What is Lumen Learning?
Lumen Learning is an education technology company that provides open educational resources (OER) and support services to institutions and educators. Their mission is to increase student success and lower the cost of education by promoting the use of open educational resources.
- OER Courseware: Lumen Learning offers a wide range of OER courseware that can be directly integrated into Canvas. These courseware options cover various subjects and are designed to provide a complete curriculum with interactive content, assessments, and learning activities. Instructors can select and customize the courseware to align with their teaching goals and objectives.
- Customization and Adaptability: Lumen Learning’s materials within Canvas are highly customizable. Instructors can modify and adapt the resources to meet the specific needs of their courses, such as rearranging content, adding supplemental materials, or embedding multimedia elements. This flexibility allows instructors to create a personalized learning experience for their students.
- Learning Analytics: Lumen Learning provides robust learning analytics capabilities within Canvas. Instructors can access data and insights about student engagement, progress, and performance, helping them identify areas where students may be struggling or excelling. These analytics enable instructors to make data-driven decisions and provide targeted support to enhance student outcomes.
- Ongoing Support and Training: Lumen Learning offers comprehensive support and training resources to assist instructors in effectively using their materials within Canvas. They provide training webinars, documentation, and access to a support team to address any questions or concerns. This support ensures that instructors can maximize the benefits of Lumen Learning’s resources and effectively utilize them in their Canvas courses.
Scope and Cost
Lumen Learning is a whitelisted integration currently scoped at the institutional level and is available to all UNF faculty using Canvas. Lumen Learning consists of affordable course materials designed to replace expensive textbooks typically used in college courses, and these materials are built using Open Educational Resources (OER) which are freely available learning resources Lumen Learning curates these resources and combines them with interactive elements, online homework, and personalized feedback to create a more engaging learning experience for students.
While the core content of Lumen Learning is free to access by anyone, their interactive courseware features of Lumen One and Lumen Wavemaker do come at a cost. Fees covers access to the course content, technology, learning tools, and faculty support.
Canvas Integration
At this time, Lumen Learning does not have a Canvas Integration (LTI), however, faculty with full access to Lumen Learning courseware platforms can download and utilize Common Course Cartridges. These Common Course Cartridges package and assist in the exchange of digital learning materials across different LMS platforms. Faculty can import these Common Course Cartridges to their Canvas shell via a course’s Settings and Import page. Faculty can also contact CIRT (cirtlab@unf.edu) for assistance.
Requirements
Lumen Learning works across most browsers and devices, and it is recommended that users maintain the most up-to-date version of their preferred browser.
Caveats
While the core content of Lumen Learning is free to access by anyone, their interactive courseware features of Lumen One and Lumen Wavemaker do come at a cost. Fees covers access to the course content, technology, learning tools, and faculty support.
Support Report
The implementation of a grading system for CIRT support not only facilitates efficient resource allocation but also fosters transparency in our service delivery. By self-grading our support levels as A+, B+, and C+, we provide faculty with a transparent framework that outlines the expected level of assistance they can anticipate when reaching out for help.
A support grade of “B+” represents a strong level of assistance, with our team possessing a solid understanding of the application or integration. While not reaching the pinnacle of expertise, “B+” nevertheless indicates proficiency and competence in addressing a wide range of issues. CIRT’s internal documentation remains robust, and our team is well-equipped to troubleshoot various challenges. Although there may be instances when reaching out to the vendor becomes necessary for more complex issues, causing support delays, especially when we lack administrative access. Users of applications and/or integrations with a “B+” grade can usually expect comprehensive resolutions to their issues when such resolutions are possible.
External Resources
To further empower UNF instructors, we provide direct links to the vendor’s support material, ensuring you have access to official resources and expert guidance. Furthermore, we curate and share external support documentation discovered online that may offer valuable insights or alternative perspectives. Our commitment is to provide you with a holistic support experience, combining our internal expertise with external resources to empower you in navigating the intricacies of this application.
Contact CIRT
For UNF faculty seeking to deepen their understanding of this application, schedule personalized training sessions, or initiate the installation process, we encourage you to reach out to the Center for Instruction and Research Technology at cirtlab@unf.edu (904-620-3927).
