Switching to Canvas

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Miami University has recently changed to a new LMS (Learning Management System) called Canvas.  We used Sakai for a few years before this latest change- and faculty can choose to keep Sakai for this year if they choose.  I decided to jump in and switch to Canvas this semester. It's been a steep learning curve, but I've put in a lot of hours setting up my courses and think I have a good idea how to use it now. One thing that I like is that it has apps for iOS and Android. So obviously I went ahead and installed it on my iPhone, iPad, and Nexus 7! Here's a comparison of the home page for my GEO 121 course:

Here is a screen grab from my computer (iMac 27')

Here is the iPad version

iPhone (5s) version

Nexus 7 version (Android)
The picture is not showing up in the Android version for some reason (it shows up in the iPhone version, but you have to scroll down). I like the features in the Nexus 7 and iPad since you can set a color for each course (iPhone doesn't have that option). It looks like they are all functional and you would be able to take quizzes, post to the discussion board from all devices. If students come without computers or tablets on quiz day, I have them use paper- some quizzes have maps that might not show up well on the phone.

So, it will be interesting to use Canvas this semester. It seems like a good system, but the transition is a huge pain since I have to recreate all of the content (quizzes, assignments, discussions) all over again. 

Anyone else using Canvas? What do you think of it?

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