Transforming teaching and learning at scale: Australian Catholic University and Canvas
Australian Catholic University chose Canvas LMS to modernise its learning environment and deliver a consistent, data-informed experience across campuses in Australia and Rome. Watch the video below and then scroll down to read the case study.
So the opportunity to release a new LMS encouraged some sort of templated consistency and some sort of general standards, it was a really opportune time to do that for ACU. Life before Canvas, it's hard to imagine what that was like now. Before Canvas, it felt, for want of a better word, somewhat clunky. Students' needs have changed, like and their studying has changed. Like, they they need that more.
They wanna be flexible in their study environment. So the LMS really needs to cater for that online environment. The real criteria was around having a contemporary environment, a fully functional mobile app, and being able to deliver us great, learning analytics. But I think Canvas came out on top because of the user interface. Canvas journey actually started, via ACU online.
So we were the pilot project for ACU before we launched, fully across the the university. I had actually had previous experience using Canvas at other institutions, so I was really aware of its capabilities. We didn't have to focus on the core functionality of a learning management system. That's what Canvas is. So that allowed our project team to focus on our data migration, allowed us to focus on our integration plan, allowed us to focus on getting all the users across and getting them upskilled with how to actually incorporate Canvas into their delivery of learning and teaching at ACU.
One of the things that is so important for us is to make sure that our teaching staff feel confident and comfortable using the technology, but also that they feel like the technology actually supports them. Everything is structured in a really clear intuitive way, which which makes it really simple and easy, not just as a designer, but for our students and our teachers as well. It would be fair to say I did think of it as another thing that I had to do, but it's worked out to be the best thing because I've absolutely, it's been a joy to engage with it. We really really like how well the mobile app and the browser versions of Canvas work together to give staff a really seamless experience in designing their Canvas courses. I love setting up my Canvas site at the start of the year.
It's almost like harking back to setting up your kindergarten room at the beginning of the year, and you can't wait to see what the children make of it. So the way Canvas is set up enables us to actually create a learning experience and learning journey. The really great thing is the fact that we are able to utilize a lot of the, Canvas analytics to help drive evidence based improvements to what we do. With Canvas, there is an app, so I can access content wherever I am. I can sync the calendar from Canvas to my phone, so I actually get notifications when things are due.
You can do anything on the mobile app. It's important because we know that students use their mobile phone to do everything just about. That's how they operate and that's how they wanna engage with things. I know personally from my uni friends and students from other universities that I'm friends with, they all love Canvas, and it's made their lives so much easier. So for our students, what I'd really like to be what I'd really hope for is that they get a really great experience at university.
And the ideal outcome, I think, is you become a lifelong learner. So you know how to learn something, you know how what how to how things stick in your mind, what sort of learner you are, and I think that helps everybody in the course of their life. I would love to be involved with another implementation or of Canvas. It improved our processes. I would say at the end, I think we're a better university business for it now.
I think the great thing about Canvas is that the feature sets that are available for all of the different user groups that we have here just are a great representation of the best of what a contemporary LMS has to offer. There's always room to growth. You know, we've got AI. We've got all sorts of things. The world changes as we go.
Soon we'll have not just digital natives, but we'll have AI natives. And what are what's their experience of learning going to be? How are those student needs and demands gonna change over time? But I think with Canvas, we've got a product that can help us or sort of help along that journey. You know, it's not gonna be out of date. We're not gonna run out of something. It's going to be it's going to move along with us.
Consistency is hard to maintain when your students span eight campuses and two continents. At Australian Catholic University (ACU), the learning experience depended on a legacy learning management system that had served its purpose but was starting to show its limits.
By 2022, the university knew it needed something more. The goal was to give its 30,000 students across Australia and in Rome a simpler, more reliable way to access learning and to help staff create engaging courses without technical barriers.
“We recognised our old system wasn’t meeting contemporary needs,” said Troy Severino, Associate Director for Learning Experience and Design. “Students told us there was too much inconsistency. Each time they started a new unit, they had to work out how the site was set up. Canvas stood out as intuitive and mobile, and able to provide a consistent experience.”
After a national tender, ACU selected Canvas. The decision reflected not only its ease of use but also its flexibility, strong integration capability, and global user community. Severino described it as a shift in focus: “Because Canvas already had the core features we needed, we could concentrate on migration, training, and design rather than system maintenance.”
Aligning technology with purpose
The move to Canvas gave ACU the chance to reimagine how learning was delivered. Severino and his team developed a model that positioned Canvas as the core of the university’s learning ecosystem. “We see our curriculum as the product, enrolments as the sales layer, and the LMS as the service,” he explained. “Canvas sits at the centre of that model.”
That structure now links course content, student enrolments, and delivery systems, ensuring every learner accesses the right materials at the right time. “It lets us focus on the business of learning rather than the technology,” Severino said.
Student feedback also shaped the change. Analysis of ACU’s evaluation data showed that learners wanted greater consistency across units. The team used those insights to create shared templates and course structures in Canvas that matched what students said they needed.
“We themed student comments from surveys and designed our front pages around that feedback,” Severino said.
For Yayoi Wai, who leads ACU Online’s digital learning design team, Canvas supported a shift from content delivery to learning design.
“Modules help us create a journey rather than a repository,” she said. “We use analytics to guide improvements so every course evolves over time.”
Wai’s team values how Canvas supports accessibility and mobile learning, which helps ACU reach students studying on campus, at home, or while working. “It’s flexible enough to meet learners where they are,” she said.
Empowering staff and students
The change has made daily work easier for academics and administrators. Mark Murphy, ACU’s product owner for Canvas, said the transition was smoother than previous LMS projects. “Accessing reports, managing courses, and importing data are all straightforward and save time,” he said.
Murphy also noted that early feedback from students has been positive. In evaluations, learners rated their Canvas experience highly and highlighted improvements in clarity and navigation. “It’s a better system to work in, for staff and students,” he said.
For lecturer Karen Hope, the difference is felt in the classroom. “Students tell me they always know where to find what they need,” she said.
“It’s intuitive and organised, and it lets me focus on teaching.” She described how tools such as SpeedGrader and group assignments have simplified marking and made interaction easier.
Hope sees Canvas as part of the learning environment itself. “I think of Canvas as the third teacher—the environment that supports learning,” she said. “It’s more than a place to store materials. It helps students move through the course and stay engaged.”
Extending learning beyond degrees
ACU is also using Canvas to support professional learning and compliance training. Through Canvas Credentials, students earn badges for modules such as academic integrity and child safety. The university plans to expand this with Canvas Catalog to support external short courses.
“We purchased Catalog and Credentials to open new opportunities,” said Severino. “It lets us take short courses to market and provide badges for completion.”
Raising the bar for digital learning
ACU’s implementation shows what can happen when an LMS is treated as an enabler rather than a system to maintain. Learners benefit from a consistent experience across campuses, staff gain efficient workflows, and the university has a clear foundation for future growth.
“We’ve set a new baseline for learning and teaching,” Severino said. “Canvas helps us keep moving forward.”