UF Adopts Sakai to be New E-Learning System
After an 8-month evaluation process, the University of Florida has selected the open source Sakai course management system to be the new course management system. By choosing an open source system, UF joins a growing trend among colleges and universities.
Changing the campus CMS was forced upon UF by the decision from Blackboard, the vendor of our present system, to discontinue support for the software. As a result, Academic Technology Director Fedro Zazueta convened a committee last summer to review the existing CMS market and to recommend the best system for UF. In April 2009, that committee, made up of representatives from 11 colleges and 7 support units, unanimously recommended Sakai.
Two key characteristics distinguished Sakai from other software. First, Sakai is open source, meaning the University will be able to edit the actual source code of the software if needed to fix problems, modify existing features, and create new features. Second, there is a formal Sakai community that includes many of UF’s peer institutions, to prioritize problem-fixing and assure quality control. Additionally, some new tools in Sakai not currently available at UF including wikis, blogs and an e-portfolio system also attracted the selection committee.
The committee carefully considered this decision for eight months. They researched the software market, surveyed students and faculty, and engaged the faculty in hands-on focus groups to determine what characteristics were most important for the UF community. They scrutinized vendor offerings, ran trials, and consulted with other colleges and universities using different systems. Ultimately, the committee decided unanimously that the power and flexibility of Sakai, coupled with the advantages of the open source model and the Sakai community, best met the needs of UF as envisioned in the UF strategic academic and IT plans.
The University plans to pilot and test Sakai over the coming year and launch it as a production service for Fall 2010.
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Tags: Academic Technology, E-Learning Course Management, Teaching Online
Posted on Monday, October 5th, 2009.