USC’s Journey to Selecting Brightspace
In 2021, USC established the LMS Assessment Committee to best identify the academic and technological needs for USC around the Learning Management system. Co-chaired by faculty members Sandeep Gupta (Viterbi) and John Pascarella (Rossier), the committee brought together 49 participants, including faculty, students, Deans, technologists, instructional designers, and USC administrators. Key representatives for the Office of Institutional Accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Office were also included.
Brightspace Outshines the Rest
The committee took three essential steps in its approach to assessing the LMS needs for USC:
- A comprehensive pre-assessment research phase, conducting insightful interviews with faculty and students from Undergraduate and Graduate programs to understand their perspectives and needs.
- Examined leading market research and interviewed peer institutions (Stanford, NYU, MIT, UCLA, Purdue, Georgetown, Notre Dame & Arizona State University).
- Conducted a robust testing phase, involving a diverse group of instructors, students, and administrators, to thoroughly evaluate LMS solutions in a real-world context.
The assessment highlighted that Brightspace was the leader in these categories:
- Communication
- Customer Support
- Course Creation
- Exams
- Accessibility
- Grading
What to Expect from Brightspace
Brightspace offers an intuitive experience featuring familiar tools like Turnitin and Zoom, alongside new features such as interactive widgets and mobile compatibility. It also provides detailed student reports and progress tracking to enrich your learning experience. Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting features you can expect in Brightspace.