UI Selects New Learning Management System to Power ICON

To: Departmental Executive Officers
From: Maggie Jesse, Senior Director, ITS Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology
RE: UI Selects New Learning Management System to Power ICON

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March 23, 2016

DATE:    March 21, 2016

Today, we are pleased to announce that Iowa Courses Online (ICON)—the system used to share course content, submit assignments, take quizzes, grade, and hold online discussions—will be poised for a host of promising new digital learning opportunities as we initiate the shift to a new Learning Management System (LMS) this summer.

The new underlying system that will power ICON is Canvas, a cloud-based, open-source LMS used by more than 600 colleges and universities. The UI evaluated Canvas in a series of summer and fall pilots that involved 50 faculty representing every college. Feedback from faculty and students was positive.

Courses will be able to access the new system through ICON starting this summer, and staff from the ITS Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology have worked with all colleges to map out timelines for adoption. The transition will be completed by May 2017. ITS-OTLT, in partnership with collegiate instructional technology staff, will provide extensive training and individual support.

The move is coupled with the UI’s membership in the higher education consortium Unizin, which enables institutions to draw on an evolving set of tools for managing course content, interaction between students and instructors, and learning analytics—using data to improve teaching and learning. 

Faculty who participated in the Canvas pilot commented that the SpeedGrader function made grading faster and more efficient, and that they could accomplish tasks with fewer clicks. They also appreciated the rubric function and a calendar feature that ensures students are aware of course deadlines. Students were enthusiastic about a “what-if grade analysis” that helps to predict potential grades.

Comments on Canvas are welcome through the feedback form, and more information is available at:

Thank you.