10student.
