Jason Harper performed some informal tests on Canvas and D2L (Brightspace) in China.

Here are his Reports:

Canvas at Sias November 18th:

FireFox: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. Works. Created test course: “Sias Test 1 FireFox No VPN”

Chrome: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. Works. Created course “Sias Test 2 Chrome No VPN”

Safari: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. SAFARI DID NOT CONNECT.

After refreshing the page, both Chrome and FireFox browsers immediately updated the Canvas dashboard showing the new test courses I had created.

Overall, it looks like Canvas can connect at Sias without a VPN on two known browsers (* might want to with little-to-no other traffic at 5 a.m.).

D2L Brightspace at Sias November 19th:

FireFox: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. Connected.  However, after logging in, completely unresponsive and the page-loading indicator just spinning and spinning.

Chrome: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. Connected. Apps extremely slow to respond and even slower to produce anything in terms of changes or creating/managing courses. Finally able to create test posts and made changes in sandbox gradebook.

Safari: using no VPN, using “SIAS—OFFICE” campus-wide wifi. Safari had the fastest loading and responsiveness. Still very slow, though.

After refreshing pages, Safari, Chrome, and FireFox browsers showed updated changes and all of the test posts I’d made.

Overall, it looks like BrightSpace can connect at Sias without a VPN via Safari, Chrome, and FireFox; however, the rather lengthy lag time might cause frustration in users.

Canvas at SNU November 26th:

FireFox: using no VPN, using “My-Liaoning” wifi. Works. Updated test course.

Chrome: using no VPN, using “My-Liaoning” campus-wide wifi. Works. Updated course

Safari: using no VPN, using “My-Liaoning” campus-wide wifi. Works. Reviewed changes made from previous attempts.

After refreshing the dashboard page, Safari, Chrome and FireFox browsers immediately updated the Canvas dashboard showing the new additions.

Overall, it looks like Canvas can connect at Sias without a VPN on three well-known browsers.

D2L Brightspace at SNu November 26th:

FireFox: using no VPN, using “My-Liaoning” wifi. Works. Created test modules and added content.

Chrome: using no VPN, using ““My-Liaoning” wifi. Long and drawn-out loading time. Created more content to course.

Safari: using no VPN, using ““My-Liaoning”” wifi. Connected quickly and easily. Reviewed updates from other browsers.

After refreshing the pages, FireFox, Chrome, and Safari browsers all updated the dashboard showing the new test content.

Overall, it looks like BrightSpace can connect at SNU without a VPN on three well-known browsers. Embedded YouTube tutorials did not work, but there are other video platforms not blocked by China.

In our recent survey faculty reported that the most widely used LMS features (80% of respondents) are; gradebook, announcements, assignments, content/file sharing, and email.  With the exception of ’email’, which doesn’t appear in the ECAR Study, this aligns very closely with the ECAR sample.  What I also found interesting was that FHSU use of discussion board (75%) is considerably higher than those surveyed by ECAR.

The Table below shows the view outside of FHSU.  ECAR collaborated with 157 institutions to collect responses from 13,451 faculty respondents across 7 countries about their technology experiences.

Here is a short Canvas Introductory Video

Canvas has also provided some introductory Canvas training courses.  These are delivered within the Canvas LMS so you can get a feel for the experience.  If you wish to create a Canvas course please go to https://fhsu.instructure.com and and register.  After you have registered you can have access to the two Blackboard courses that have been converted to Canvas by emailing Tigerlearn@fhsu.edu.

You also have access to a public course called Growing with Canvas and here is the link https://fhsu.instructure.com/courses/45

If you are so inclined, once you’ve become familiar with Canvas, you can request a “Free for Teachers” Account and teach a course in Canvas.

If you want to teach a course in Canvas follow this link.

D2L Informational Videos & Articles

• Discover how a learning management system can transform the way you teach and work, and ultimately how your students will learn. In this quick video, we give you an overview of the top time-saving tools in Brightspace.
• Brightspace has a new look and feel called the Daylight Experience. It has a cleaner layout, updated fonts and new icons. You’ll be able to access Brightspace from your phone, tablet or desktop. Take a look!
• Within the Brightspace platform, instructors can provide feedback in the Assignments tool with grades, high-level feedback, rubrics, video, audio, contextual inline annotations, or any combination of these. Annotations are a great way to tie feedback to specific areas and provide meaningful suggestions. Learn more
• Discover how an LMS can tie assignments directly to rubrics.
• Discover how an LMS can assist in your daily tasks.
• We’ve integrated an accessibility checker into Brightspace. Sandra Earl, our technical product manager takes you through how it works.
• Technology should never limit learning opportunities. That’s why accessibility is at the heart of how Brightspace is built. Short video highlighting the D2L commitment to accessibility.
• Brightspace makes it easy for you to keep track of your students’ progress and performance. Learn how to track student performance.
• Brightspace helps you assess learners in many different ways. Learn more.
• Video Assignments is seamlessly integrated into Brightspace to help learners demonstrate both their knowledge and their soft skills. Powered by Bongo, Video Assignments makes it easy to add integrated video-based assessments to any course in Brightspace. Learn more.

If you want to try it yourself follow this link to sign up.

Blackboard has been hard at work creating a new, updated version of their LMS.  We currently run on their Blackboard ‘Learn’ platform.  For the last few years Blackboard has been building toward a platform they call the Ultra Experience.  According to Blackboard sources they have hired an additional 62 programmers to make the Ultra Experience.  In their own words:

The Ultra experience is the term for the new user interface that is more personalized, proactive, and intuitive for learners and educators. The experience includes a new navigation and activity stream that provides:

• Quick access to the most critical information to easily stay updated and take action
• Cross-course perspective to eliminate the need for educators and learners to dig inside individual courses for information (e.g. an activity feed, grades, calendar, messages, etc.)
• Fast access to other resources “outside the course” (e.g. organizations, system announcements, etc.) 

Here is a quick overview of the Blackboard Ultra Experience.

Here is a playlist with 32 1-2 minute videos that showcase the features in their new ‘Ultra Experience’

If you want to try it out you can get a free account here https://new.coursesites.com/index.html