TRANSITION TO A NEW CLOUD-BASED LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: LESSONS LEARNED REGARDING FACULTY TRAINING AND SUPPORT IN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ONTARIO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Learning Management Systems [LMS] have become a ubiquitous feature of the teaching and learning environment at most Canadian universities. LMS systems often introduced in the late 1990' s as a ancillary tools for instruction have become an essential resource for communication between and among faculty and students; hosting and sharing learning materials; creating opportunities for discussion while also enabling new forms of assessment within face-to-face, hybrid and online learning environments. Over the past 20 years the development of LMS products have followed two patterns: periodic upgrades involving technical patches or annual feature upgrades to learning systems; more substantial upgrades resulting in upgrades involving interface design, the addition of new tool sets, and expanded system integration with student information systems. In the latter scenario, the upgrades are more like adopting new products or services rather then annual upgrades. In 2011, Blackboard announced it would cease support for WebCT CE after 2012. This announcement required institutions including the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to plan the transition from WebCT/ Blackboard CE to Blackboard Learn 9.1. Successful transition or adoptions of new learning management systems are based upon integrated strategies involving information technology services (ITS) and leadership from academic teaching and learning support services on campuses. Technical planning often is situated within (ITS) while faculty and student training and user support is the responsibility of teaching support centers on campuses. Successful transitions to new LMS's involve an integrated approach to campus-wide change.