Aartevelde University, one of Flanders (Belgium)’s leading institutions, is dedicated to providing high-quality education through innovation and technology. In its pursuit of improving the online learning experience, the institution transitioned from its legacy VLE to Canvas, a strategic shift that significantly improved course delivery, faculty autonomy, and student engagement.
The Challenge
Before adopting Canvas, Aartevelde University relied on an outdated VLE which posed several challenges.
Firstly, it was not cloud-hosted, which caused frequent performance issues at critical points in the academic year. Having an on-premise VLE also created administrative burden, as it required extensive maintenance and consumed valuable IT resources.
Additionally, the lack of Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) created poor integration, making it difficult to integrate other educational technologies. The system also had an inconsistent user experience, which meant faculty and students found it unintuitive and difficult to navigate.
Lastly, the rigid course structures limited pedagogical flexibility - hindering educators in their ambitions to deliver optimum learning experiences.
Why Canvas VLE?
Canvas offered Aartevelde University a user-friendly interface with a modern and intuitive design that enhanced navigation and usability. The cloud-based platform provided stability, performance improvements, and eliminated the need for local server maintenance. Seamless LTI integrations meant easy compatibility with third-party tools, allowing students to use the most innovative edtech tools and improve their digital literacy. Additionally, educators were able to design and customize courses with ease.
Finally, the teams had instant access to a global network of educators and developers through the 500+ strong Canvas Community.
One of the greatest strengths of Canvas VLE is its thriving global community. The Canvas Community provides an invaluable space for collaboration and support. Having access to shared knowledge, real-world solutions has been instrumental in optimising our use of Canvas. Even when we’re not actively posting, the ability to find answers and see how others are innovating is incredibly beneficial.
Renaat De Muynck
Web Developer & Educational Technologist, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences
Implementation & Adoption
The transition to Canvas was swift and smooth, earning Aartevelde University recognition at CanvasCon Europe for its rapid and successful implementation. Key steps included:
Faculty Training & Engagement: Hands-on workshops led by Instructure’s industry-leading implementation team, ensured instructors could make the best use of Canvas.
Development of Custom Tools: The IT team built specialised LTI tools and JavaScript enhancements to tailor Canvas to Aartevelde’s institutional needs.
Ongoing Support: A dedicate customer success team provide continuous support and guidance to faculty.
The implementation of Canvas VLE at our institution was remarkably smooth and efficient. Thanks to a well-structured rollout plan and excellent support from Instructure’s services team, we were able to transition quickly with minimal disruption. Our educators were able to focus on course development rather than technical hurdles, making the switch to Canvas a real success.
Renaat De Muynck
Web Developer & Educational Technologist, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences
The Impact
Since adopting Canvas, Aartevelde University has experienced significant improvements:
Enhanced Learning Experience: Interactive course structures and better student navigation tools.
Reduced IT Workload: Cloud hosting and Canvas’s reliability has reduced system maintenance efforts and workload for the IT team.
Innovation in Course Delivery: Custom-built tools, such as improved module navigation and personalised dashboards, have enriched digital learning.
Positive Student & Faculty Feedback: Canvas consistently receives high ratings in annual student surveys.
Advanced Data Analytics: Leveraging Canvas’s data portal and analytics to improve student outcomes.
Improved accessibility: Aartevelde is delivering equitable education by expanding the use of immersive readers and other inclusive tools, as well as Canvas’s capabilities to support flexible learning models and remote learning.
Before Canvas, we spent nearly half our time fixing bugs in our old VLE, which was both frustrating and inefficient. Now, that time is redirected toward meaningful work—developing custom tools, improving user experience, and supporting faculty with engaging digital solutions. Switching to Canvas has given us the ability to shape our learning environment, not just maintain it.
Renaat De Muynck
Web Developer & Educational Technologist, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences