What is a LMS?

A learning management system, or LMS, is a software application that assists faculty and staff in managing course materials and educational records for face-to-face or online or hybrid courses. LMSs may also be called course management systems.

The UO’s current LMS is Blackboard.

Is Blackboard going away?

We don’t know yet. Vendor products selected from the RFP responses will be evaluated in the winter and spring quarters/semester.

Our current learning management system, Blackboard, remains fully operational. The UO’s current licensing period expires September 2015 and the UO and Blackboard are fully committed to supporting UO students, faculty and staff in using Blackboard.

The LMS Task Force is reviewing options well in advance in order to make the best decision for UO students, faculty and staff beyond the expiration date.

When does the current contract expire?

The current Blackboard license expires September 2015.

When can I migrate?

It is not currently known if there will be a migration period because a product has not yet been chosen.

When will a product be chosen?

End of the academic year, 2014.

How will a product be chosen?

A Request for Information process, which included vendor presentations, occurred during spring 2013. Faculty, students, and staff learned about the LMS marketplace through this process. The LMS Task Force issued a Request for Proposals which closed November 15, 2013.

Five finalists were chosen. All faculty and students were invited to vendor presentations during winter 2013-14, and asked to provide feedback following the presentations. These platforms were also evaluated by UO faculty and technical staff winter term, 2014.

Spring term 2014, two platforms were selected for further pilot testing by faculty and students in UO courses. Spring pilot participants will provide additional feedback to the LMS Review Task Force via surveys, focus groups and usability studies. All platforms, including Blackboard, ObaVerse, Desire to Learn, Canvas and Sakai are still under consideration until a final decision is made.

The LMS Task Force will make final recommendation to Academic Affairs by the end of the academic year.

Students, faculty and staff are welcome to provide feedback at anytime during the process through this web site.