EDU643: LMS Evaluation Grid Template - Page 1

Evaluation Category LMS Choice #1: LMS Choice #2: LMS Choice #3:
(Otus) (Canvas) (Moodle)

Ease of Use: ● Basic design set up of all ● Basic design set up of all LMS ● Basic design set up of all LMS
● Is LMS straightforward and user-friendly LMS platforms. Tab menus platforms. Tab menus located platforms. Tab menus located
for Ts, Ss, Ps? located on the left side when on the left side when clicked on the left side when clicked
● Are there available “How-To Guides” or clicked opens subheadings opens subheadings in opens subheadings in
support documentation in the Platform or in categories. categories. categories
on the Internet?
● How long will it take for Ts to set-up a ● When previewing there is a ● User Friendly for all users. ● How to guide is label Moodle
course? pop tutorial for each section. Docs and has a Moodle
A pop-up chat box is ● Yes clicking guides takes community forums for help
available for answering users to a Guides page that is
questions, How-to-Guide is search able and has tabs for ● Set up time 5 to 15 minutes
in the Help section and Canvas, Catalog, Community,
consists of a search option Mobile, Portfolium, Practice,
also has predetermined Studio, and Video.
headers that has articles on
the majority of options a new ● Easy setup of the classroom
user would want. took about 5 minutes. Can add
students by import from SIS,
● Easy to set up class took generated invitations, or by
about 5 minutes to set up. adding manually. HAs an ADD
You can add students and People button.
co teachers by email,CVS,
once class is set up students
can be added by Quickcode

Access: ● Otus is supported on all web ● Supported devices: ● Firefox, Internet Explorer,
● Will the LMS work well on all web browsers and device types Desktop Browsers Microsoft Edge, Safari, or
browsers and device types? ● App: Chrome 81 and 83 Chrome, have some issues
● Is there an App for Ts, Ss or Ps? App for Ss: Firefox 76 and 77 with Safari.
● Can you build calendars/schedules in View the notification feed on Edge 81 and 83 ● App for Ts, Ss, Ps
the LMS or sync with other school/district the home page. Respondus Lockdown ● calendar can display site,
calendar tools? View class boards including Browser course, group, user and
pictures, videos, and links Safari 12 and 13 category events in addition to
that have been posted Mobile Browsers assignment and quiz deadlines,
View assessment scores. Latest version of Safari chat times and other course
View standards performance (iOS) and Chrome events. Calendars can be
View recognitions. (Android)—view limited synced .
App for Ts: support guidelines
View the notification feed on
the home page. ● App for Ts,Ps, Ss.
 View class board posts.
View completion status of ● Ts can build calendar to:
assessments (not View and create activities in course as
started/graded). well as events and personal
Assign, view, and edit reminders;
recognitions. can also filter the calendar view to only
View individual students' see specific calendars
overall grade and Quickly add Assignments to a blank
assessment scores. course.
View individual students' Fill in the details of those
standards performance. Assignments later
App for Ps: Adjust the dates of Assignments that
Link a student to their family have been imported from previous
account. terms.
View the notification feed on Drag and drop events across multiple
the home page. months
View the class board Copy the iCal feed and import it to
including pictures, videos, preferred personal Calendar, such as
and links that have been Google or Outlook
posted and any comments Schedule appointments with students
left by their student. using the Scheduler
View their student's overall
grade and assessment ● Ss: View course calendars
scores and group calendars.
View their student's Create personal calendar reminders.
standards performance View Filter the calendar view to only see
recognitions given to their specific calendars.
students. Copy the iCal feed for all courses and
import it to preferred personal
● Calendars: Calendar, such as Google or Outlook.
Ts:
Events can be added to the
Calendar Manually or
Automatically
Rubric Assessments with
Due Dates will automatically
appear on the Calendar
You may integrate the
Calendar with your Google
Calendar
events are visible across all
your classes at once, or you
can filter to specific class
events.
Ss:
Add Events
Add tasks to To Do List
 Integrate with Google
Calendar
View events added by
teachers
View events across All
Classes or filter by specific
class
Ps:
View Calendar events per
student in family, and per
class
View students' To Do List

Course Design: ● No course templates offered ● No course templates offered ● No course template unless you
● Does the LMS offer course templates? create your own then can be
● Is there any existing content or ● No existing content or ● Yes located under Canvas replicated
assessment questions available to use assessment questions. Commons has existing ● No existing content or
“as is” or that can be modified? content or assessment assessment question.
● Can Ts create and copy learning objects questions. ● Ts can create and copy
into a variety of other courses? ● Can use OpenEd, when I learning objective across
● Does the LMS work with ​OER tried to find an assessment ● Ts can create and copy courses
resources​? on China for 7th Grade SS learning objects across ● Moodle is an OER resource
● Does the platform support accessibility no results. Was able to account. ● "Moodle is designed to provide
compliance or UDL? locate videos easily with the equal functionality and
same search tag. ● Can use any resource by information to all people. This
● Yes if Ts incorporate into sharing to Canvas Commons means that there should be no
lesson format. barriers for people regardless
● W3C's Web Accessibility of disabilities, assistive
● Ts can add OER or any Initiative and Section 508 technologies that are used,
resource they wish to guidelines different screen sizes and
bookshelf​ from Google different input devices "
Drive, shared with me, also
direct link to OpenEd

● Yes, referred to as learning

together an has several
articles to help institute when
planning and using LMS

Design/Functionality/Integration: ● Yes, gradebook is easily ● Yes, displays grades as ● Yes grades are gadebook
● Does the LMS fit with how Ts track accessed and input options points, percentages, automatically aggregates
student progress or would like to track are many. Has the ability to complete/incomplete, or any scores and feedback from
Ss in the future? also track Mastery, Near other method that matches the Assignments, Activities, and/or
● Does the LMS integrate with other apps Master, Approaching course grading scheme, and Manual grades from your
or web tools, i.e., Google Drive, Google Mastery, 3-2-1, %, pts. Can filter and arrange Gradebook Moodle course. Students can
 Meet, EdPuzzle, Screencastify, etc.? also create graphs showing entries according to view their own grades in
● Does the LMS connect with the district students performance preferences. Automatically individualized reports
SIS or Gradebook? history. apply a grade for missing or ● Has a large inventory of
● What kinds of analytics are provided to late submissions, and easily integrated apps.
Ts, Ss, Ps & As? ● Integration with G Suite of hide grades until ready for
apps, other apps can be students to view them. For ● Have to use ​LingkSync to sync
manually entered into simplified grading, use with district SISI
Bookshelf. SpeedGrader to view and
grade submissions. ● Analytics: Two types of models
● Otus syncs students, supported:
teachers, rosters, and ● External Apps Admins Machine-learning based
demographic information can add external apps models, including predictive
with the following Student for accounts and models
Information Systems. Otus subaccounts via XML, "Static" models to detect
also offers gradebook syncs URL, or manual situations of concern using
with PowerSchool and configuration.If apps simple rules
Infinite Campus: do not already exist Three built-in models:
Aeries,Aspen,Blackbaud,Ch for a course, "Students at risk of dropping
alkable/iNow/STI,CIMS,CIM instructors can add out", "Upcoming activities due"
S III,Crosspoint/AS400 external apps in their and "No Teaching".
Sped,DASL/Progress courses to create A set of student engagement
Books,Django-SIS,EduPoint, additional learning indicators based on the
EDP paths for students. Community of Inquiry.
Education External apps can be Built-in tools to evaluate
Edge,eSchool,ESD,Genesis, added to Modules, models against your site's data
GoEduStar,Illuminate,Infinite Course Navigation, Proactive notifications using
Campus (includes the Rich Content Events
gradebook sync),ITCCS Editor, and A list of suggested Actions is
Jupiter,MiStar,MMS,Open-SI Assignments. provided with the Insight
S notifications for each model.
OSIMS,Pathways,PowerSch ● Can connect to district For example, in the Students at
ool (includes gradebook SIS and Gradebook to risk of dropping out model,
sync) import/export instructors can easily send
ProLogic/TEAMS,RDS,Real information. messages to students identified
Time by the model, or jump to the
RSCCC,SAM Spectra ● Analytics: Account, Activity report for that student
(Central Access),School Course, and Student for more detail about student
Brains,School analytics. Who gets activity within the course
Insight,Schoolmaster,School what decided by An API to build indicators and
Tool account administrator prediction models for
SDS,SIS third-party Moodle plugins
K12,Skyward,Synergy Machine learning backend
TEAMS,TxEIS,WVIES plugin type - supports PHP and
Python, and can be extended
● Offers 3rd Party data to implement other ML
gathered from local or state backends
assessments that students The system can be easily
 take outside of their regular extended with new custom
classroom assessments. models, based on reusable
includes NWEA, iReady, targets, indicators, and other
PSAT, SBAC, IAR, ACT. It is components. For more
also possible to use 3rd information, see the Analytics
Party to upload custom API developer documentation.
growth assessments.
Attendance​ summary and
individual attendance
analytics per student.
Recognitions​ that have been
given based on individual
students, classes, or type of
recognition.
Participation​ shows
engagement data collected
at the classroom level. It will
show you the number of
times a student has been
called on and the number of
times a student has raised
their hand during class.
Blog report ​ visualize
engagement and
participation connected to
student blogging within your
classroom.
Assessments​ Student
performance on Otus
Assessments can be seen
Standards Analytics 1.0​ view
performance on standards
that have been assessed.
Reports​ can run a Query,
Historical report, or Report
Cards. only available As.
Key: Ts = Teachers; Ss = Students; Ps = Parents; As = Administrators; Platform = LMS
 EDU643: LMS Evaluation Grid Template - Page 2

Evaluation Category LMS Choice #1: LMS Choice #2: LMS Choice #3:
(Otus) (Canvas) (Moodle)

Online Collaboration & Communication: ● Yes, multiple ways including ● Ts & Ss can communicate ● Ts and Ss can communicate
● Can Ts & Ss easily communicate with class and private messaging, through emails, discussions, via email, Discussion forums
each other through multiple means? communication logs, Zoom conferences. This also and chats, notes, and
● Is there an online community around this integrated, supported text includes Ps. announcements.
LMS for Ts and As to participate in/learn and email in LMS. Also can ● Moodle community forums
from? post an Announcement on ● Has Canvas Commons online ● Moodle Docs can be used for
● Can Ts share object libraries between the Class Board. Recognition community for sharing object library sharing
different districts with the same LMS? Points tool like Classroom
Dojo. ● Ts and As can share across
● No online community to LMS with Canvas Commons
participate in.
● No sharing of object libraries
between different districts.

Assessment: ● Assessment supported: ● Has built in quiz feature that is ● Moodle Quiz activity supports
● What types of assessment does the LMS Assignment,Checklist,Home easy to use diagnostic and formative
support and how easy are they to work, assessment as well as
create? Journal,Lab,Observation,Pap ● Built in Discussion feature to summative exams, assignment
● Can Ts facilitate online test er,Presentation,Project,Quiz, assess understanding activities in Moodle enable
administration? Test,Worksheet. students to submit their
● Does the LMS support automated testing Assessments are easy to ● supports majority of online coursework as a file upload or
and scoring (is there an ​AI​ component)? create and import materials testing platforms. online text and allows
● Does the LMS support competency from other sources outside assessment, grade and provide
mapping/skill gap analysis? the LMS. ● SpeedGrader to view and feedback.
● Is there a portfolio feature? ● Yes Ts can support online grade submissions
● Is there a way to create rubrics and use testing. ● Moodle has a plugins to proctor
them seamlessly to assess student ● Automated testing is ● Competency mapping and online testing
work? supported and scored per skill gap available in Analytics
parameters set by the and Outcomes section on ● Competency and skills gap
teacher. home page analysis must be set up by As
● Yes, Ts can use Query then can be used. Also has
option to support ● Eportfolio available scales and competency
competency mapping/skills ● Course-level rubrics are either components associated with
gap analysis created at the course level or grade in grade book
● Yes Ts and Ss can utilize copied from the account or ● Portfolio feature is easy to use
portfolio options. sub-account leve for Ts and Ss
● Yes templates are provided ● Rubrics are available in grading
to help create rubrics for when setting up a grade book
work. for assignments.
Privacy/Security: ● Otus is a signatory of the FERPA,CIPA, COPPA information for Moodle Terms of Service
● Is this LMS compliant with ​FERPA, Student Privacy Pledge. Canvas
CIPA, COPPA​ and HIPPA Details of our participation in Moodle Privacy Policy
laws/protection acts? this program can be found at Privacy Policy
● What are the privacy controls (privacy Student Privacy
terms of agreement)? Pledge.Children’s Online
● Is there encryption of data? Privacy Protection Act of
● Who owns the data? 1998 (COPPA)If you are
● Is there an automatic backup system? installing, accessing or using
the Services on behalf of a
Student who is under the age
of 13, you represent and
warrant that (a) you are an
authorized Educator who has
obtained the consent of the
Student’s parent or guardian
in accordance with the
Children’s Online Privacy
Protection Act of 1998
(COPPA) for the Student’s
use of the Services, or (b)
you are the parent or
guardian of the Student and
you have provided your
consent in accordance with
COPPA to your Student’s
Educator for your Student’s
use of the Services. Family
Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
Under the Family
Educational Rights and
Privacy Act 1974 (FERPA),
schools are required, in
some circumstances, to
provide parents and
guardians with the right to
inspect and review the
education records of their
children and to obtain the
consent of the parents or
guardians of the student (or
the consent of the student, if
such student is 18 years of
age or older or attending an
institution of postsecondary
education) prior to disclosing
 personal information about
the student that is contained
in the student’s education
records.
Privacy Policy

Costs: Otus is free for teachers and Pricing unavailable without quote. Free/ Suggested donation based on
● What are the estimated annual costs for students and includes data Free option and a pay option. size of usage. The Mini plan costs $190
the product for an individual user or management and progress annually and is intended for up to 100
school or district? monitoring features. District plan users. It offers 200 MB of file storage
● Are the annual costs sustainable for ranges from $3 to $12 per student up and includes two additional features: an
multiple years? to a certain number and then advanced theme for the account and an
decreases with increased enrollment. extra plug-in pack.
(https://www.commonsense.org/) The Small plan costs $380 annually
and includes all the features in the Mini
plan but accommodates up to 200
students and up to 400 MB of file
upload storage.
The Medium plan costs $760 per year,
includes all the features in the Mini plan
while allowing up to 500 users, and
offers up to 1 GB of file upload storage
(betterbuys.com).

Key: Ts = Teachers; Ss = Students; Ps = Parents; As = Administrators; Platform = LMS

 EDU643: LMS Evaluation Grid Template - Page 3
Using your completed LMS Evaluation Grid, please answer the questions below ​(no more than one page please)​:
A. What is the best LMS tool for each evaluation category, i.e., ease of use, access, course design, etc.? Be sure to clearly and concisely articulate
the “why” behind each of your category selections.

Ease of Use:​All three LMS platforms evaluated have the same basic design that LMSs follow with menu options left side oriented, and took roughly the
same amount of time to set up 3-5 minutes. The LMSs had help sections and guides available, but Otus also had pop up balloons which made ​ Otus
stand out for ease of use of the three LMSs evaluated.

Access: ​Apps add on for personal devices and home use are the norm for all three LMSs. Otus is supported on all web platforms, with Canvas having an
impressive list, Moodle is supported on most platforms with issues when accessed from Safari with iOS devices. All have calendar options that allow
building, syncing, updates, due dates, and appointments. Otus offers the most features when using the calendar function with the addition of a To Do
List. ​For access Otus is the most comprehensive allowing the most calendar options and app options for Ts,Ss, and Ps.

Course design:​The three LMS do not offer course templates. Canvas does have content available from their Canvas Commons function. Learning
objectives can be shared across courses that Ts create in all three platforms. All three are OER accessible. Canvas has the most detailed accessibility
compliance with W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative and Section 508 guidelines clearly stated and outlined. With Canvas Commons and the accessibility
compliance, ​Canvas is the top choice for this category.

Design/Functionality/Integration: ​All three LMSs have integration with SIS platforms and a built in gradebook/attendance. Moodle would need an add-on
to sync with most SIS systems. Otus integrates with G suite applications and does have an impressive list of built in apps, while Canvas and Moodle
have to be integrated with most edtech apps. Otus has the most impressive built in analytics that also can be used to gather 3rd party data from state
assessments.​Otus is the clear winner in this category.

Online Collaboration & Communication:​​The three LMSs all have impressive communication applications including email, chats, discussions. Otus
provides a call feature also and private messaging. Moodle and Canvas have online line community features adding in communication across users
outside a district or school. Otus does not allow sharing of object libraries, Canvas does with their Canvas Community and Moodle can with Moodle Docs.
The sharing options of Moodle and Canvas edge out Otus in this category with ​Canvas taking the category by having a conference option.

Assessment:​Otus,Canvas, and Moodle all have assessment categories with Otus having a more comprehensive array with the inclusion of
Assignment,Checklist,Homework,Journal,Lab,Observation,Paper,Presentation,Project,Quiz,Test,Worksheet Assessments that can be graded by
parameters set by teacher. Canvas does have a speed grader function that could not be reviewed in the evaluation but was an interesting concept.
Moodle does have a quiz function that can be set up for larger assessments. Both Otus and Canvas have built in competency and skills mapping
applications while Moodle needs app integration to do this. Otus also provides rubric templates for grading. ​
The overall leader of this category is Otus,​if
the evaluator would have been able to preview speed grader in Canvas the outcome may have been different.

Privacy/Security:​All three LMSs evaluated have privacy and compliance information available for viewing. Canvas and Moodle both have privacy policies
that are very difficult to determine what is protected. All three own the data that is created from usage. Otus has a clearly defined privacy policy and
compliance policy that is easy to digest with straightforward proof of privacy and compliance making​Otus the leader in this category.
Costs:
Otus is free for teachers and students and includes data management and progress monitoring features. District plan ranges from $3 to $12 per student
up to a certain number and then decreases with increased enrollment (https://www.commonsense.org/). Canvas pricing unavailable without quote but
has a free option and a pay option. Moodle is free with a suggested donation based on size of usage. All three limit options available without paying a
fee or making a donation. ​Moodle is the clear winner in this category based on the $1.90 average student cost per plan.

B. In your opinion, which of the three LMS platforms really underperformed in comparison to the other two platforms? Did this surprise you? Why or
why not?

In my opinion the LMS platform that really underperformed in comparison with the other two platforms was Moodle. I was surprised by this in that at
face value all three LMSs are similar in appearance and set up. But when delving deeper into the platforms Moodle did not have as easy a how to guide
as the other two and it took time to browse through the Moodle Docs to find answers to my questions. Moodle also had issues with compatibility with the
iOS operating system which limits at home use for some students. Having to add another program to sync with SIS systems was another area that was a
down check when evaluating Moodle. Even with the described short coming Moodle was the most fiscally competitive of the three with an average cost
per student around $1.90.