How Accellier crafts a seamless vocational learning experience with Canvas LMS

As a leading registered training organisation (RTO) in Australia, Accellier is recognised for its innovative approach to vocational education and training (VET). 

Under the guidance of Director Paul Pellier, Accellier is committed to providing flexible, skills-focused education. By adapting Canvas LMS to meet the specific needs of RTOs, Pellier’s team offers valuable insights for similar organisations looking to improve course delivery, streamline compliance, and boost student engagement.

Challenge #1: Organising courses around units of competency

One of Accellier’s first challenges was structuring courses around units of competency. Initially, they tried grouping all units into a single Canvas course. However, this quickly became overwhelming for students and complex to manage in the gradebook. Pellier described this approach as “information overload,” which made course management ineffective.

Their solution was to split each unit into its own Canvas course. For qualifications with up to 20 units, they found a middle ground by clustering related units where it made sense. 

“Clustering units provided students with a clear pathway, while keeping content streamlined,” Pellier explained. This flexible structure made it easier for students to navigate their studies, whether completing a single skill set or an entire qualification.

Challenge #2: Managing rolling intakes and supporting self-paced learning

With students beginning courses at different times, maintaining engagement in a rolling intake model was challenging. Accellier created artificial intake dates, and used Canvas’s groups feature to organise students into small, collaborative groups, regardless of start dates. 

“By creating artificial intake dates, we were able to keep students in cohorts, creating a shared learning experience that would have otherwise been difficult to achieve,” Pellier said.

To help assessors keep track of self-paced submissions, Pellier’s team integrated Canvas data with Trello. This setup allowed assessors to prioritise tasks and manage grading timelines more effectively, ensuring both students and assessors stayed on track.

Challenge #3: Meeting VET compliance standards

The vocational sector in Australia has strict regulatory requirements, and meeting compliance standards was essential. Pellier’s team found that Canvas’s rubrics, outcomes, and grading schemes worked well for VET standards. By using rubrics, they could break down competencies and embed them into assessments, aligning activities with compliance requirements.

"Video explainers for assessments were also a game-changer," Pellier shared. “These gave students clear guidance and helped assessors maintain consistency.” 

Additionally, New Quizzes provided marking guides that ensured grading was consistent across assessors, meeting compliance requirements without added complexity.

Challenge #4: Identifying and re-engaging disengaged students

In self-paced courses, student disengagement is common. To address this, Accellier developed a custom “Engagements” plugin that tracks student activity and flags those at risk of disengagement. The plugin generates reports on when a student last engaged, submitted assignments, or was last contacted by an instructor.

Using this data, Accellier’s team can reach out to students at risk of falling behind with a simple message. 

“Sometimes, a quick check-in message is all it takes to bring a student back on track,” said Pellier. This proactive approach has significantly improved student retention rates, demonstrating Canvas’s potential for supporting personalised, timely intervention.

Through their strategic use of Canvas LMS, Accellier has created a flexible, compliant, and engaging vocational training environment. Their methods illustrate Canvas’s adaptability for the unique requirements of RTOs, making it an invaluable tool in the Australian vocational education sector.