Case Study: University of St. Francis modernizes online learning and reduces grading time with Canvas LMS

Online learning pioneer updates delivery with Canvas

The University of St. Francis, a long-standing online education pioneer in Joliet, IL, needed to replace Blackboard CE8 after 12 years when support ended and its growing programs demanded a more modern, social-media–friendly LMS. Administrators sought a system that embraced web 2.0 tools and made it easy for faculty and students to add multimedia and collaborative activities.

After evaluating major platforms, USF selected Canvas for its intuitive interface and seamless integration of audio, video, wikis, conferencing, and social tools, plus features like SpeedGrader, drag-and-drop calendar updates, and selective release. The switch produced a more engaging, efficient learning environment: faculty adopted interactive tools more readily, grading time dropped significantly, and instructors spent less time managing content and more time teaching.

University of St Francis

Ling-Yi Zhou

Professor of Psychology