The 2021 Learning Management System Field Guide

Why Read This Research

COVID-19 triggered most North American institutions to initiate remote instruction at scale. Institutions quickly evaluated their academic technology stacks for their ability to support fully online, blended, and hybrid-flexible learning. Many of them found their learning technologies—their learning management systems in particular—lacking. Overwhelmingly, higher education institutions in the US support one of four LMS products: Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Instructure Canvas, and Moodle. The purpose of this field guide is to help orient campus IT leaders to the LMS market.

Key Questions Answered

• What pedagogical trends are driving LMS innovation in a post-COVID landscape?
• What is the current state of the US LMS market?
• Who are the major vendors and products?
• How are major products and vendors responding to changes in higher education?

Features

• Vendor in Focus: Blackboard, D2L, Instructure, Moodle, Populi, PowerSchool, Sakai
• Software Category in Focus: Learning Management Systems
• Author: Laura Gogia, Research Director, Learning Technologies and Student Success, Tambellini Group
• Research Availability: May 2021

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary
2. Post-COVID Pedagogy
3. The LMS Market
4. Blackboard
5. D2L
6. Instructure
7. Moodle Pty
8. Conclusion & Methodology
9. References