Canvas selected as the new USask Learning Management System

USask has selected a new Learning Management System (LMS) vendor, Canvas, to support our campus community with an improved student learning experience consistent with our princiciples.  The move to Canvas will also provide faculty with improved efficency and new featurres. We’ve accelerated our selection given current remote and online teaching.  Blackboard (Bblearn) will continue to be available for up to the next two years, after which Canvas will act as the Usask LMS

We recognize that many of us on campus have done a lot of learning about technology since we needed to move to remote teaching and may not be looking for a transition at this time.  Other faculty members and students are letting us know they are looking for the improved mobile access and ability to offer assessment that Canvas will provide.   

We’ll be here to support you and your college with the transition window that works for you.  You’ll also experience enhanced technical support and access to the Canvas Community, where you’ll find resources you can use for your courses. We’ve included these additional supports because remote and online teaching are challenging for everyone. 

Our existing teaching tools, including Panopto, WebEx, Office 365 and TopHat continue to be integrated in both Blackboard and Canvas.  You can consult your college or school to learn the timelines for your college’s implementation plan or view the main timeline.

What is exciting about Canvas?

Canvas offers exciting new additions to support faculty with remote teaching and improve student experience. In the faculty survey and student survey during the selection process, easy access and ease of learning were identified as the key needs in a new LMS. Canvas was selected specifically to meet those needs, and to address needs identified in the learning principles. With Canvas, you can:

  • Have anywhere use on mobile devices 
  • Personalize how you receive all notifications based on your preference 
  • Use Speed Grader for fast grading in a remote/online teaching environment  
  • Use Mastery Paths for accommodation and personalization 
  • Jump into exactly the content you want 
  • Integrate with Office 365 
  • Use the assignment tool to make peer feedback uncomplicated

Sign up to be an early adopter

If all of the above sounds exciting to you and you happen to be teaching courses in the Summer 2020 or Fall 2020 terms, consider signing up as an early adopter! Note that this survey closes June 3, 2020.

Begin Learning About Canvas

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