A change to instruction is on the horizon, and while some are excited to finally leave Moodle behind, others are skeptical about learning a new instructional system.
In the summer 2026 semester, UNC Asheville is expected to switch its Learning Management System from Moodle to Canvas. The change comes from a 2025 Board of Governors resolution to consolidate each school in the UNC System under one LMS.
According to Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Kate Zubko, All summer and fall 2026 courses will be on Canvas LMS. Canvas is migrating the course materials on behalf of faculty.
According to Zubko, there are expectations of a better student experience from Canvas.
“Canvas is a more accessible, streamlined platform than Moodle and it has several student support features, including a cross-course integrated calendar and notifications system. Canvas is used in all NC public schools, contributing to over 75% of UNC Asheville students already being familiar with the platform,” Zubko said.
Zubko additionally said that campus IT does not expect issues with the transition to the new LMS platform.
“Some faculty are already familiar with Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), and others will need to learn the new platform. Most LMSs have similar features, so it is just a matter of getting used to the new set-up, much like when you upgrade software or change between Android and iPhone,” Zubko said.
There will be provided support for faculty learning to use Canvas LMS.
“All faculty have already been added to a set of self-paced Canvas LMS tutorials and knowledge base. There will be workshops and other one-on-one support throughout the spring, summer, and pre-fall semester to get faculty the support they need,” Zubko said.
From a student perspective, opinions vary. sophomore Maya Terral said that she does not prefer the transition.
“I prefer Moodle over Google Classroom and Canvas, because I’ve had experience with both and I would say that Moodle is definitely easier to navigate,” Terral said, “it also depends on the professor who is organizing it.”
“Canvas is a much more intuitive platform, it literally puts your assignments on a calendar for you,” junior Hannah Ray said.
Terral said that she has little faith in professors’ ability to adapt to the platform. Sophomore Kennedy Wilson shared a similar sentiment.
“There’s a generational gap, older professors especially, they’re just not very good with organizing their Moodle. Canvas is gonna be terrible,” Wilson said.
