Changes will add host of new digital learning opportunities, functions
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Written by: Nicole Dahya

Iowa Courses Online (ICON)—the system used to share course content, submit assignments, take quizzes, grade, and hold online discussions—will incorporate a host of promising new digital learning opportunities as the UI initiates the shift to a new learning-management system (LMS) this summer.

ICON logo

The new underlying system that will power ICON is Canvas, a cloud-based, open-source LMS used by more than 600 colleges and universities. The UI evaluated Canvas in a series of summer and fall pilots that involved 50 faculty representing every college. Feedback from faculty and students was positive.  

Instructors will be able to utilize the new system starting this summer, and staff from the ITS Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology have worked with all colleges to map out timelines for adoption and plans for training and support. The transition will be completed by May 2017.

The move is coupled with the university’s membership in the higher education consortium Unizin, which the UI joined in 2014. Unizin enables institutions to draw on an evolving set of tools for managing course content, interaction of students and instructors, and learning analytics—using data to improve teaching and learning. 

“We believe learning analytics and flexible access to course content will be increasingly important for our students and faculty in the future,” says UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler. “We are excited to be able to explore these areas with the other members of Unizin."

Faculty who participated in the Canvas pilot commented that the SpeedGrader function made grading faster and more efficient, and that they could accomplish tasks with fewer clicks. They also appreciated the rubric function and a calendar feature that ensures students are aware of course deadlines.

Students were enthusiastic about a “what-if grade analysis” that helps to predict potential grades.

Overall, 99 percent of faculty and 78 percent of students were neutral, satisfied, or very satisfied with the new system; most dissatisfaction was a result of having to alternate between two systems during the pilot.

The ITS Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology, in partnership with collegiate instructional technology staff, will provide extensive training and individual support. Most course content can be seamlessly migrated from the old system to Canvas, although faculty may need to take a look at quizzes and non-relative links to ensure that those transfer correctly. Details on what content will be migrated for the faculty are available at the project website.

Comments or questions regarding the transition to Canvas are welcome; share your feedback through the Feedback Form. More information on the new Learning Management System is available at: