U N I V E R S I T YO F H U L L

Using Canvas as the Foundat ion for Student-Centred Learning

C A N V A S C A S E S T U D Y : H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N

T H E C H A L L E N G E

With a combined academic, administrative and student

population of more than 19,000, the University of Hull is

committed to a pedagogy-led approach to technology

procurement. “Tech is bought to deliver a flexible, modern

learning environment,” explained Hull’s Head of Technology

Enhanced Learning, Chris Turnock. “But it must also help us

stay true to a vision of a student-centred approach to studies.”

According to Turnock, Hull was “ahead of the curve” when

they implemented a virtual learning environment in 2010.

“Since that time,” he said, “we’ve seen the industry develop

significantly, incorporating features like cloud sharing,

integrated media and remote learning—which we felt could

add value for our students and teachers alike.” Hull re-evalu-

ated their VLE in 2014, starting a procurement process for a

system that would deliver a more flexible learning experience,

while also helping the university as it worked towards a high

rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

“Even in 2014, the need for universities to prepare for TEF

was pressing,” Turnock said. “All institutions realised that a

low rating would likely have an impact on application levels.

I N I T I A T I V E : A s y s t e m f o rs t u d e n t - c e n t r e d l e a r n i n g

N U M B E R O F P R O J E C T E DU S E R S : 1 9 , 0 0 0

We knew we would need to have systems in place to

ensure student retention and engagement. Our VLE would

be a significant factor in helping us achieve a good rating.”

As the university began to envision the possibilities of a

new VLE, Turnock explained that adoption was key. He said

the new system would need to be “intuitive, flexible and

useful for both sta� and students, ultimately improving

student satisfaction and maximising learning potential.”

H U L L

www.CanvasVLE.co.uk • 0800 358 4330© 2017 Instructure Inc. All rights reserved.

C A N V A S C A S E S T U D Y : H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N

“ W E K N E W T H A T T H E R E W A S N O P O I N T M O V I N G

F R O M T H E L E G A C Y S Y S T E M U N L E S S T H E R E W A S

S O M E T H I N G B E T T E R O U T T H E R E , A N D C A N V A S

S H O W E D T H A T C H A N G E W A S N ’ T J U S T

B E N E F I C I A L — I T W A S C R U C I A L . ”

C H R I S T U R N O C K

Head of Technology Enhanced Learning, University of Hull

T H E D E C I S I O N

When Hull started their procurement process in March 2014,

they threw the net out wide, but were specific about what they

wanted from their chosen VLE. “We prioritised systems that

had the functionality and usability we needed, and made a

conscious decision to value those aspects above price,” said

Turnock.

The final decision came down to Canvas, the institution’s

legacy system and three other VLEs. “We knew that there was

no point moving from the legacy system unless there was

something better out there, and Canvas showed that change

wasn’t just beneficial—it was crucial,” said Turnock. “We knew

that Canvas would bring clear and measurable benefits to

teaching and learning, in particular with respect to certain TEF

metrics, such as student satisfaction and retention.”

To have Canvas in place by the start of the new academic

year, the university knew they would have only a matter of

months from procurement to implementation, so a rapid and

smooth transition was vital—especially because they decided

to move all content from their legacy VLE to Canvas rather

than having two systems run concurrently.

Turnock was impressed with the support he received from

Canvas, and with their openness in incorporating his feedback

into system updates: “The weekly calls with our Customer

Success Team were extremely helpful in keeping our

implementation on track, and communication with Canvas was

open, collaborative and supportive.”

T H E R E S U L T S

Canvas was fully implemented for the start of term in

September 2016, and the team immediately saw their

objectives being met.

“We knew that Canvas would ultimately deliver student

satisfaction and help to maximise learning potential,” Turnock

said. “However, we were expecting there to be a period of

adjustment while teaching sta� got to grips with the system.

What we found instead was that our academic sta� were able

to start performing tasks, such as uploading handbooks and

providing digital feedback on assessments, almost

immediately. And that sta� and students alike were quick to

embrace the technology.”

In the six months since their full Canvas rollout, Hull has

developed 3,500 live course modules and program sites.

“Going into this project,” Turnock said, “we were looking for a

system that would work with us in all areas of the university,

be easy to implement and provide us with a foundation on

which to build student-centred learning. Canvas ticked all the

boxes, and we look forward to seeing how much more we will

be able to achieve.”

www.CanvasVLE.co.uk • 0800 358 4330© 2017 Instructure Inc. All rights reserved.