Support Teaching Tools

Canvas: Project Timeline

The icon for Blackboard and the Icon for Canvas merge into each other

The CLE project team and IT Services have been working together to undertake the necessary analysis and design work to implement Canvas by Instructure as our replacement for Blackboard Learn at The University of Manchester. The technical implementation plan was approved at the end of May.

Canvas Project Timeline

September 2024Transnational Education (TNE), Global MBA (GMBA), Executive Education (Exec Ed) colleagues provisioned access to Canvas to start building their course content. In addition, there will be provision of access for identified programmes.
January 2025Access provisioned for the whole organisation and will include access to training. Colleagues can start building course content.
February 2025Selected TNE courses and Exec Ed to go-live teaching students using Canvas. Semester 1 course content will be migrated to Canvas from Blackboard through third-party, K16 Solutions, to be used if required.
June 2025Semester 2 course content will be migrated to Canvas from Blackboard through third-party, K16 Solutions, to be used if required.
July 2025GMBA courses go-live teaching students using Canvas.
September 2025All courses using Canvas for teaching students.
Table outlines Canvas deadlines

What do these dates mean for you?

The project will work with eLearning teams and local governance groups to identify courses that would require earlier access to build in September 2024. These courses will require a longer lead time to build course content. These courses would not go live earlier than their normal programme start date in 2025/2026.

We will provision Canvas access to these identified staff groups to start building their courses from September 2024.

From January 2025, all colleagues across the University required to build course content will be given access. Training will be available from this point to support engagement from all colleagues.

From September 2025, all courses need to have transitioned to Canvas from Blackboard and all colleagues will need to use Canvas to deliver their teaching to students.

Where can I find further information? 

Specific questions about Canvas and the CLE project can be directed to your discipline representatives on the Faculty CLE Implementation group

The Teaching College series Canvas Essentials – which provides a basic comparison between Blackboard and Canvas functionality can be found on this page.