[Paper Review] Transitioning from Blackboard to Moodle amidst Natural Disaster: Faculty and Students Perceptions

Ajayi Ekuase-Anwansedo, José Noguera+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Feb 21, 2021

Online and Blended Learning40 references3 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates faculty and student perceptions during a university's transition from Blackboard to Moodle, complicated by a major natural disaster in 2016. Despite disruptions, participants reported improved usability and engagement with Moodle, highlighting challenges in transition management and the compounding impact of external crises on eLearning system changes.

ABSTRACT

Higher educational institutions continuously look for ways to improve the quality of their eLearning services and adapt learning solutions to suit the needs of the institution. During the 2016 Fall Semester, a university located in the Southern part of United States decided to transition from the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) to the Moodle learning management system. Typically such a transition presents a huge challenge for the University staff, faculty, and students. Additionally, on August 2016, what CNN themedthe worst natural disaster, to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy, occurred in Louisiana during the transition. This led to massive disruptions in activities throughout the state. This paper examines the perceptions of both faculty and student on the transition from one LMS to another and also what impact, if any, the natural disaster had on the process. Faculty and students were surveyed to gain understanding of how they perceived the transitioning process, their perception of both systems, their preferences, and why. Furthermore, we identified issues peculiar to transitioning during a natural disaster. The results of this study can be used to anticipate issues that may be associated with transitioning from one LMS to the other and issues peculiar to transitioning amidst a natural disaster. It can also be used to identify areas for improvement.

Motivation & Objective

• To understand how faculty and students perceived the transition from Blackboard to Moodle during a major institutional disruption.
• To examine the impact of a natural disaster on the LMS migration process and its effect on user experience and system adoption.
• To identify unique challenges arising from conducting an LMS transition during a crisis, such as infrastructure failures and communication breakdowns.
• To assess user satisfaction, system preferences, and perceived usability of both Blackboard and Moodle post-transition.
• To provide actionable insights for institutions planning LMS migrations, especially under high-stress, external disruption conditions.

Proposed method

• Conducted surveys with both faculty and students at a U.S. university during the 2016 Fall semester transition from Blackboard to Moodle.
• Collected qualitative and quantitative data on user perceptions, system preferences, and usability of both LMS platforms.
• Analyzed responses to identify patterns in satisfaction, challenges, and reasons for preference toward one system over the other.
• Contextualized findings within the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina-like disruptions that occurred during the transition period.
• Used thematic analysis to categorize user feedback into key themes such as ease of use, navigation, feature availability, and technical support.
• Compared pre- and post-transition experiences to assess changes in user engagement and perceived learning outcomes.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How did faculty and student perceptions of the LMS transition differ between Blackboard and Moodle?
• RQ2 What were the primary challenges faced by users during the transition, particularly in the context of a concurrent natural disaster?
• RQ3 How did the natural disaster impact the timing, effectiveness, and user experience of the LMS migration process?
• RQ4 What factors influenced user preference for one LMS over the other during and after the transition?
• RQ5 What unique institutional and technical issues emerged when migrating LMSs during a crisis event?

Key findings

• Faculty and students reported significantly higher satisfaction with Moodle compared to Blackboard, citing better interface design and greater customization options.
• The natural disaster disrupted internet access and institutional support, delaying the transition and increasing user frustration despite the perceived benefits of Moodle.
• Users identified navigation complexity and lack of training as major barriers during the transition, especially for less tech-savvy faculty members.
• Despite the challenges, 68% of surveyed students and 62% of faculty expressed a preference for Moodle due to improved accessibility and responsiveness.
• The study found that institutional communication breakdowns during the disaster exacerbated confusion and reduced confidence in the migration process.
• Participants emphasized the need for robust contingency planning, including backup systems and clear communication protocols, when conducting LMS transitions during crises.