Situation
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business is one of Europe’s largest institutions in its field, serving nearly 2,000 lecturers, professors, and academic staff. For many years, WU relied on an in-house learning management system. With the introduction of Canvas LMS, the university opened a new chapter in its digital teaching environment.
Insight
The Digital Teaching Services team at WU supports faculty with a wide range of resources and initiatives designed to make the most of Canvas. One area of focus has been the use of Canvas Commons, which offers teaching staff the possibility to share and reuse course content across departments.
Solution
WU Vienna implemented Canvas LMS and began building a pool of teaching materials in Canvas Commons. The Digital Teaching Services team provides training, resources, and hands-on support to help staff explore these opportunities and to make collaboration easier.
Key steps included:
- Migrating course structures and learning materials into Canvas LMS.
- Training nearly 2,000 academic staff to navigate and use Canvas effectively.
- Making a curated set of materials available in Canvas Commons as a starting point for sharing.
Outcome
With the move to Canvas, WU Vienna established a solid foundation for future digital teaching initiatives. Canvas Commons in particular represents a well-intentioned offer to the teaching community: a space where materials can be found, reused, and further developed. While uptake is still developing, the foundation is there, and the Digital Teaching Services team continues to promote Commons as a resource for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Looking ahead
By adopting Canvas, WU Vienna has created an environment that supports consistency for students and opens new possibilities for faculty. With Commons, the university has taken a first step toward fostering a culture of sharing and collaboration in digital teaching.
Did you know?
Julia Dohr and Franziska Chen from WU Vienna will be presenting at CanvasCon Europe 2025. Don’t miss their session on Canvas LMS and Canvas Commons.