Learning Management System - Implementation Update #4

By Jenna Linskens, April 13, 2021

Items in this update include Limited Pilot of Canvas, Academic Courses moving to Canvas, and Project Sites in Sakai. For more details on each topic visit the implementation project website ithaca.edu/lmsproject

Limited Pilot Experience 

One hundred pilot participants are currently exploring the Canvas experience both as students and/or as teachers, enrolled in self-paced training courses and a Sandbox Class where they are sharing feedback, tips and tricks to learning the new LMS environment. The Limited Pilot will continue through Summer 2021 with select faculty running test courses and activities in Canvas.  

Academic Courses in Canvas 

After a thorough review of resources on best practices, multiple discussions with users, collecting feedback during the LMS Review Process, and building an understanding of the Canvas learning management system, the LMS Executive and Governance Committees have made the decision Canvas will be used primarily for course sites that are linked to Homer as well as for activities that directly support teaching and learning.

Training   

  • A virtual Faculty Summer Institute “IDEAL Course Design in Canvas” will be held the week of May 24-28. See the announcement in Intercom for more information. 
  • The Training Task Group recommends that faculty participate in the Summer Institute and supplement that experience with Canvas training materials (Quick Guide to Canvas, self-paced training courses, videos, and documents available from the Canvas Community) to prepare to create their Fall 2021 courses.   

Migrating Academic Courses 

  • The Migration Task Group kicked-off and is reviewing the process for migrating up-to 4000 academic courses with the support of a third-party vendor K16 Solutions. 
  • The team has set a goal for late May 2021 to have the auto-migration process completed and documentation available for the self-migration process. 

Content Creation of Canvas Courses 

  • The Content Creation and Design Task Group is reviewing course templates, blueprints and opportunities to support faculty in building academic courses in Canvas.  

Project Sites  

While Sakai was historically used for non-academic purposes and project sites, we now have many other tools available within Microsoft Office which individuals and groups can leverage for effectively communicating, sharing documents, and hosting department and committee resources.

  • Moving content out of Sakai Project Sites will be a manual process that will need to be done by the site creator/maintainer(s).
  • Documentation including steps to move content into an alternate platform will be provided by the end of April. 
  • The site creator/maintainer(s) will have until the end of August 2021 to download any content out of Sakai that they want to keep. 

For additional information on the Canvas Implementation Project please visit the website or contact one of the LMS Implementation Governance Committee co-chairs. You can also submit any questions or comments through the LMS Campus Inquiry form.