New features preview: Sakai 2.6

Preview: Sakai 2.6

We are currently piloting Sakai 2.5. Later this spring, Sakai 2.6 will be released. Here is a preview of the features that will be released in the rSmart CLE 2.6:

http://www.rsmart.com/news/what-expect-cle-version-26-impressive-new-tools-and-features-coming-spring

• NEW! Evaluation system
• NEW! Mneme assessment tool (alternative to Tests & Quizzes)
• NEW! BlogWow (alternative to Blogger)
• NEW! Entity picker (allows you to link between entities — like from an Announcement to a Quiz)
• Upgraded Discussion Forum tool
• Upgraded Lessons tool

Join the LMS User Group!

You are cordially invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the campus Learning Management System User Group!

LMS User Group Meeting
Tuesday, February 3
3:00 - 4:30 pm
Room 205 Undergraduate Library

The group was formed as a result of a recommendation made at the 2008 CTC Conference. The purpose of the User Group is to answer the following questions.

How can we…

• Leverage LMS training resources across campus schools, departments, and groups?
• Share campus best practices to improve online teaching & learning?
• Inform the campus about new technologies, teaching and learning pilots, LMS planning?
• See how others are using the LMS to create innovative learning experiences?

The LMS User Group will meet twice annually and will use a Sakai project site to collaborate and share information throughout the year. The agenda and information to join the site is available from http://tinyurl.com/7kxj7j.

Hope to see you there!

New semester, more sites, more participants & lessons learned

Opening the Spring 2009 semester, we have more participants who can help us to evaluate Sakai. Thank you, in advance, to everyone who is using Sakai and sharing feedback!

As of this entry, there are 29 course sites (with the same number of instructors) and 19 project sites. See “Pilot Participants” for more information.

Last semester we learned three important things:

1. Students need to know why we are evaluating Sakai and what the advantages are.
   • To address students’ needs, we have created a brief description of the very least students needs to know about using Sakai. If you have 5 minutes, you can learn a few tips to optimize your Sakai experience.

2. Getting help should be simple, painless, and quick.
   • To get help: submit an online help request and select “Sakai Support” from the drop-down menu, or call 962-HELP and ask a representative to open a ticket for you. That’s it!

3. We had relatively few technical problems with Sakai last term but there is always room for improvement!
   • We want to know what you think and how we can serve you better! You can share your feedback to your instructor/site organizer, with a Sakai Action Group member, via online surveys, or in person to Kim Eke, ITS Teaching and Learning.