Countdown to Canvas - LMS Implementation Update #11

By Jenna Linskens, July 27, 2021

Ithaca College’s new learning management system, Canvas, will officially launch in just two weeks! 

Soon faculty members will begin creating all Fall 2021 courses in Canvas, such as moving content, organizing the course, developing assignments, and updating the course syllabi. Some faculty members have already begun this work throughout the summer, learning how to use the new LMS and exploring the tools available.  We are confident that Canvas will give IC students a more dynamic LMS to support learning, and more consistency and flexibility in the learning experiences, thereby empowering students to meet their truest potential here at Ithaca.

Updates on what the team has completed, what they are working on, and the next steps for faculty members are listed below. More information on the phases of the project and the most frequently asked questions can be found on the project website

What we have done 

  • The technical team added Kaltura Media Gallery, Zoom, Voicethread, Leganto Reading Lists, and Office 365 into Canvas. While these tools are installed in Canvas the team continues to work on them to ensure the tools are functioning smoothly for users. 
  • Created Canvas resource sites specific to how we are using Canvas at Ithaca College and support users with the transition, one for faculty (Canvas Resources @ IC) and one for students (Canvas Student Resources @ IC). Users can log in to Canvas and click on the Help menu to access these resources. 

What we are doing 

  • Working with our vendor to prepare for Wave 2 of a bulk migration of Sakai course content and creating a copy in Canvas; including Summer 2021 academic course sites and a limited number of special requests - to be completed in August.
  • Continuing to modify IC’s Canvas platform and prepare for official launch in August 2021. The technical team is adding the 3rd party tools (Top Hat, iRubric, and others) into Canvas.  
  •  Scheduling additional Canvas training and special topic sessions for faculty to be offered in August and September. Dates and times will be announced in the next few weeks. 

Your next steps in Canvas 

  1. Log in to Canvas and complete the Growing with Canvas (instructor training) or the Passport to Canvas (student training) course found on your course Dashboard 
  2.  Visit the Canvas Resources @ IC (for instructors) or Canvas Student Resources @ IC (for students) to learn more about the transition from Sakai to Canvas 
  3. Review the (Fall 2020 – Spring 2021) migrated courses from Sakai and begin thinking about what content you want to use as you develop your Fall 2021 course in Canvas.  
  4. Review your Fall 2021 Canvas course shell and explore the Blueprint sample modules/pages. Begin thinking about how you want to organize your new course using the examples provided.  

If you have any questions, please contact the LMS Implementation Governance Committee co-chairs (Matt Clauhs, Assistant Professor of Music Education mclauhs@ithaca.edu, or Jenna Linskens, Director, Learning & Innovative Technologies jlinskens@ithaca.edu). You can also submit feedback/questions through the LMS Campus Inquiry form: http://tinyurl.com/ICCanvasFeedback    

Sincerely, 

The LMS Implementation Committee