LMS Transition Updates and Information

UCM's Transition from Blackboard to Brightspace

Brightspace To Do List, indicating that the early adopters have been decided DLII is excited about the transition from Blackboard to D2L's Brightspace learning management system! This change is designed to enhance our digital learning environment and provide a more intuitive and flexible platform for both teaching and learning.

Starting in the Fall 2024 semester, a core group of UCM faculty will offer one or more of their courses in Brightspace. Instructor choice will be available in the Spring 2025 semester. The full transition to Brightspace will begin in the Summer of 2025.

To support you during this transition, we will provide regular updates, resources, and training opportunities. The format of this page will resemble a blog, with the most recent information near the top of the page and older content in descending order. Stay informed about important dates, migration details, and upcoming training sessions on this page. For more comprehensive LMS information, please visit our LMS Gateway.

Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to improving the educational experience at UCM!

Blackboard to Brightspace transition image

Updates

Oct. 31, 2024

Good morning! Today marks 200 days until we transition to Brightspace as UCM's official Learning Management System.

Classes starting May 19, 2025, and beyond will all be delivered from Brightspace. It's official, the last complete semester of courses was fed to Blackboard on October 7th when the spring courses were fed. All summer and fall courses will only be fed to Brightspace in March.

If you are interested in being a Brightspace early adopter in the spring, there is still time to complete the Brightspace Spring Early Adopter form so we can ensure your spring course section is available in Brightspace. Only courses identified as early adopters will be fed to our Brightspace instance for the spring semester. We have two course feed dates left: November 8th and December 3rd. Please complete the form by December 2nd if you want to deliver a course from Brightspace in the spring semester. It is important that you complete the form so we have the accurate CRN information for your section(s). You can choose one course or multiple courses for early adoption.

Please keep in mind that the form asks if you want courses merged in Brightspace. For clarification, a course merge is not a copy of your course from Blackboard to Brightspace. A course merge combines two or more course sections into a single section, referred to as the “parent” course, while the sections merged are referred to as the “child” courses. This process allows an instructor to manage both sections from one master course section, resulting in less replication of work. Courses cannot be manually merged in Brightspace.

As of this morning, 350 courses have already been identified as early adopters for the spring semester. You can see if your college holds the lead in early adoption when our DLII Newsletter arrives in your inbox on Monday, November 4th.

Early next week, I will share additional information regarding training dates and Brightspace Q&A sessions. We invite you to explore the recordings of our wonderful Brightspace trainer, Popsann Francis, from her training sessions at UCM on October 8-10! You can find these recordings on our DLII website under the Brightspace Instructor Training Video Series. You'll need to log in with your UCM network credentials to access these videos.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to Carol Knight with any questions about our Brightspace implementation.

Oct. 7, 2024

I have one addition and a few reminders regarding our Brightspace Training opportunity coming up this week. Our Brightspace trainer, Popsann Francis, will be on campus tomorrow, Tuesday, October 8th, through Thursday, October 10th. As previously shared, Popsann has scheduled three days with various topics. Visit the Brightspace Training Schedule document for session information. You are free to come and go as you wish. Please remember that these sessions are being recorded and the recordings will be made available as soon as possible.

As you may notice from the schedule, we have identified three classrooms for our training the next three days. Please note that seating is limited. Due to the response we have received, we are going to offer this in a virtual format as well. Please note that virtual participants can only ask questions through chat. You may use the following link to join virtually:

https://ucmo.zoom.us/j/4219910390

Finally, I want to emphasize that this is our Brightspace Trainer who will guiding this training opportunity. Our DLII team will be sharing information regarding many additional trainings that will be available on campus starting the week of October 21st. Our Brightspace Trainer will be on campus one time in the fall and will be coming again in the spring semester. We will coordinate with Popsann to identify our spring training as soon as possible so we can share that information with you.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for your response to our Brightspace Early Adopter request form. As of this morning, 231 courses were fed to Brightspace after 90 faculty committed to being early adopters for the spring semester. That's a great start!

Oct. 2, 2024

We have some exciting updates about our Brightspace implementation coming up next week! First, we’re thrilled to invite you to our 3-day on-site Brightspace training with our expert trainer, Popsann Francis, happening next Tuesday through Thursday. This is a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience, and we’d love to see you there! Be sure to check out the official Brightspace Training Schedule for all the details.

Next week also marks the first official spring (202520) course feed for those who’ve already chosen to deliver a course from Brightspace in the spring. If you’re ready to make the switch, be sure to complete the Spring 202520 Brightspace Adopter form so we can ensure your spring section is available to you. If you’re still considering it, no worries—there will be two more spring course feeds on November 8th and December 3rd. Remember, the final day to submit the form is December 2, 2024.

As of this morning, 60 instructors have already committed to using Brightspace for a total of 148 spring courses—an incredible start! Thank you to everyone who has taken this step forward.

With the full transition to Brightspace coming on May 19, 2025, the spring semester is a great time to get started by moving at least one course over. We’re here to support you every step of the way!

Previous Updates

Mon, Sept. 16, 2024

Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation is pleased to share that all individuals on record teaching in the fall (202510) or spring (202520) semester now have access to our Brightspace instance. In addition to access, those on record have been given one Brightspace course sandbox, which you can use to familiarize yourself with Brightspace.

All courses starting May 19, 2025 (202530), will be taught from our Brightspace instance. From that date forward, Brightspace will become our official and only Learning Management System for UCM instruction. Our contract with Blackboard officially ends on June 30, 2025.

Below is some helpful information as you start using our Brightspace instance.

Accessing UCM’s Brightspace Instance

To log into our Brightspace instance, you can go to ucmo.brightspace.com.

You will be directed to the UCM Single Sign-On page, where you will sign in with your UCM network credentials.

NOTE: You must sign in through SSO. You will not have the option to use the Center for Workforce and Other User option.

Only faculty who are instructors of record for fall and/or spring sections currently have access to Brightspace. Faculty not on this list can request access by completing the Brightspace Access Request form. At the moment, we are only providing priority access to faculty.

Accessing Your Brightspace Sandbox

From the Brightspace institutional page, you can find your course and update your profile.

The waffle menu (icon with 9 boxes) lets you quickly locate your sandbox.
Your name will appear in the right-hand corner. Click on it to update your profile and account settings.

Accessing the Brightspace Community & Guided Training

We strongly encourage you to view the Brightspace Guided Training in the Brightspace Community. The Brightspace Guided Training document provides directions for accessing this guided training from the Brightspace Community.

Moving a Course from Blackboard to Brightspace

Brightspace does offer a Blackboard to Brightspace conversion option. While this will not replicate your course completely, this tool does provide a powerful option to transfer course content from

Blackboard to Brightspace. Please visit the Moving Courses from Blackboard to Brightspace document.

Early Adoption for Spring (202520) Semester

We strongly encourage you to consider early adoption of Brightspace for the spring semester. You can choose one or more of your spring courses to deliver from Brightspace. Early adoption of Brightspace is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with this LMS before completely switching to Brightspace for the summer session and beyond. The spring semester is the last time you can choose between delivering your course from Blackboard or Brightspace.

If you are ready to be an early adopter for the spring semester, please complete the Spring (202520) Brightspace Adopter form. There will be three dates on which courses requested for delivery from Brightspace for the spring semester will be fed to Brightspace: October 7th, November 8th, and December 3rd. Only courses requested to be delivered from Brightspace will be fed to Brightspace for the spring semester. We ask that any faculty who wants to use Brightspace in the spring make that determination no later than December 2, 2024. You may not teach a course from Blackboard and Brightspace in the spring. You must choose one or the other for each course.

Brightspace Training Opportunities

Our Brightspace trainer, Popsann Francis, will be on campus October 8-10th. While we realize you can’t attend all of this training, we hope you can join us for some onsite training. We will be recording this and making the recording available after this event. More information regarding topics and event locations will be coming soon.

In addition, DLII will begin holding Brightspace training sessions and Q&A sessions in late October and will continue throughout the fall and spring semesters. Please watch for email and UCM Daily announcements.

DLII is excited to open our Brightspace environment to all of you. We know you will create amazing educational experiences for your students using Brightspace. We look forward to working with you and supporting you throughout this transition.

Mon, Aug 26, 2024

As we begin the second week of the fall semester, I’d like to share some important updates regarding our Brightspace implementation and how you can learn more about Brightspace throughout the fall.

First, a reminder: we are now 266 days away from our complete transition to Brightspace on May 19, 2025. After the spring semester, no courses will be delivered from Blackboard.

Brightspace Early Adopters

Currently, 27 faculty members are serving as early adopters, teaching a total of 60 courses on Brightspace. This involves over 800 students already experiencing Brightspace at UCM for the first time this semester. We are grateful to these faculty and students for their participation in this phase, and we have gained valuable insights so far with more to come.

Brightspace Sandboxes & Training

Between September 15-25, all faculty will receive a Brightspace sandbox. This will allow each faculty member to transfer a course from Blackboard to Brightspace to test that process or design a course from scratch. More details will follow as we approach the release of the sandboxes. In the meantime, I encourage anyone eager to learn more about Brightspace to enroll in the Brightspace Guided Training resource available on Brightspace's website, which offers comprehensive knowledge and is an excellent starting point for your Brightspace journey.

From October 7-9, our Brightspace trainer, Popsann Francis, will be on-site at UCM to provide training. We are currently finalizing the details for these sessions, including topics and locations. We are fortunate to have Popsann, an exceptional trainer, join us in Warrensburg.

In addition to Popsann’s training, the DLII team will offer Brightspace training sessions throughout October and November, both in-person and virtually. We also plan to host sessions at the MIC during this period.

Instructor Choice for Spring 2025 Semester

For the spring 2025 semester, instructors will have the option to choose whether to deliver their courses via Brightspace or Blackboard. Faculty will have until December 2 to opt-in to Brightspace for any of their spring courses. A form for sign-ups will be available in October. All faculty members are welcome to adopt Brightspace for the spring semester.

I would like to extend my thanks to our colleagues in the Office of Technology and the UCM Bookstore for their support during this early adoption phase. The OT team has worked diligently to ensure SSO and course feeds are functioning correctly, while the UCM Bookstore team has collaborated with our textbook publishers to ensure students in Brightspace have the electronic textbook resources they need. We are grateful to both teams for their support during this implementation process.

We are excited about the opportunities Brightspace offers and are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible. Thank you for your continued efforts and dedication to this important journey.

Please feel free to reach out to DLII with any questions regarding the Brightspace transition.

Timeline for events (most recent first):

Brightspace Available to All Faculty - September 16, 2024
Early Adopters Identified (roughly 25 UCM faculty who wish to use Brightspace for the fall 2024 semester)
Initial meetings with D2L to implement D2L Brightspace begin - March, 2024
Contract with UCM & D2L executed - February 19, 2024
UCM's Board of Governors approves D2L contract as UCM's official LMS - January 25, 2024
Provost Bridgmon announces LMS Review Committee's recommendation to UCM faculty - January 11, 2024
LMS Review Committee recommends D2L as UCM's next official Learning Management System - December 2023
Recommendations from LMS Review Committee - anticipated to be shared with administration by the end of the Fall 2023 semester - Completed
Canvas/Instructure - October 5th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
D2L/Brightspace - October 4th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Blackboard/Anthology - October 3rd from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Vendor presentations - Fall 2023
List of vendors announced who will be asked to present their solution to campus stakeholders - September 13, 2023
RFP's requested from vendors - summer of 2023 - RFP released June 2, 2023 - Closed July 31, 2023
Drafted RFP reviewed by Procurement - anticipated completion by end of Spring 2023 semester - Completed
Designated committee members working to write an RFP (Request for Proposal) - anticipated completion by early April - Completed
Survey results shared with campus community - anticipated to be completed by end of April - Completed
LMS Review Survey for Staff - anticipated to be sent out mid-February and open for at least 3 weeks - Completed
LMS Review Survey for Students - anticipated to be sent out mid-February and open for at least 3 weeks - Completed
LMS Review Survey for Faculty - anticipated to be sent out in February and open for at least 3 weeks - Completed

LMS Review Committee Members

Committee members were identified at the end of the Fall 2022 semester. The committee was formed in October of 2022 and met for the first time on November 28, 2022.

College of Education Representatives:

Dr. Lauren Hays, Assistant Professor - Instructional Technology

Dr. Charlene Atkins, Associate Professor - Elementary Graduate Education

Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies Representatives:

Dr. Ashley Gage, Associate Professor - Social Work

Sarah Bailey, Assistant Instructor - Accountancy

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Representatives:

Dr. Michael Makara, Associate Professor - Political Science/International Studies

Dr. Stella Roden, Professor - Music

College of Health, Science, and Technology Representatives:

Dr. Katie Kage, Associate Professor - Nutrition

Dr. Marietta Watson, Assistant Professor - SOT Graduate Programs

Faculty Senate Representative:

Dr. Jasmine Cloud, Associate Professor - Art, Design, and Photography (served November 2022 - April 2023 before sabbatical leave)

Dr. Odin Jurkowski, Professor - Instructional Technology (replaced Dr. Cloud from May 2023 - November 2023)

Office of Technology Representative:

Brandy Nicoletti, Applications Manager - Applications Systems

Student Representative:

Ethan Gerst, Sophomore, B.S. Professional Pilot Major

Additional Members:

Dr. Laurel Hogue, Vice-Provost of Online and Learning Engagement

Carol Knight , Director of Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation (Committee Chair)

Resource Members (non-voting):

Chad Marnholtz, LMS and Applications Manager - Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation

Shannon Meisenheimer, Senior Programmer Analyst, Applications Systems

Kristin Salas, Assistant Director/Academic Advisor, Success Advising Center

Kyle Constant, Assistant Instructor, Kirkpatrick Library

Andrea Huggans, Accessibility Services Coordinator, Accessibility Services

Paul Plummer, Senior Instructor - Statistics, and General Education Committee Representative

Undergraduate Studies