Announcements Timeline Implementation Student Resources
The University of Hawaiʻi Information Technology Services is excited to announce a significant transformation in our approach to managing teaching and learning. After careful consideration and a rigorous review and evaluation, the University of Hawaiʻi has chosen Brightspace by D2L as our new Learning Management System (LMS). This decision marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to providing a cutting-edge educational experience for our students, faculty, and staff, supporting our endeavor of being Hawaiʻi's university for today and tomorrow.
Why Brightspace?
Brightspace is a modern, cloud-based LMS offering numerous advantages over our current system, Laulima (Sakai). With Brightspace, you can look forward to:
- User-Friendly Interface: Brightspace provides an intuitive and easy-to-navigate platform, ensuring a seamless experience for instructors and students.
- Enhanced Mobile Accessibility: Access your courses and resources anytime, anywhere, with the convenience of a mobile-responsive design. Additionally, Brightspace offers the mobile application Brightspace Pulse to connect with your learning materials and notifications on the go.
- Student Success and Advanced Communication: D2Lʻs Brightspace includes an intelligent agent tool to personalize and enhance communication, promote higher student engagement, and boost student retention and success efforts.
- Preparing Workforce-Ready Students: Brightspace by D2L includes badging and certificate integrations, allowing students to demonstrate a portfolio of workforce-ready skills.
- Accessibility: Brightspace prioritizes accessibility, ensuring that students of all abilities can fully participate in online learning.
- Hawaiian Place of Learning: D2L is committed to partnering with the University of Hawaiʻi to champion the principles of aloha, caring for people and place, and integrating ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as a language option in Brightspace.
A Name Selected For UH's New LMS
The University of Hawaiʻi Information Technology Services invited the UH community to submit suggested names for our new Learning Management System (Brightspace by D2L). Four finalist name suggestions were selected based on the submissions received in consultation with the University of Hawaiʻi Lamakū Advisory Group. The UH community was then asked to cast a vote for a preferred name from the final four names.
We are delighted to share that with significant engagement, receiving 47.6% (641) of the 1,409 votes, Lamakū has been selected as the name for our new Learning Management System.
Lamakū
The literal translation of lamakū in English is torch, similar to the torch that appears in the UH logo. Metaphorically, lamakū refers to education or enlightenment, lamakū o ka naʻauao, which also works well with the name of the software - Brightspace.
Mahalo to Dr. Keola Donaghy, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, for his name suggestion.
Early Adopters - Pilot Courses in Summer 2024
The transition to Lamakū (powered by Brightspace) will begin with a pilot phase of early adopters using Lamakū in Summer 2024. This initial phase will allow us to fine-tune the system and gather valuable user feedback. Approximately 80 courses across the UH system were selected to be part of the pilot.
- Pilot FAQ
- Lamakū Student Resources
- Lamakū Extended Pilot Study, Fall 2024
Early Access to Lamakū User Accounts and Sandbox Environment
UH faculty and staff can explore the new UH Learning Management System (LMS) firsthand by requesting early access to a Lamakū User Account and sandbox site(s) (max. 5). Having early access to a sandbox course site will allow faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with the new platform's functionalities and features.
- In the Lamakū sandbox environment, you can practice building content and explore the features of the various tools available in Lamakū. Content built in Lamakū can be copied from one Lamakū site to another Lamakū site. For example, content built in a Lamakū sandbox course shell may be copied to an active course shell in Lamakū.
- Early Access Lamakū sandbox sites do not include migrated course content from Laulima or student enrollment.
- Once Spring 2025 class schedules have been finalized, requests for content migration from Laulima to Lamakū will be available for Cohort 1 campuses.
- Once Summer and Fall 2025 class schedules have been finalized, requests for content migration from Laulima to Lamakū will be available for Cohort 2 campuses.
- Content migration for non-academic worksites (e.g. Upward Bound) will follow the Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 schedule.
- Sandboxes are connected to a campus in Lamakū. For instructors who teach at multiple UH campuses, a separate form must be completed for each campus you want to have sandboxes for.
- Knowledge Base: Lamakū Tutorials and Resources (faculty and staff resource)
- August 2024 Lamakū Support Sessions
- Informal support sessions hosted by the UH Instructional Design Professional Learning Community (PLC) to provide dedicated time and space for participants to gain up-to-date information and seek support from instructional designers (and each other) as we collectively explore andwork in Lamakū.
- August 9th, August 15th, August 23rd, and August 30th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (the last 30 minutes will be open hands-on lab time)
- Registration: https://go.hawaii.edu/FpN
Please address questions or comments to UH Online (uhdl@hawaii.edu), UH Information Technology Services
