CHAPEL HILL, NC – UNC-CH is transitioning from Sakai to Canvas fully for the spring 2023 semester.
The university has been planning the move to canvas for a while now. Courses were hosted on Canvas as early as Fall 2021, allowing some Tarheels to test the new software. This included a cohort of students taking chemistry last Spring.
This semester, instructors were able to choose between the two learning management systems for their course.
We asked some students how they feel about the university-wide move to Canvas.
“I have negative experiences with Canvas. I used it throughout like all of grade school and it was just bad. It was just consistently bad all the time,” said Scott Berry, a second year biology major.
“Sakai kind of sucks, to be honest. I prefer canvas,” said Prithvi Adiga, another UNC sophomore.
There was lots of speculation among students about reasons for the switch, including the sentiment that Canvas’ anti-cheating features were more advanced than Sakai’s, giving professors more control over academic integrity in online courses.
“I used Canvas in high school, and I definitely think Canvas is a better platform for learning and for school,” said UNC student, Nathan Flinchum.
“I think I would prefer Sakai because I am more used to it and more of my classes have been on there,” said another UNC student, Madison Conner.
Another reason for the switch, as cited by UNC’s The Well, is the mobile app students can use in conjunction with Canvas in order to conveniently check on grades and deadlines on the go.
While the transition to Canvas may be a learning curve for some, it is the preferred learning management system of North Carolina Virtual Public Schools and is used by many of the state’s K-12 learning institutions as well.