Recommendations

Shian's Recommendation

I was torn between Blackboard and Moodle to offer to my school after reading about several Learning Management Systems (LMS). These two LMS were my top choices because I did the most study on them and because my institution has already used Moodle. The decision between Blackboard and Moodle came on my school's individual needs, financial situation, availability of technological resources, and institutional standards. Throughout research I can truthfully say the finest platform for one institution could not be the greatest option for another because both have benefits and disadvantages.

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Shian's Why and How

Moodle benefited my school's unique circumstances, including available resources, technical skills, budget, and the preferences of educators and students. All of these were be taken into account while deciding between Blackboard and Moodle. It was crucial to thoroughly compare the two platforms. Moodle was compared through it's actual use, to determine which one best suited the educational objectives and needs.

Blackboard was ultimately the better option when it came down to the details. Not just for its immediate benefits, but also for the additional advantages it offers a country like China. As was previously said, my school had previously used Moodle, but it was discontinued for a number of reasons, one of which was governmental constraints. Due to legitimate concerns about the entry and exit of sensitive information, the open-source nature of Moodle posed too great a danger for the country.

Yani's Recommendation

I've used Google Classroom in the past, and had a positive experience with it. I like the fact that it's free and easy for teachers to use, and as someone who uses Google products regularly, it simplifies things for me. However, I don't think I would recommend it to my school. One reason is that it doesn't offer as many services as many other lms do, but the bigger reason is that I don't think it's very easy for younger students to use. My school teaches students from grades 1-8, but I think only the latter three or four grades would be able to use the platform without a huge amount of adult help.

I also pretty quickly eliminated Blackboard as an lms to recommend to my school, because user reviews indicated it was difficult for teachers to use and expensive. Many teachers at my school are older and not very tech-savvy, and so even though Blackboard's customer support offers training, I think the interface clunkiness would be frustrating and challenging, and cost teachers more time and effort than it gave them. My school also doesn't have an unlimited budget; last year, it scheduled its winter and fall breaks in such a way to minimize school heating costs. If heating the school is a big financial burden, I don't think spending at least $9500 a year on an lms is really an option.

So that narrowed my recommendation down to Moodle or Canvas.

Both Moodle and Canvas seem like strong learning management systems, and I think both would work for my school. Overall, however, I came to the conclusion that Canvas would be a better fit for my school. This was due largely to cost and ease of use. Canvas seems to be slightly easier for teachers and students to use, and given there are many young students and teachers who struggle with technology, this is a huge plus. While it's a bit less customizable and offers fewer grading options, I think the more simplified lms will save teachers time and effort. It also has a free version, with a one-time installment fee, rather than Moodle's annual subscription which, while not as costly as Blackboard, would still have an effect on my school. I feel fairly confident in choosing Canvas as an lms system for my school, and hope that we can put this powerful tool into action!

SWAPNIL'S RECOMMENDATION

My View on Canvas

I think Canvas offers lots of things just on one platform and fulfills the needs of my school. Features to see students' interface will be very helpful for teachers to understand students' viewpoints. Sharing is very easy and connectivity to other digital tools is simple. Features like parent-teacher communication are included in Canvas. We just need to install Canvas Parent App which is available on Android and iOS. Other LMSs like Blackboard do not offer this feature. Compared to Moodle, Canvas does not need advanced-level technical knowledge for customization. Also, Canvas offers various third-party integrations which will make the smooth transition after the adoption of Canvas. As most of the teachers do not have an advanced level of technical knowledge, Canvas is the best option for my school.

Proposal to the Head of Academics Regarding Adopting Canvas

Steps For Purchasing Canvas in My School:

Teacher (Identifies the need for Canvas and makes a proposal)→ Head of department (Presents a proposal to administration) → Administration (Principal / Head of Academics) Makes a final decision on purchase → Finance Department (Pays for the Canvas) → IT Department (Shares login details and offers technical support to the teaching staff)

Proposal key points:

Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser
Easy to use for teachers because of the simplicity of the interface
Fulfills most of the classroom needs
Offers multiple assessment methods and stores data on clouds safely
Allows connectivity between parents, teachers, and students
Works in China without using a VPN software

References

Kiran. (2021, June 15). Moodle vs canvas 2021 – Which LMS is better? Edwiser. https://edwiser.org/blog/moodle-vs-canvas/

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