Starting in May, there will be a major change in how VSU students take quizzes, learn about upcoming projects, and submit assignments.

Blazeview has been an essential tool for VSU.

VSU has been using the Learning Management System Blackboard which is designed to manage online classroom activities and communications between faculty and students.

“The new platform that is scheduled to replace the discontinued Blackboard Vista 8 program is called Desire2Learn,” Meg Moore, director for the Center of eLearning, said.

The D2L program will have similar functions to Blackboard, however the location of some commands may change, which will provide some difficulty to new users.

Students worried about being able to locate and use the new program should be pleased to know that the program will still be branded as Blazeview.

When the committee assigned to propose a new LMS, the LMS Transition Task Force started their search for a new system that could satisfy their criteria.

These criteria consisted of mobile access, easy course information access, consistency, master course creation, enhanced grading features, local control over functionality, student information and LMS synchronization, and a well-developed system that can facilitate hybrid courses as well as online courses, according to VSU’s eLearning web page.

Students will have a chance to utilize tutorial videos and documents about D2L prior to the shift in May.