Engaged learning and student success are core principles at Utah Valley University. Their recent implementation of a Microsoft Teams LTI integration to their Canvas LMS allows students and faculty to connect easily before, during, and after class.
The Challenge
Utah Valley University, also known as UVU, is a public, openadmission university with the mission of preparing students for the real world. Established in 1941, UVU has over 40,000 students enrolled in their undergraduate campus and has been using Canvas LMS since 2011 after switching from Blackboard.
UVU also adopted Microsoft Teams to virtually host class meetings and course communications. Over the past ten years, their faculty and students have become experienced users of both platforms. However, there was a problem with having two platforms both serve as sources of truth for student enrollment, coursework, and faculty-student communications.
Each semester, the faculty at UVU spent hours manually adjusting student course enrollments in both Canvas LMS and Microsoft Teams. Students were also left toggling between Canvas LMS for their coursework and Microsoft Teams for class meetings. Utah Valley needed a way to integrate the platforms so that transitioning between a course in Canvas LMS and joining a meeting on Teams was simple.
Key Insights
Integrating Microsoft Teams + Canvas LMS automated course enrollment adjustments that were previously manual.
Communicating with students before, during, or after a Canvas course has never been easier for faculty since the LTI integration.
Connecting with students using animated GIFs has provided a measure of entertainment and fun that wasn’t otherwise possible with an LMS.
Joining a Microsoft Teams class meeting within Canvas created a seamless student experience - preserving familiar behaviors while utilizing new functionality.
The Solution
Connecting to a platform through LTI allows an app to integrate with a learning management system - meaning that users could be signed into Microsoft Teams and launch a meeting from a Canvas course. This solution also automated the manual course enrollment adjustments faculty were previously making. Now, if a student registered late for a course or had to drop a course, then the updated schedule is automatically reflected in both Teams and Canvas LMS.
Being able to quickly message an entire class, specific groups within a class, and individual students has enabled faculty to
better engage with the right students at the right time.
Jason Hill,
Utah Valley University, Director of Learning Systems
Reliable Faculty-student Communication
Finding the most reliable channel for communication between faculty and students is a critical component to success and for Utah Valley University, Microsoft Teams has proven to be the most reliable method of communication. Faculty can communicate important course announcements before, during, and after a Canvas LMS course's scheduled run-time.
In addition, both faculty and students have better insight to when a message has been seen and when a response has been provided.
Being able to send and receive correspondence through Microsoft Teams within Canvas has been a simple and effective way to ensure faculty and students have received all course communications.
UVU also saw an increase both in student engagement and tool adoption. Hill attributes this increase to a “seamless experience” for students in Canvas LMS. Because students could access their specific Microsoft Teams class schedule without ever leaving Canvas, students and faculty were more likely to both attend class and be more present in class. With this increase in student punctuality and engagement came an increase in the quality and flow of virtual instruction.
“Our users are utilizing more of the features in Microsoft Teams now than ever before because of its seamless integration with Canvas LMS,” Hill went on to say.
Bringing Entertainment To A Lms
When asked which situations highlight the value of this LTI integration, Hill responded simply: animated GIFs. Being able to use these fun, quirky images lets faculty and students build rapport and communicate in a fresh way that they previously couldn’t do. Building community and incorporating entertainment can be challenging for remote courses (especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic), but GIFs from this LTI integration have helped lighten the mood.
UVU students will apply for jobs at companies that depend on apps to function. In 2021, over 650,000 companies have a productivity package that includes Teams - meaning students who use Canvas LMS and Microsoft Teams are well prepared for the workforce.
The Results
Because of this seamless integration, more faculty and students are connecting via apps in Microsoft Teams and Canvas LMS than ever before. Student punctuality and engagement have increased, making for more meaningful learning experiences. All in all, the LTI integration of Microsoft Teams and Canvas LMS has given the UVU faculty the freedom to do more of what they love most: provide students with the education they need to succeed in the real world.
Download Case Study