General Assembly (GA), a part of The Adecco Group, is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations through high-quality education and training. Since 2011, they have helped over 110,000 alumni launch tech careers while supporting top companies in building diverse, scalable talent pipelines. As they grew, challenges with their existing learning infrastructure began to surface, prompting them to seek a more efficient and scalable solution to enhance learning delivery and student recognition.
The Challenge
As GA expanded its remote and blended learning programs, its existing learning infrastructure struggled to keep pace. Feedback from instructors and students emphasized the urgent need for a platform to accommodate their evolving educational needs. Instructors faced inefficiencies with grading and course management, while the platform itself lacked the flexibility needed to support a seamless learning experience.
At the same time, GA lacked a badging solution that provided the industry recognition that students and employers valued. To continue delivering high-quality education while improving student recognition, GA needed a badging solution they could count on.
Key Insights
Transitioning to Canvas LMS gave General Assembly a flexible, scalable system that improved course management, grading, and the overall learning experience.
Canvas Credentials provided students with verifiable, shareable recognition, increasing engagement and visibility with employers.
GA’s strategic approach, including pilot programs and stakeholder involvement, ensured a smooth transition and strong adoption.
By integrating learning and credentialing, GA is strengthening the connection between education and workforce readiness.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, General Assembly sought a learning platform that could provide a seamless, scalable experience for both instructors and students while also enhancing how achievements were recognized. Through a thorough evaluation process drawing on user feedback and data analysis, they identified key user personas and meticulously assessed Canvas against their requirements.
As their programs evolved, they expanded their approach by integrating Canvas Credentials, enabling students to earn verifiable digital badges that carried greater recognition with employers. This transformation optimized learning delivery, improved student engagement, and reinforced GA’s position as a leader in workforce education.
Students should be focused on their learning and not have to worry about the platform their learning is housed on. This
transition has positioned us as a formidable force, expanding our capabilities to better serve our students and clients.
Heather Luna, Technical Product Manager, General Assembly
The LMS Scorecard
The LMS scorecard was GA’s key metric – it represented personas and functions across their organization, incorporating over 100 user stories with humanization to foster empathy. Each story was assigned a status and rated on a scale from 0 to 1.5. Canvas emerged victorious in all personas and functions, often by double the margin.
General Assembly embraced inclusivity and fun throughout the LMS selection process. Engaging stakeholders not only fostered trust in their capabilities but also in the platform's potential. They prioritized transparency, acknowledging that Canvas, like any tool, has its limitations. By openly addressing areas for improvement, they can collaborate with stakeholders to find acceptable solutions. As they proposed the change from their old LMS to Canvas, they're backed by a supportive team ready to champion positive transformation every step of the way.
That’s What’s Cool About Canvas
Their excitement birthed "That's What's Cool About Canvas," a series highlighting features like the link validator, accessibility checker, and speed grader, which tackle pain points like superheroes saving the day. The goal? To make learning about Canvas enjoyable, informative, and relatable, fostering empathy among users. These episodes have become a hit at GA’s Demo Days. This infectious enthusiasm drives change management and eases the transition to Canvas with minimal pushback.
Verified Skills, Real Opportunities
Canvas Credentials gives GA a scalable, verifiable way to recognize achievements across workshops, short courses, and bootcamps, while also enabling enterprise customers to offer credentialing for their own training programs. Digital badges help learners showcase their skills, increasing visibility to employers and expanding career opportunities—all while extending GA’s brand presence across professional networks.
Already driving higher engagement and badge sharing on LinkedIn, the program continues to grow as GA refines employer recognition and skills tagging to align with industry demands.
Empowering learners isn’t just about education —it’s about creating real opportunities. With Canvas LMS and Credentials, GA helps skills get recognized, valued, and put to work.
The Results
With Canvas LMS, General Assembly has created a more flexible and scalable learning experience, making instruction and grading more efficient. The addition of Canvas Credentials has given students a verifiable way to showcase their skills, increasing engagement and employer visibility. As GA continues to expand both systems, they’re focused on strengthening employer recognition and refining skills tagging—ensuring education and career success go hand in hand.