Online Teaching
with Sakai
Presented by Matt Clare,
Centre for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies
• Growing Learning Management System
• Open Source... make that “community source”
• Founding Universities: University of Indiana,
MIT, Stanford and the University of Michigan
• Project founded in 2003
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Community Source
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No cost for software, though a $10,000 contribution to the
Sakai foundation is appreciated. Ownership of the project lies
in the community.
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Current project represents the work of volunteered time by
hobbyist and institutions.
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Anyone who knows how can modify the code to provided
enhancements and fix issues. These modifications must then be
submitted back to the community to be added to Sakai based
on the merit of the modification.
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There is an emphasis on open and interoperable standards.
Support is provided by the community or commercial partners
(for a fee).
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Selecting Sakai
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In the 2006-2007 academic year a multidisciplinary
Learning Management System (LMS) committee
was assembled to determine the best course of
action once Brock's contract with WebCT/
Blackboard expired July 31st 2009.
A Sakai pilot program was created for the
2007-2008 academic year (focusing on the fall of
2007).
50 courses, comprising 27 instructors, piloted their
course in Sakai. Students and instructors were
asked to complete a survey both when they started
the course and when they completed it.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Server Design
Brock’s Sakai Server
<< Listing of courses
List of
Tools
Adding Tools
• Instructors add tools via “Site Info” > “Edit
Tools”
• This is where new tools can be checked-off
and added and others removed.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Using Brock’s
Sakai-Based LMS and its
core tools
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Resources Tool
• In Resources, you can make many kinds of
material available online.
• Almost all types of files, folders and links can be
posted and can be organized
• The permissions feature allows control of which
types of users can post, delete, and read specific
folders.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
WebDAV Tool
• Allows instructors access to resources as if
they were a folder, or USB drive, or network
drive located on your computer. Adds single
drag-n-drop functionality to publishing
content to Sakai.
• Check the “Upload-Download Multiple
Resources” link in Resources for full set of
instructions for Mac & PC.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Announcements Tool
• Announcements are used to inform site
participants of current items of interest.
• Announcements can have multiple
attachments, including documents and
URLs.
• Announcements appear in a list when you
are in the Announcements Tool. They also
appear on the home page of each course
or project site.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Assignments Tool
• Allows instructors to create, distribute,
collect and grade online assignments.
• Use this instead of “mail-based” options!
• Submissions can be given letter grades,
points, check marks, pass/fail or ungraded
status.
• Assignments can be given standard due
date, grade scale information, etc. and can
even require the student agree to an
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Chat Room Tool
• Like the rest of Sakai, the chat tool DOES
NOT require the student to have Java
installed on their computer.
• Allows for multiple rooms and inviting
others into chat room.
• Chat room can be logged but the log is
available to all users (that have access to
that room).
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Forums
• The Sakai Forums Tool allows structured
conversations that are organized in
categories.
• Site participants can post replies to a topic
(a "flat" discussion) or to other replies (a
"threaded" discussion).
• The site owner can also choose whether
or not to allow site participants to post
their own discussion topics.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Gradebook
• The Gradebook tool allows instructors to
list course assignments and corresponding
student scores, and calculate, store, and
distribute grade information to students
online securely and privately.
• Courses can be graded on letter grade,
simple letter grade, or pass/fail scales.
• Grades can be imported and exported into
tools like MS Excel.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Tests and Quizzes
• The Tests and Quizzes Tool allows instructors
to administer online surveys, quizzes, and
exams.
• Students can answer a series of multiple
choice, multiple answer, true/false, short
answer, matching, or fill in the blank
questions.
• Handy Quick Create tool:
1. When did the Toronto Maple Leafs last win the Stanley Cup
*a. 1967
b. 1963
c. 1983
d. Before Stanley owned the cup
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Messages
• Messages a tool that facilitates one-on-one
and group communication.
• Private messaging gives users the ability to
communicate one-on-one within a site
much like E-Mail, but in no way attached to
E-Mail.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Schedule Tool
• Schedule allows instructors to post items in
calendar format.
• The calendar has day, week, month, year,
and a flat list view.
• Any Schedule item can have multiple
attachments.
• Can be automatically populated from
Assignments, Test & Quizzes and the Forum
tool.
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
New Cool: TheWiki Tool
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A Wiki is a kind of collaborative web site in which
multiple users can add and change the content.
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The Sakai Wiki Tool gives users the ability to create a
Wiki that is dedicated to a particular course or
project site.
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Members of that site can monitor, update and edit
the content of the wiki.
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You don’t have to use Sakai to use a wiki, visit
http://kumu.brocku.ca
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Tools not mentioned
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www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Blogger - A blogging tool
Drop Box - For private file sharing between
instructor and student.
Podcasts - For managing individual podcast and
podcast feed information.
Polls - For anonymous polls or voting
Presentation - For showing and viewing
slideshows of image collections from Resources.
Roster - For viewing the site participants list.
Search - For searching content
Section Info - For managing sections/groups
within a site.
Open Source Portfolio
More Information
Sakai: https://lms.brocku.ca
Brock’s Sakai Wiki:
http://kumu.brocku.ca/sakai
Video from today:
http://kumu.brocku.ca/
sakai/AQWorkshopNov20/
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai
Request a Sakai Course
• Go to the main Brock home page http://
www.brocku.ca
• Under “Web Services” select “Sakai”
• Choose “Instructors: Request a course”
• Login
• Fill in your course information
• Course list based on http://www.brocku.ca/
registrar/guides/returning/timetable/ (etc)
www.brocku.ca/ctlet/sakai