With the spring semester wrapping up in just a few weeks, the faculty and staff here at Dean are beginning to look ahead and prepare for the upcoming fall semester. With that, there will be a few changes on the horizon for next semester, one of which being the change of the current learning software.
For the 2020-2021 school year and prior, Dean has been using the learning management system known as Moodle, also known as MyCourses. However, a decision has been finalized to transfer over to a new system known as Canvas.
Class Home Screen, (Image courtesy of YouTube)
Canvas is a more well-known software for learning and has been a possibility for Dean since prior to the school year beginning last fall. Stanley Skrabut, the director of instructional technology and design at Dean, has referred to Canvas as a more intuitive and student-friendly site in comparison to MyCourses. Both systems have very similar set-ups, with calendars, highlighted classes, and drop boxes for assignments. However, Canvas does have some new additions, such as the function of sending video messages to your teachers directly and a course wide search option.
The system is, overall, a better looking template and looks to be an upgrade for both students and faculty alike.
Canvas's phone app, (Image courtesy of Pronto)
While about 50% of Dean’s faculty have previously used Canvas, the student body and remaining faculty will need to be trained before the fall semester arrives. There will be updates to Today@Dean in the upcoming weeks when Canvas accounts for current students and faculty are made available, and training will be available before the start of the fall semester. The new learning system looks to be a help for both students and faculty alike, so we can’t wait until Canvas is available later this summer!
With any questions about the change, reach out to Stanley Skrabut at sskrabut@DEAN.edu! A big thanks to Mr. Skrabut as well for helping with some of the information provided!
Comments