The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) has selected a new learning management system (LMS) as part of a statewide initiative to transform and modernize its learning experience and increase student success.
ACCS has chosen Canvas to serve its 24 community and technical colleges. Initially, ACCS rolled out Canvas to 12 of its member institutions. Following a successful implementation, ACCS has opted into a statewide deployment of Canvas and the broader Instructure Learning Platform solutions.
“Anything that Alabama’s community and technical colleges can do to consistently deliver higher education and training in an accessible way that leads our residents to finding their best success is why we exist,” said ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker.
“We have seen through our academic programs and work-based learning programs, such as Skills for Success and Alabama Career Essentials, that a resident’s ability to start their student experience on one platform opens the door to a wealth of other training opportunities throughout our community and technical colleges across the state,” Baker said.
In a press release, ACCS touted increased student access due to a robust mobile application, increased reliability due to decreased downtime, and an improved user experience as successes from the initial deployment of Canvas.
“As a unified system of community colleges, utilization of a common Learning Management System makes sense,” said Cynthia Anthony, president of Lawson State Community College. “One of our goals is to eliminate barriers that hinder seamless student experiences. I think a single LMS is a win-win for our students and colleges. We must look at the big picture and remain laser-focused on student success.”
Along with the Canvas LMS, ACCS will also use Impact by Instructure, a data and analytics solution that improves adoption and evaluates the impact of edtech. Instructure said that educators and administrators can use the solution to make informed decisions and evolve educational offerings to better suit the needs of students.
“The strategic decision for the Alabama Community College System to have a standardized learning management system will simplify the learning process for students that take classes at different community colleges or transfer to another system college, which is significant,” said Todd Shackett, President of Southern Union State Community College. “Additionally, it will allow colleges to more easily share faculty and curriculum across schools for better service and more efficiency.”
