Week 4: LMS Evaluation
Accessibility
LMS-D2L Tools Review - Strengths:
1. Modifying assignments to give users extra time to complete it was pretty straight forward in D2L. The restrictions tab under each assignment item, such as the dropbox made changing dates and times for individual students very simple. I also liked the easy way to add or remove users who get special access.
2. D2L provides many more options for restricting a quiz than Canvas. For example, I like that a designer can allow individual students not only to turn in their assignment at a later date and time, but also to give them extra time as a warning and extra late submission times.
3. Adding a YouTube video with closed captioning was also simple in D2L using the Insert Stuff button in the HTML editor. It was easy to add context to the video in the HTML editor.
4. I like the option to link third party tools for improved learner access in D2L such as Atomic Learning tutorials.
LMS-D2L Tools Review - Weaknesses:
1. Adding accessible HTML templates using the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) was very difficult and confusing in D2L and required multiple steps. Unzipping the zip file template was also a multistep process. It seemed unnecessarily complicated to upload files to the Manage Files section which is buried in the Course Admin files, and then add it to the course content.
2. Although having the restrictions tab at the top of assignments made it easy to give special access to students, it was not easily located in the navigation menu and buried among a lot of other options. Without the provided directions it would be difficult for a new course designer to easily navigate between these options.
LMS-Canvas Tools Review- Strengths:
1. The help menu in Canvas was very useful in learning more about accessibility options in this LMS. I also liked the general tutorial listing general accessibility course design guidelines.
2. The process of giving students extra time to take a quiz was pretty simple once I worked through the tutorial. I like that I can give extra time to multiple students at a time by selecting the moderate quiz icon.
3. Adding a YouTube video with closed captioning was also very easy in Canvas using the upload files and HTML editor. The upload process seemed faster than in D2L.
4. The biggest strength of Canvas this week was the easy way to add accessible HTML templates with CSS. As opposed to spending hours figuring this process our in D2L despite the provided instructions, I figured out how to do this in Canvas in 5 minutes. The system automatically unzips a zip file (easily uploaded using the zip file icon). The only step required was to upload one template file which was then automatically accessible in the course content.
LMS-Canvas Tools Review- Weaknesses:
1. Adding restrictions to dropbox assignments was not intuitive in Canvas. I could not find any instructions for doing this using the Canvas help icon. I also felt that I had fewer options for giving users extra time than in D2L. For example the only options in Canvas are to give students extra attempts, and a delayed submission time, without any way to give them extra time for late submissions or a grace period.
2. I could not link to Atomic Learning Tutorials in Canvas. However this is probably because I'm using the free version unlike the one for D2L which is sponsored by Wright State University.
LMS Comparison & Recommendation:
Overall, both LMS had great tools for increasing accessibility for students. Although the process of giving extra time to students who need it when submitting assignments was easier in D2L, I still think it is a difficult system for new course designers to navigate due to too many available options. I thought Canvas had fewer options for giving students a grace period and late submission extension, but it was more intuitive to figure out accessibility options using the help menu than it was in D2L. I also found Canvas to be superior to D2L in terms of adding accessible HTML templates with CSS since there were many fewer steps than in D2L. Often new course designers have limited time to figure out a LMS, and are more likely to implement accessible content if it is easier to add and less labor intensive to figure out. Therefore, since Canvas offers a more user friendly interface for improving accessibility, I recommend it over D2L this week.