Limited Canvas Pilot

By Jenna Linskens, March 11, 2021

The LMS Implementation Team is excited to announce an opportunity for faculty and staff to participate in a limited pilot of IC’s new learning management system, Canvas.  Please read on for information regarding the pilot and engagement opportunities available at the end of March. 

Participants 

We have two engagement levels. Please select the level that you feel will best suit your schedule and interest. 

Explorers 

  • Self-paced exploration of Canvas, tools, and course design 
  • Explore the tools, but not apply them within a course or with students 
  • Faculty and staff access only 

Pathfinders 

  • Create a sample course while exploring and testing Canvas, tools, and course design 
  • Student access for a selected class roster (limited to 500 total students) 
  • May substitute a Sakai activity, quiz, assignment, discussion, etc. with a Canvas tool 
  • Provide faculty and student feedback to the implementation committee 

Highlights 

  • Pilot available for Explorers and Pathfinders late March through August 2021 
  • Sakai will remain the primary learning management system through Spring and Summer 2021 
  • Pilot users can explore Canvas but there will be minimal training and support from IT and the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) 
  • Canvas Tier 1 support available to all pilot users 24/7 via Chat, Email and Phone 
  • Self-paced Canvas designed training modules available for faculty and students

Next Steps 

We are holding a webinar session on Wednesday, March 24 at 4:00 pm where the team will share more details including the two levels of engagement, what you can expect in the pilot, and a quick overview of the current IC Canvas instance so you can get started in the system. The webinar will be recorded for those who are not able to attend. 

For more information on the pilot opportunity and an invitation to join the webinar please reach out to LMS Implementation Governance Committee co-chair Jenna Linskens via email (jlinskens@ithaca.edu). 

Additional information on the Canvas Implementation Project available: