Oshkosh Area School District

Oshkosh Area School District needed an LMS to help teachers customize instruction and personalize learning for every student while working with their existing apps and tools. Canvas scored high in important areas to teachers: standards-based assessments using Common Core standards and a learning mastery grade book to help along the way. With Canvas, the district is empowering students to take ownership of their learning—anytime, anywhere.

The Oshkosh Area School District in Wisconsin planned to give a personal laptop to each of its 10,000+ students, but administrators wanted to make sure that they had the correct digital infrastructure in place first. As they began building that infrastructure and planning their 1:1 rollout, one question kept coming up: Do we need a comprehensive learning management system (LMS)?

The district’s new initiative is called “Learning Without Limits,” and teachers wanted to customize their instruction and personalize learning for each student. They wanted an LMS that talked to their student information system and would maximize their ability to create and share digital content. Oshkosh teachers used various digital applications and software programs, including Google Classroom. Still, they recognized that Google Classroom was a transactional space with no standards-based learning feature and did not support teachers, students, and parents. In short, a good tool, but not an LMS.

Administrators say Oshkosh students and their parents managed numerous online accounts and logins, and teachers spent too much time cobbling together content and resources to support their lessons. The district’s technology leaders knew a real LMS would create new and more ecient workflows—“a transformational change instead of everyday transactions,” said Corey Jeers, a technology integration coach for Oshkosh.

They decided an LMS was essential to reaching their technology-initiative goals and ensuring their students’ best education and opportunities. “Teachers don't realize LMSs have changed so much and come with accessibility and universal design features. They don't realize how interoperable they are,” said Kristi Levy, a technology coach for Oshkosh.

In agreement that an LMS was essential to the success of its 1:1 initiative, Oshkosh’s technology team led the initial research and evaluation of options and then narrowed it down to three finalists. A teacher-based selection committee, composed of teachers from

different grade and technology levels, was then assembled to pilot, evaluate, and ultimately choose the district’s new learning management system.

Using an evaluation rubric created by their administration and technology team based on district priorities, teachers compared and evaluated critical areas, including ease of use, curriculum, integrations, technical operations, and support. Canvas scored high in important areas to teachers: standards-based assessments using Common Core standards and a learning mastery grade book to help along the way.

Teachers reported Canvas worked well with other tools and apps, especially the Google Drive integration, and that course-building and content-importing were easier in Canvas than in the other LMSs. Oshkosh was encouraged by the support they received from Canvas throughout their evaluation, which ensured the product and its capabilities met their needs.

After an extensive evaluation, Oshkosh chose Canvas and began training administrators and teachers (with Canvas Support team guidance) in the summer of 2015.

In 2015, teachers who completed the initial summer training began using Canvas with students. In conjunction with this implementation, the district’s technology coaches created a robust, multi-level professional-development program that offered an array of training, including:

• Getting started in a connected classroom for reluctant users
• Blended learning in Canvas
• Professional development with a for-credit course from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• Integrations of other software and tools, including Google Classroom

Teachers have already noticed a difference when using a true LMS in conjunction with Google.

“With Canvas, there’s more potential, and it gives you more opportunities in the classrooms to do what you want to do versus classrooms that are a little more constricting. There are only a couple functions you can do with Google Classroom versus Canvas; the opportunities are endless; the potential is endless.”

-Patrick Lawton, Social studies teacher, Oshkosh West High School

With such a strong foundation in place, early Canvas adopters are now focusing on innovating pedagogy, increasing student achievement, improving communication, and providing new opportunities for personalized learning.

Oshkosh’s commitment to a 1:1 initiative fueled the quest for and implementing a new LMS that has already begun improving workflows and communication. The goal of Oshkosh’s 1:1 initiative is so much more than just a device for every student; it’s about empowering them to take control of their own educational journeys, anytime, anywhere.