D2L Brightspace is emerging as a top option to replace Canvas as UST’s learning management system, the Varsitarian has learned.
If finalized, the shift will mark the second overhaul of the University’s LMS in less than four years.
UST migrated to Canvas in Academic Year 2023–2024, ending a two-decade partnership with Blackboard LMS.
The Varsitarian sought comments from the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) and the Educational Technology Center, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.
READ: UST eyes shift to new learning mgmt system | The Varsitarian
Brightspace was launched by parent company D2L in 2014 following a revamp of its original learning platform introduced in 1999 by John Baker.
Brightspace is known for deeply integrated, artificial intelligence features that automatically track student performance to suggest custom study paths, while giving educators built-in tools for automated quiz generation and data insights.
In a 2024 usability index for learning systems evaluated by American software company G2, D2L emerged as the top user-friendly LMS, scoring 9.24 out of 10, while Canvas scored 8.71.
In the Philippines, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde has used Brightspace as its LMS since 2016, calling it “BigSky Benilde.”
Rasmussen University, a private higher education institution in the United States, recently replaced Blackboard with D2L Brightspace, specifically citing the platform’s advanced AI capabilities.
The transition is said to be part of UST’s digital transformation efforts and was conceptualized even before a global cyberattack hit Canvas earlier in May.
The hacking affected institutions using the platform worldwide.
In a May 11 memorandum, OICT confirmed that investigations showed no evidence of unauthorized access within the University’s Canvas environment.
D2L Brightspace platform has had no reports of major, widespread cybersecurity breaches or successful direct attacks.
