The Challenge
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) is a prestigious private university located in Madrid, Spain that serves over 9,000 students. UFV is dedicated to providing a holistic education to its students, with the goal of helping them become not just professionals, but also socially responsible members of the global community.
Prior to 2020, UFV had been using another learning management system (LMS), but many faculty members found it challenging to use, and it was only fully embraced by a select few tech-savvy individuals. UFV decided to revamp its learning management system (LMS) in order to improve the student experience and increase usage of the LMS among faculty. After evaluating several options, the team at UFV chose Canvas for its ease of use, variety of engagement tools, and extensive analytics capabilities.
Implementation
The implementation of Canvas at UFV was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university had to quickly transition all activities to an online format. Despite the challenges, UFV seized the opportunity to innovate in its approach to teaching and learning.
To ensure a smooth transition, the team at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) emphasized the change as more than just a switch in platforms, but rather a shift in teaching philosophy. UFV created courses within Canvas to showcase the various tools available and demonstrate how they could be used to enhance student engagement. Additionally, teachers were given access to a Virtual Lab within Canvas, which included tutorials, live webinars, and discussion spaces where they could ask for help.
To assist students in learning how to use Canvas, UFV also provided a similar space called Canvas Now. Over time, this space evolved into "Vive la UFV," which serves as a one-stop-shop for all information about the university and campus events.
In 2022, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) implemented Impact by Instructure to improve communication and encourage wider adoption of Canvas in the post-pandemic world.
Previously, most communication had been conducted via email, but UFV discovered that professors and students were not always checking their emails, resulting in unread or undelivered messages. With Impact, UFV was able to send messages directly through a platform that teachers and students use on a daily basis, track engagement with these communications, and ensure that relevant messages were getting to the right people.
Key Findings
Canvas has achieved widespread adoption among faculty at UFV due t
Nearly 100% of academic activities and student communications at UFV are now conducted through Canvas, a significant increase from the limited usage of previous LMSs.
The implementation of Canvas at UFV has provided an opportunity to innovate and adapt teaching and learning approaches, leading to increased student engagement.
Canvas consistently receives high marks in annual satisfaction surveys, with scores frequently hovering around 5/6.
The flexibility of Canvas and its integrations have enabled UFV teachers to build personalized learning ecosystems that effectively deliver course material, resulting in improved online education experiences for both teachers and students. The adoption of Canvas has also encouraged UFV educators to embrace the growing role of technology in education.
Canvas is not just a tool, it is a comprehensive learning ecosystem. One of the best features is the ability to integrate a wide range of other tools, giving us the flexibility to personalise our teaching and build a learning environment that suits our approach and our students. We refer to it as an ecosystem because it is so much more than just a single tool.
Eva Garcia-Lorenzana, Directora de Aplicaciones Universitarias
Sergio Saldaña, Digital Experience
The Results
The response to the implementation of Canvas at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) has been overwhelmingly positive from both teachers and students.
Teachers have found the new LMS much easier to use, leading to widespread adoption among faculty. Nearly 100% of academic activities and communication between teachers and students are now conducted through Canvas. Students have also expressed satisfaction with the platform and are logging in on a daily basis.
In annual satisfaction surveys, Canvas consistently receives high marks, with scores frequently hovering around 5/6. Teachers at UFV have taken advantage of Canvas' open API and extensive integrations to create personalized learning experiences for their courses and provide students with the best possible experience.
Looking ahead, UFV plans to increase its focus on using data to improve usage of Canvas and enhance the digital campus experience to match that of the on-campus experience.
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