Difference between revisions of "Sakai Transition FAQ"
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==Sakai Transition FAQ for Instructors== | ==Sakai Transition FAQ for Instructors== | ||
| − | Durham Technical Community College has chosen Sakai as its new learning management system, to replace its current system, Blackboard 8. Sakai will be phased in over a 12 - 18 month period as Blackboard is phased out | + | Durham Technical Community College has chosen Sakai as its new learning management system, to replace its current system, Blackboard 8 (by December 2013). Sakai will be phased in over a 12 - 18 month period as Blackboard is phased out. Read on for more information! |
==What is Sakai?== | ==What is Sakai?== | ||
| − | Sakai is an open-source collaboration and learning environment created by and for higher education. Sakai was developed and is maintained by an active community of educational institutions and organizations including the University of Michigan, Indiana University, MIT, | + | Sakai is an open-source collaboration and learning environment created by and for higher education. Sakai was developed and is maintained by an active community of educational institutions and organizations including the University of Michigan, Indiana University, MIT, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke. |
| − | [http://sakaiproject.org/node/2260 | + | * Get [http://sakaiproject.org/node/2260 more information on Sakai] <br> |
| + | * Read [http://blog.sakai.unc.edu/ UNC's Sakai Blog] <br> | ||
| + | * Read [http://support.sakai.duke.edu/ Duke's Sakai Support] | ||
==How and why was Sakai chosen?== | ==How and why was Sakai chosen?== | ||
Sakai was recommended by the college’s [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/LMS_Team Learning Management System Team], which conducted detailed examinations of the latest versions of Moodle, Sakai, and Blackboard. The LMS Team is made up of 11 faculty and staff, 10 of whom teach online. | Sakai was recommended by the college’s [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/LMS_Team Learning Management System Team], which conducted detailed examinations of the latest versions of Moodle, Sakai, and Blackboard. The LMS Team is made up of 11 faculty and staff, 10 of whom teach online. | ||
| − | A high priority was to choose a system that | + | A high priority was to choose a system that is instructor, student, and learning friendly. The LMS Team found Sakai to be well-designed, intuitive, and easier-to-use than the latest versions of Moodle and Blackboard. Sakai also offers updated tools for interactivity. Sakai’s structure is similar to Blackboard’s, giving the product a familiar feel – and making the work of moving content a bit easier. |
| − | Before recommending Sakai, the LMS Team | + | Before recommending Sakai, the LMS Team "road-tested" the product in a pilot that involved 8 instructors teaching 20 course sections to more than 400 students over several semesters. |
==When will the transition to Sakai take place?== | ==When will the transition to Sakai take place?== | ||
| − | The transition to Sakai will be a phased-in process that should take 12 - 18 months to complete. We expect the transition to begin sometime in 2012 and to continue well into 2013. The exact start date is not yet known – it will be determined after a contract with a Sakai vendor is finalized. | + | The transition to Sakai will be a phased-in process that should take 12 - 18 months to complete. <!-- We expect the transition to begin sometime in 2012 and to continue well into 2013. The exact start date is not yet known – it will be determined after a contract with a Sakai vendor is finalized. --> |
| − | + | During Summer 2012, Durham Tech's Instructional Technologies team completed many important preparatory tasks, including selection of a vendor for hosting and support, setup and customization of the new system, integration with the college's student information system, initial training, etc. | |
| − | + | In Fall 2012, a group of 18 instructors used Sakai to teach more than 700 students. In Spring 2013, 84 instructors used Sakai to teach more than 180 course sections and more than 2600 students. The Instructional Technologies team expects to train 300+ instructors on Sakai between September 2012 and December 2013. As of Spring 2013, 220+ instructors have been trained on Sakai. By January 2014, we hope to have all instructors and students using Sakai. | |
==Will there be training on how to use Sakai?== | ==Will there be training on how to use Sakai?== | ||
| − | Yes. We anticipate that all faculty who use Blackboard (full and part-time) will need training on using Sakai. | + | Yes. We anticipate that all faculty who use Blackboard (full and part-time) will need training on using Sakai. Instructor training began in September 2012 and will be phased-in and on-going throughout the 2012-13 academic year. In the early phases, training will be face-to-face. It is our goal to make online training available as soon as feasible. We hope to have Intro to Sakai online by June 2013. [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Sakai_Training Sakai training info] |
==Will I be able to move my course content from Blackboard to Sakai?== | ==Will I be able to move my course content from Blackboard to Sakai?== | ||
| − | Yes. And it’s a great opportunity to review your content, get rid of stuff you don’t need, and re-organize your courses. (Sort of like cleaning out closets when you move to a new house – not a fun chore, but think how good it feels when it’s done!) | + | Yes. And it’s a great opportunity to review your content, get rid of stuff you don’t need, and re-organize your courses. (Sort of like cleaning out closets when you move to a new house – not a fun chore, but think how good it feels when it’s done!). |
| + | ===Resources for moving your content from Blackboard to Sakai:=== | ||
| + | * [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Sakai:_Importing_Content 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai] (PDF) | ||
| + | * [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/images/5/52/ImportBbTests.pdf Importing Tests & Quizzes from Blackboard to Sakai] (PDF) | ||
==What can I do now to prepare for the transition?== | ==What can I do now to prepare for the transition?== | ||
| − | + | * Take inventory of the documents, handouts, etc. you use with your classes. Make sure current copies are saved to your computer and organized so you can find them. Also, back them up (e.g. to a flash drive) for safekeeping. Check out [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Sakai:_Importing_Content 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai] (PDF). | |
| − | * Take inventory of the documents, handouts, etc. you use with your classes. Make sure current copies are saved to your computer and organized so you can find them. Also, back them up (e.g. to a flash drive) for safekeeping. | ||
* If you rely on publisher-provided content, contact your book rep to find out if they have content available for Sakai 2.x. | * If you rely on publisher-provided content, contact your book rep to find out if they have content available for Sakai 2.x. | ||
| − | * Identify any text that’s in Blackboard that you will want to re-use later (such as Discussion Board questions, old announcements, web links, etc). Copy to a Word document and save to your computer. | + | * Identify any text that’s in Blackboard that you will want to re-use later (such as Discussion Board questions, old announcements, web links, etc). Copy to a Word document and save to your computer. Check out [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Sakai:_Importing_Content 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai] (PDF). |
| − | + | * Create portable content outside of Blackboard using tools such as [http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Tools:_SoftChalk SoftChalk], [http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/ PowerPoint], [http://support.google.com/docs/?hl=en Google Docs], or screen-recording tools (such as [http://www.screenr.com Screenr], [http://screencastomatic.com Screencast-o-matic], or [[Tools:_Jing | Jing]]). | |
==What will happen to Blackboard?== | ==What will happen to Blackboard?== | ||
| − | During the 12 - 18 month transition, Instructional Technologies will support two learning management systems. At the end of the transition, Blackboard will no longer be available, and all instructors and students will be using Sakai. At that time, Blackboard content will be archived for data retention purposes but will not be generally accessible online. | + | During the 12 - 18 month transition, Instructional Technologies will support two learning management systems. Throughout the transition, instructors will have continued access to their content on Blackboard. At the end of the transition, Blackboard will no longer be available, and all instructors and students will be using Sakai. At that time, Blackboard content will be archived for data retention purposes but will not be generally accessible online. |
Latest revision as of 11:47, 6 June 2013
Contents
- 1 Sakai Transition FAQ for Instructors
- 2 What is Sakai?
- 3 How and why was Sakai chosen?
- 4 When will the transition to Sakai take place?
- 5 Will there be training on how to use Sakai?
- 6 Will I be able to move my course content from Blackboard to Sakai?
- 7 What can I do now to prepare for the transition?
- 8 What will happen to Blackboard?
Sakai Transition FAQ for Instructors
Durham Technical Community College has chosen Sakai as its new learning management system, to replace its current system, Blackboard 8 (by December 2013). Sakai will be phased in over a 12 - 18 month period as Blackboard is phased out. Read on for more information!
What is Sakai?
Sakai is an open-source collaboration and learning environment created by and for higher education. Sakai was developed and is maintained by an active community of educational institutions and organizations including the University of Michigan, Indiana University, MIT, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke.
- Get more information on Sakai
- Read UNC's Sakai Blog
- Read Duke's Sakai Support
How and why was Sakai chosen?
Sakai was recommended by the college’s Learning Management System Team, which conducted detailed examinations of the latest versions of Moodle, Sakai, and Blackboard. The LMS Team is made up of 11 faculty and staff, 10 of whom teach online.
A high priority was to choose a system that is instructor, student, and learning friendly. The LMS Team found Sakai to be well-designed, intuitive, and easier-to-use than the latest versions of Moodle and Blackboard. Sakai also offers updated tools for interactivity. Sakai’s structure is similar to Blackboard’s, giving the product a familiar feel – and making the work of moving content a bit easier.
Before recommending Sakai, the LMS Team "road-tested" the product in a pilot that involved 8 instructors teaching 20 course sections to more than 400 students over several semesters.
When will the transition to Sakai take place?
The transition to Sakai will be a phased-in process that should take 12 - 18 months to complete.
During Summer 2012, Durham Tech's Instructional Technologies team completed many important preparatory tasks, including selection of a vendor for hosting and support, setup and customization of the new system, integration with the college's student information system, initial training, etc.
In Fall 2012, a group of 18 instructors used Sakai to teach more than 700 students. In Spring 2013, 84 instructors used Sakai to teach more than 180 course sections and more than 2600 students. The Instructional Technologies team expects to train 300+ instructors on Sakai between September 2012 and December 2013. As of Spring 2013, 220+ instructors have been trained on Sakai. By January 2014, we hope to have all instructors and students using Sakai.
Will there be training on how to use Sakai?
Yes. We anticipate that all faculty who use Blackboard (full and part-time) will need training on using Sakai. Instructor training began in September 2012 and will be phased-in and on-going throughout the 2012-13 academic year. In the early phases, training will be face-to-face. It is our goal to make online training available as soon as feasible. We hope to have Intro to Sakai online by June 2013. Sakai training info
Will I be able to move my course content from Blackboard to Sakai?
Yes. And it’s a great opportunity to review your content, get rid of stuff you don’t need, and re-organize your courses. (Sort of like cleaning out closets when you move to a new house – not a fun chore, but think how good it feels when it’s done!).
Resources for moving your content from Blackboard to Sakai:
- 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai (PDF)
- Importing Tests & Quizzes from Blackboard to Sakai (PDF)
What can I do now to prepare for the transition?
- Take inventory of the documents, handouts, etc. you use with your classes. Make sure current copies are saved to your computer and organized so you can find them. Also, back them up (e.g. to a flash drive) for safekeeping. Check out 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai (PDF).
- If you rely on publisher-provided content, contact your book rep to find out if they have content available for Sakai 2.x.
- Identify any text that’s in Blackboard that you will want to re-use later (such as Discussion Board questions, old announcements, web links, etc). Copy to a Word document and save to your computer. Check out 5 Tips for Converting your Blackboard course to Sakai (PDF).
- Create portable content outside of Blackboard using tools such as SoftChalk, PowerPoint, Google Docs, or screen-recording tools (such as Screenr, Screencast-o-matic, or Jing).
What will happen to Blackboard?
During the 12 - 18 month transition, Instructional Technologies will support two learning management systems. Throughout the transition, instructors will have continued access to their content on Blackboard. At the end of the transition, Blackboard will no longer be available, and all instructors and students will be using Sakai. At that time, Blackboard content will be archived for data retention purposes but will not be generally accessible online.
