Montana University System Selects the Instructure Learning Platform to Extend Educational Access to Rural Learners Across the State

15 states have now deployed statewide Canvas LMS implementations 

SALT LAKE CITY — January 17, 2024 — Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and maker of Canvas, today announced that the Montana University System (the MUS), the state’s system of public colleges and universities, has selected the Canvas learning management system (LMS) as part of a major statewide initiative to transform and modernize its learning experience and increase student success. By unifying the learning experience on Canvas LMS along with Impact by Instructure and Canvas Credentials, educators across the state system will be able to access foundational, evidence-based edtech solutions to support their instruction. Over 40,000 students across 11 institutions will benefit from flexible learning environments through this statewide implementation of Instructure’s learning solutions.

Partnering with instructure is part of a concerted effort to extend student access, regardless of students’ geographic location. The MUS has a long history of online learning to reach its remote learners, and providing Instructure’s interoperable solutions will allow the state to focus on increasing the remote delivery of resources such as mental health support, advising and tutoring, in addition to its robust online outreach. By ensuring courses and assessments are accessible to a wide range of students, more adults have the potential to secure higher-paying jobs.  

The MUS comprises 11 public colleges and universities spanning 147,000 square miles, including leading public research and doctoral-level institutions, and comprehensive 4-year and 2-year colleges and universities. Moving to a single vendor across Montana’s public colleges and universities will help lower ongoing licensing costs, provide smaller institutions access to new tools, including 24/7 support and will provide students with an improved and more consistent experience across the MUS. After an extensive vetting process, the university system selected the Instructure’s solutions based on several decision-influencing factors, such as:

• Ease of use and intuitiveness
• Mobile-friendliness
• Strong analytics that are easily accessible to faculty
• Canvas Commons, which enables easy sharing of content within and across institutions
• Flexible interoperability with outside tools

“We chose Instructure to provide our higher education institutions in Montana the tools to work together more effectively,” said Joseph Thiel, Interim Deputy Commissioner, Academic, Research and Student Affairs at the Montana University System. “Our vision is to provide Montana students a seamless learning experience of the highest quality, no matter where they reside or which of our institutions they attend.

The MUS also selected Impact by Instructure, a robust data and analytics tool that provides actionable insights about edtech usage. This resource empowers educators and administrators to gauge the efficacy of edtech tools, helping them tailor educational approaches to unique student needs. By harnessing this real-time data, the MUS can expedite program completion for students, allowing them the flexibility to pursue programs across any institution within the state. 

“Increasing accessibility to education is a pressing need in the United States and throughout the world and MUS is an excellent example of a coordinated statewide effort to reach students traditionally left behind,” said Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. “By implementing these solutions at scale, the state is making the transition to higher education smoother for students and providing opportunities for learning, regardless of geographic limitations. The potential impact of providing consistent access to high-quality education is limitless.” 

The statewide implementation will be available to all MUS students by fall 2025.

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