In order to ensure that we are able to support a smooth adoption of Canvas at Duke, a limited number of instructors were selected as Early Adopters and will be teaching in Canvas during the Fall 2023 semester. All other instructors will be able to teach with Canvas starting in Spring 2024, but can begin exploring the platform this Fall. We will offer a variety of learning opportunities including workshops, self-directed learning materials, one-on-one consultations, and more throughout the Fall. More information about these opportunities will be available in September. 

If you were not part of our Early Adopter program, you should plan to continue using Sakai this Fall. Guides and resources for Sakai are available from Learning Innovation.

We are encouraged by the enthusiasm the Duke community has shown for Canvas and are excited to welcome you all to learn our new LMS this Fall!

The LMS Transition Team will describe the current status of the transition to Canvas at Duke. This will include information regarding the timeline, instructor learning opportunities, migration, integrations and differences between Sakai and Canvas. Have a question you'd like us to answer? Submit it in advance here.

Join us for a celebratory kickoff event to learn more about Duke's new learning management platform. There will be opportunities to hear from some of our fall "early adopters" about their experience so far and see some of their current courses in Canvas. Learning Innovation staff will also be available to answer questions and even help you get started with logging in and orienting you to the new platform.

Emma Grisham, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, was one of the first instructors who got to use Canvas to teach her Summer course. 

“I’m glad Duke is making the switch to Canvas. I used Canvas for years at a previous institution, which helped smooth the transition for me."

"Even still, after using Sakai for a year, I had to relearn some of the features and I was surprised by how intuitive the design felt in comparison. In my opinion, the interface is more user-friendly and SpeedGrader for assignments is a huge improvement over Sakai’s grading capabilities. I’ve had a great experience and think it will be a better, more functional LMS for instructors.”

At this time, teaching with Canvas at Duke for Fall 2023 remains limited to those who were selected in Spring 2023 as Early Adopters. This is because the Learning Innovation and OIT Teams have limited resources to offer the kind of deep assistance that may be needed during the still-early stage of adopting Canvas. The platform will be open during Fall 2023 for everyone at Duke to begin exploring and creating content for Spring 2024.

Learning Innovation and OIT have collaborated to develop a custom migration tool. Because Canvas will have a different interface and toolset than Sakai, you may find that the content you anticipate migrating may no longer achieve the same learning objectives. Thus, you may find it easier to start building your course from a blank slate and explore the new opportunities and features Canvas has to offer. Learning Innovation will be available to discuss options and provide pedagogical advice. 

The equivalent to Sakai project sites in Canvas will be “Collaboration Sites.” We will begin accepting requests for Collaboration Sites later this Fall.

See the LMS Transition website for additional frequently asked questions.

If this message was forwarded to you but you would like to receive messages directly regarding Duke’s transition to Canvas, you may sign up for updates here. A Duke NetID is required.