Canvas fully integrated; replaces Web CT
Dominic DeCono
The upgrade is complete.
MCC has fully unveiled its newest online system this semester known as Canvas which replaces the outdated system known as Web CT.
The school first introduced Canvas in approximately 60 courses this past summer in order to test out the new system.
The Instructional Technologist at MCC, Canvas is an enormous upgrade from Web CT, according to Jennifer Strickland, an Instructional Technologist and interim director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at MCC.
“Canvas is absolutely fabulous,” Strickland said.
“It is much more tech savvy and user-friendly for both students and teachers. It is also much easier to navigate.
Students can get instant updates on tests or assignments either by e-mail or text message if they choose. It really is a superior program.”
Some of the new upgrades include instant updates for completed assignments via e-mail or text message, access to an up-to-date calendar for all of their upcoming assignments and an improved discussion board.
Strickland also believes the program will be cheaper and more reliable than Web CT.
“We are expected to have an up-time rate of 99.7 percent and the program is not only cheaper, it gets much more support,” she said.
Despite all the promise Canvas has, the program experienced several technical problems and ran very slowly during the first week of classes.
Roger Yoge, Dean of Innovative Learning and Academic Support programs at MCC, explained the first week problems will not foreshadow future issues.
“The popularity of Canvas brought in so much traffic the first week it made the program run really slowly,” Yoge said.
“They’re going to have a brief maintenance period that will free more space on their system for our servers so this issue doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Like Web CT, Canvas is only operational in courses if an instructor chooses to have it, but many faculty members are encouraged by the new system.
Paul Hietter, department chair of social science, is very pleased with the new program.
“It is a step up from Web CT. I was an avid user of Web CT and Canvas just makes everything so much easier not just for students but for instructors as well,” he said.
Web CT is set to expire in June 2013 and MCC had been looking to replace the program for quite some time.
“We actually began searching for a newer program around the spring of 2009, but we didn’tactually make a movement to purchase and approve a program until spring of this year,” Hietter said.
“We wanted to make certain we got the best possible program available.”
Anna Vitale, a second-year student at MCC, says the program is very well done,
“It is so much better. I really wish the school would have had gotten this program sooner,” she said.
Beginning next year, all schools in the district will upgrade to Canvas.
