Sakai makes URI debut
Betsy Cohen
Issue date: 10/2/09 Section: News
10/02/09 - As of this fall, the University of Rhode Island has ended its subscription with online course management system WebCT and is now using the Sakai network due to the increasing renewal cost of WebCT.
According to the URI's Information Technology Services' Web site (ITS), if the university continued using WebCT, the annual cost associated with the Web site's license renewal would have jumped from $30,000 to $85,000.
Unlike WebCT, Sakai is a free online course management system, therefore decreasing any stress on budget constraints under the use of WebCT.
Designed to help students, instructors and researchers work together, Sakai allows people to communicate both on campus and as a global network system, according to the ITS Web site.
Because URI is part of an open-source program, it is able to access the Sakai network, according to Mary Jane Palm, manager of instructional technology and media services at URI.
URI has 1,004 courses and 14,000 users registered to the Sakai Web site.
"Sakai has had up to 1,700 users connected at the same time," Palm said.
The Web site is not limited to the URI campus however. More than 125 organizations and universities worldwide connect to it.
One of the aspects of Sakai is the ability to communicate and share data projects with people across the world, Palm said.
These data projects, also known as collaborative spaces, are features that do not include URI's e-Campus courses and are not affiliated with courses having rosters. Currently only faculty can create projects, but both students and faculty can view them.
"They can be used as a way to share files and communicate with people at different universities," Palm said.
The URI ITS Web page for Sakai boasts that the program currently has more than 800 project sites posted on it.
Aside from sharing projects on Sakai, such as grant proposals, instructors can also create a course Web page. These Web pages are similar to URI's e-Campus Web site in that they include course descriptions.
According to the URI's Information Technology Services' Web site (ITS), if the university continued using WebCT, the annual cost associated with the Web site's license renewal would have jumped from $30,000 to $85,000.
Unlike WebCT, Sakai is a free online course management system, therefore decreasing any stress on budget constraints under the use of WebCT.
Designed to help students, instructors and researchers work together, Sakai allows people to communicate both on campus and as a global network system, according to the ITS Web site.
Because URI is part of an open-source program, it is able to access the Sakai network, according to Mary Jane Palm, manager of instructional technology and media services at URI.
URI has 1,004 courses and 14,000 users registered to the Sakai Web site.
"Sakai has had up to 1,700 users connected at the same time," Palm said.
The Web site is not limited to the URI campus however. More than 125 organizations and universities worldwide connect to it.
One of the aspects of Sakai is the ability to communicate and share data projects with people across the world, Palm said.
These data projects, also known as collaborative spaces, are features that do not include URI's e-Campus courses and are not affiliated with courses having rosters. Currently only faculty can create projects, but both students and faculty can view them.
"They can be used as a way to share files and communicate with people at different universities," Palm said.
The URI ITS Web page for Sakai boasts that the program currently has more than 800 project sites posted on it.
Aside from sharing projects on Sakai, such as grant proposals, instructors can also create a course Web page. These Web pages are similar to URI's e-Campus Web site in that they include course descriptions.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Dr. Roy R. Twaddle
posted 10/02/09 @ 8:47 AM EST
A free press is a cornerstone of a free society. You wrote a fluff piece. The WebCT/Sakai issue cries out for the Cigar to dig deeper. Roll up your sleaves and reveal all sides. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 10/09/09 @ 9:34 AM EST
Sakai has a ton of problems. My roomate had trouble doing homework on it because the site shut down for unannounced maintence. I actually lost points on a quiz because Sakai froze between questions and time ran out. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 10/09/09 @ 9:45 AM EST
Sakai just timed out on me for the SECOND time trying to take a test off campus. I have now twice had to write to professors explaining the situation and hope that they will allow me to retake tests. (Continued…)
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