1. Why Sakai?
Durham Tech’s LMS Transition
September 30, 2013
NC3ADL

2. What is Sakai?
• A learning management system
created by and for higher education
• Developed and maintained by a
community of educational institutions
• A non-profit foundation (Apereo)
co-ordinates ongoing development
Durham Technical Community College

3. Built by and for higher education
Durham Technical Community College

4. Who is using it?
• UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University
have moved from Blackboard to Sakai
• Other institutions using Sakai include:
Durham Technical Community College

5. How did we choose Sakai?
• In Fall 2009, Durham Tech formed an LMS team
– Broad representation
– 10 of 11 team members taught online and/or hybrid
– Held open meetings
• Evaluated Moodle, Sakai, and Blackboard 9
(which had not yet been released)
• Piloted Sakai in Fall 2010; expanded pilot in 2011
• In 2011, revisited Moodle 2
• In late 2011, team made final report to the President,
recommending Sakai
• In Spring 2012, President announced decision to move
to Sakai
Durham Technical Community College

6. What do we like about Sakai?
• Lots of tools!
Durham Technical Community College

7. Durham Technical Community College

8. Durham Technical Community College

9. What do we like about Sakai?
• Lots of tools!
• Nifty “group” features
• Nice calendar tool (that students like!)
• Grading enhancements
• Project sites
• Off-site hosting with the vendor of our choice
• Meetings tool (BigBlueButton)
Durham Technical Community College

10. Sakai Transition Time Line
Durham Technical Community College
18-month implementation plan
• To train 350 instructors: 290 credit / 60 non-credit
Goal: Everyone trained and ready to use Sakai by Dec 2013
As of today: 331 trained

11. Sakai Training
• Minimum requirement to use Sakai:
• Completion of Intro to Sakai workshop
• Or prior experience using Sakai as an instructor
• Optional workshops on selected tools:
• Gradebook
• Lessons
• Tests & Quizzes
• Intro to Sakai offered online
• 77 completers since June 2013
Durham Technical Community College

12. Sakai Support
• Sakaigers: 8 faculty served as super users
during the transition. Received stipend
to provide assistance to their peers.
• We maintain a wiki with Help resources
for students and instructors
• http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/
• Starting January 2014, Blackboard
Student Services will provide 24/7
support for our Sakai users
Durham Technical Community College

13. Demos
• Intro to Sakai
• ACA-122 (Kerry Cantwell)
• CIS-110 (Charlene West)
• WEB-110 (Becky Roehrs)
Durham Technical Community College