Niihka no more: Miami to paint on a blank ‘Canvas’

By Kelly Higinson, Senior Staff Writer

Miami administration has begun implementing Canvas as a university-supported Learning Management System. Miami joins several hundred other colleges and school disricts in using the Canvas system.

An implementation team met last summer to discuss the shift from the Niihka Sakai software to Canvas, based on Niihka's lack of user friendliness.

The implementation team includes focus groups who oversee a steering team of representatives from a variety of university stakeholders.

Beth Rubin, the provost of e-learning at Miami, has played a big role in helping develop the Canvas program and implementing the switch.

"The move will be made in a deliberate manner, with several test phases to ascertain how Canvas functions in the Miami computing environment, learn how best to move content from Sakai to Canvas, plan appropriate training, identify any gaps in functionality and develop support," Rubin said.

To transition into Canvas, several hybrid and online Miami courses are testing the new software during the fall, winter, and spring semesters.

Communications professor Robert Hertzog is one of the teachers who had the first taste of Canvas with his MAC 259 course.

"IT services helped me move my course from the Niihka site to Canvas, and it was much easier than I had thought," Hertzog said. "It has more sophisticated features that help the instructor with teaching online learning."

Canvas is known for it's simple to use settings and advanced features like a speedgrader, graphic analytics reporting engine, integrated media recorder, automated tasks, and IOS and Android capabilities.

Junior Hannah Curlee provided input about the new software after taking Hertzog's communications class.

"A cool feature I really like is that our assignments would pop up on the right side and would flash red and once you'd complete them, it would turn green," Curlee said. "It's way more user friendly than Niihka."

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According to senior director of communications and customer advocacy Cathy McVey, Miami is moving more toward online learning and Canvas offers better accessibility for that.

"The Sakai product was just not as strong, and Canvas has a lot of third-party partners as a company," McVey said.

Canvas' current partners include NY Times, Turn It In, USA Today, and others.

"I am going to say that Canvas is much better than Niihka. However, I think they need to set up programs to educate the instructors and students," Hertzog said.

Curlee said she hopes the switch to Canvas will strengthen communication between students and teachers.

"With Niihka, teachers would always put things in different places just depending on the class, but Canvas is more specific and much easier to understand where things are," Curlee said.

The implementation process will continue through spring semester as more classes test out the Canvas software. This will help the implementation team have a better idea of whether they can make the switch throughout the summer according to Rubin.

Sakai will still continue to be available in limited courses through the 2015-2016 school year until there are further updates of the new "Canvas at Miami."