Baldwin Wallace has opted for a new technology update and no, it’s not another Wi-Fi network. The target this time is Blackboard; after the 2021-22 school year is over, the website will be getting the boot from BW.  

This will be a big change for all members of the BW community, but especially for students and faculty who use Blackboard every day for classes, whether that be to post assignments and grades or take tests and turn in work.  

Most students were not aware of the change until news started to spread through the campus. There are mixed feelings about this sudden development in BW technology.  

Junior Tony Ritson, who has previously used Canvas is not on board.  

“As a student from a school who used Canvas…I can attest that Blackboard has been the easier tool to use as almost every resource the university offers is found in the application and again, is very easy to navigate,” said Ritson. 

This type of change is not something that BW students want to put on top of their already demanding schedules. Even if students are technologically adaptable, the learning curve for this new application will be steep and could become inconvenient.  

“I am a little technologically challenged,” said sophomore Delaney Davis. “I would have to take extra time learning the system [Canvas]. I think it would also affect my classes because professors might have to learn the system as well.”  

Davis’s final statement is not stemming far from the reality of the situation. Dr. Gary Christie, a professor in the education department, expressed that learning how to use Canvas is his top concern. 

“Going to a new system is like someone coming into my office and rearranging all of my files and giving me a new computer with software that is unfamiliar to me,” said Christie. “I wonder how I will find anything, or be able to get what I need quickly, and I have so much to do in a short time.” 

However, even amid all the doubt, Christie did shine some positive light on the situation.  

“I know that our IT group will do an excellent job of helping me; they are patient and so helpful, no matter how irritated I may be […] I believe that IT knows what they are doing, and I trust them.”  

As of right now, no one can say if Canvas will be a beneficial addition to the next school year. The overarching feeling is of concern. Ultimately though, these kinds of upgrades are necessary and vital to our ever growing campus.