The introduction of the new e-Learning site, Canvas, has UF faculty members struggling to upload student grades.
Annelie Schmittel, a graduate student in mass communications in the College of Journalism and Communications, said the Canvas program is not user friendly to faculty and staff.
As a Sports Media and Society teaching assistant, she sought help with the e-Learning Support Services desk at the HUB.
“Typically, you would upload Scantron grades through Sakai,” she said. “With Canvas, it’s different because the Excel files we use aren’t working properly. Several steps have to be taken before inserting any grade.”
Schmittel said there is a problem with Canvas although it may not be a major issue and added that the new system is an overall better tool.
In the Spring, all faculty and students will use the Canvas program as it replaces Sakai.
Tracy Gale, communications manager for UF Information Technology, said she had not previously heard of faculty experiencing difficulty with the website.
“The e-Learning staff always have a staff member at the help desk,” she said. “There are several people that are course management liaisons that help faculty receive the help they need.”
The e-Learning staff has also developed training for developing courses in Canvas, as well as a campus boot camp for faculty to learn the new system.
Mark McCallister, associate director of the Office of Academic Technology, wrote in an email that uploading grades with Scantron to Canvas is a different process than uploading grades from Scantron to Sakai.
“If a faculty member experiences difficulty, they should contact the UF Computing Help Desk,” he wrote.
"I was assured by the e-learning staff that they were going to work on this," Schmittel said. "I think it's just a matter of communicating between the two offices."
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/7/2014]
