Abstract
Few universities have adapted their course management systems to serve as an advising tool. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use focus group interviews to explore undergraduate students’ experiences and perceptions of using Canvas, a course management system, to supplement face-to-face advising in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University. Forty students representing all college academic departments participated in eight focus groups. Most participants indicated they were unaware of Canvas’s advising features, thinking the tool was primarily used to send announcements and respond to students’ e-mails. Participants enjoyed receiving announcements about club activities, internships, and important deadlines for their academic program. The majority of participants requested that the college’s student services center provide more explanation on how to use Canvas as an advising tool, including details about the existing resources and how to access them. Participants also requested more resources, including scheduling advisor meetings online, a discussion board, and a student forum. These findings offer information for how academic advisors or faculty advisors could use their university’s or college’s existing course management system to interact with students and help them make more informed advising decisions.
