The University of Santo Tomas (UST) System will be shifting to a new Learning Management System (LMS) to improve collaboration, implement academic and technological advancements, and meet changing student and faculty needs. Students in UST. (ALI VICOY / MANILA  BULLETIN FILE)

Instructure, the maker of Canvas, announced that UST System chose Canvas to elevate the learning experiences of its students. Likewise, the implementation will benefit not just the UST but other Dominican Province of the Philippines (DPP) schools as well including Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Calamba, Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Manaoag, and Angelicum Iloilo. Over 56,000 students across eight institutions and nine campuses are expected to benefit from the elevated edtech environment.

UST chooses Canvas

Prompted by the need to improve content sharing and collaboration between their network and increase efficiency in grading and achievement of learning outcomes, Asia’s oldest existing university will be shifting from its previous LMS to Canvas. Canvas will provide teachers access to data and analytics that will allow them to make informed decisions and give more personalized feedback to their students. “Two decades prior to the pandemic, the University of Santo Tomas established itself as the pioneer for e-learning adoption in the Philippines,” said Educational Technology Center Director and Assistant Professor Anna Cherylle M. Ramos. “As we continue to expand and improve our digital ecosystem, the University of Santo Tomas has engaged in an official partnership with Instructure to advance with forward-thinking solutions that provide everyone with access to a high-quality education supported by an equally powerful learning management system,” she added.
After surveying teachers and students, Ramos said that UST deemed that Canvas was the “most robust and intuitive learning platform” to redesign and transform exemplary courses and promote meaningful teaching, learning, and assessment that could lead their students to achieve success in the future world of work. Likewise, Information and Communications Technology Acting Assistant to the Rector Rev. Fr. Wenifredo Padilla, III, OP said that the partnership is expected to continue to “propel us to greater heights by fostering more pedagogical innovations on campus and will enable instructors and students to interact more seamlessly within and outside of the classroom as we transition from fully online to hyflex/hybrid modalities of instruction in the post-pandemic era.” By adding the communication, grading, and data capabilities of Canvas LMS, the UST aims to improve engagement and creativity by providing an easy-to-use platform for teachers and students with the potential for adding micro-credentials. Meanwhile, Instructure Regional Vice President for the Asia Pacific region Harrison Kelly noted that as the Philippines moves to a new era of education and looks to recover from the interruption in learning by the pandemic, “we are excited to join efforts with the University of Santo Tomas, providing them with robust, secure and flexible tools that allow for a more student-centered approach, promoting flexibility and mobility that improve student success.” Instructure is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. To date, the Instructure Learning Platform supports tens of millions of educators and learners across the globe.