Over the past several years, educational technology has undergone significant transformations driven by advancements in digital tools and evolving educational trends. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning platforms, leading to a surge in hybrid and remote teaching models.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now become more prominent, with tools offering personalized learning experiences and real-time feedback for students. Virtual and augmented reality applications promise to enrich interactive learning, allowing for immersive experiences that enhance understanding of complex subjects.

Even considering all of these modern shifts in related educational technology, schools and universities still continue to rely heavily on the Learning Management System (LMS), a technology that emerged in the 1990s, to facilitate course delivery, assessments, and student engagement.

Now in our 12th year, we continue to capture shifts and trends in LMS usage in US higher education. Trends established in previous years continue with Instructure’s Canvas and D2L’s Brightspace taking virtually all new wins.

This year we also explore the geographic adoption of LMSs over time. Created by our Lead Data Scientist, Stephanie Lidstone, this map shows the regionality of the very rapid adoption of Instructure’s Canvas beginning in 2016 and the more-recent wave of D2L Brightspace adoption.