Learning Technology

Learning management systems

Learning management systems (LMSs) provide an online space for course content, along with tools for course administration and interaction between instructors and students.

Canvas is the institutional learning management system currently being implemented by SFU. Canvas was selected through an extensive evaluative process. It is an exciting, recently developed, open-source platform that emphasizes flexibility and easy integration with social media and emerging technologies. Best of all, Canvas facilitates participation in a way that will open new teaching and learning opportunities for instructors and students. It is a demonstration of SFU's ongoing commitment to boldness, openness and engagement.

Help for instructors

You can learn more about Canvas at www.sfu.ca/canvas.

Contact the Teaching and Learning Centre's Learning Technology team at learntech@sfu.ca to book a one-on-one consultation.

Help for students

Canvas self-help resources for students are available at www.sfu.ca/canvas.

Additional Canvas support for students is available at the IT help desks on all three campuses.

Distance education courses

If you are using Canvas for a distance education course, visit codehelp.sfu.ca or contact your program director (see code.sfu.ca/webview/23651 for a list of names).

Other LMS platforms in use at SFU

WebCT

The WebCT learning management system will no longer be available for course delivery after December 2013. Content in existing WebCT courses has been converted to a content that can be imported into Canvas.

Drupal

Drupal is an open-source content management system that has attracted the interest of various SFU users. Go to the SFU Drupal wiki.

LON-CAPA

The Learning Online Network with Computer Assisted Personalized Approach (LON-CAPA) platform is an advanced, award-winning, web-based course management system maintained by IT Services and used for a number of chemistry, math and statistics courses at SFU. Get information about LON-CAPA at SFU.

Moodle

Moodle is an open-source content management system used for online courses by educators in the Faculty of Education. The Faculty's Moodle site can be accessed at Dialogue Central. If you are a Faculty of Education instructor and would like to set up a Moodle-based course, please contact educ-help@sfu.ca.

Sakai

Sakai is an open-source collaboration and learning environment maintained by IT Services to help instructors, researchers and students create websites for collaboration. Go to the SFU Sakai portal.

WordPress

WordPress is a popular open-source content management system often used as a blog publishing application powered by PHP and MySQL. It is used for content sharing by about 100 instructors at SFU. To set up an account, please email SFU Blogs.