OWL (Sakai)

What is OWL (Sakai)

OWL is the online learning management system (LMS) at Western. OWL uses a customized version of the open source LMS platform Sakai.

What is the purpose of OWL (Sakai)

OWL is used for learning, teaching, training, research, and collaboration. It is the online home for official Western undergraduate and graduate courses, Western Continuing Studies courses, and Human Resources courses, as well as independent, departmental, and group project worksites.

How to use OWL (Sakai)

To access OWL, visit owl.uwo.ca and login with your Western credentials. Once logged in, you can access the course sites you are a member of, access joinable sites, or create your own project site.

Where to find Support

This tool is centrally supported

Support

For help, you can contact the WTS Helpdesk.

Please note that Western University is in the process of migrating to a new learning management system, OWL Brightspace. For more information, visit owlmigration.uwo.ca.

Documentation

Additional information on OWL (Sakai) can be found on the OWL Help website.

Rating	Rationale
	Scale The tool can be scaled to accommodate any size class with the flexibility to create smaller sub-groups or communities of practice
	Ease of Use OWL course sites are considered user-friendly and easy to navigate when elements are engaged in alignment with course design and student-focused intentions. OWL is easy to use for instructors with some technological literacy, threshold to entry and course site development is moderate.
	Tech Support/Help Availability Various Western-based supports are available to aid users in course site design, troubleshooting tasks, or solving problems experienced. See ITRC, OWL Documentation, Teaching Support Centre.
	Hypermediality OWL allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) and allows for non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with material

Rating	Rationale
	AODA Friendly Overall, most OWL tools meet accessibility guidelines (AODA and the W3C WCAG 2.0 standards), however it is noted that accessibility considerations vary from tool to tool and some tools depend on instructor action. For guidance on making OWL more accessible, check out this Accessibility Guide for Sakai..
	User-focused participation With the availability of a wide range of tools, OWL is designed to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning
	Required Equipment Proper use of OWL does not require specialized equipment

Rating	Rationale
	OWL Integration OWL is the tool under review
	Operating Systems Users can effectively utilize OWL on non-mobile operating systems (i.e. Windows, OSX)
	Web Browser Users can effectively utilize OWL with any standard, up-to-date web browser (i.e. Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, etc.)
	Additional Tech Requirements In general, OWL does not require additional downloads or installations. However, there will be exceptions to the rule for some tools and advanced functions. For example, Blackboard Collaborate requires the latest version of flash player, and streaming video from a lesson may require the quicktime plugin. For further information on additional technical requirements, check the individual tool documentation in this Toolkit.

Rating	Rationale
	Mobile Operating Systems OWL is accessible on all mobile devices through a browser. There is no native app for OWL, however you can access OWL through the WesternU app on both android and iOS devices.
	Mobile Functionality Core features of the main OWL tool are functional on mobile but advanced features may be limited. There are no differences in functionality between mobile devices.
	Offline Access OWL cannot be used in any capacity offline

Rating	Rationale
	Sign Up/Sign In Use of OWL does not require the creation of an external account or additional login beyond a Western Identity
	Cost of Use All aspects of OWL can be used free of charge to Western account holders
	Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data In general, users can archive, save, or export OWL content and activity data in a variety of formats. For specific tool capabilities, check the individual tool documentation in this Toolkit.
	Data Privacy and Ownership Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; the user can keep data private and decide if/how data is to be shared

Rating	Rationale
	Collaboration OWL and its various tools has the capacity to support a community of learning through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users
	User Accountability Instructors can control student anonymity; The tool provides technical solutions for holding students accountable for their actions
	Diffusion OWL is the centrally supported Learning Management System (LMS) at Western and is widely known and popular. It’s likely that most students are familiar with the tool and have basic technical competence with it

Rating	Rationale
	Facilitation Depending on how tools are configured and applied, OWL has easy-to-use features that would significantly improve an instructor’s ability to be present with students via active management, monitoring, and engagement
	Customization With the various tools that can be added or removed, OWL sites are adaptable to specific course environments: easily customized to suit the classroom context and targeted learning outcomes
	Learning Analytics Depending on the tools utilized and strategies employed, Instructor can monitor students’ performance on a variety of responsive measures. For further information on additional technical requirements, check the individual tool documentation in this Toolkit.

Rating	Rationale
	Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s) Given consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor, OWL has the potential enhance engagement in targeted cognitive task(s) that were once overly complex or inconceivable through other means
	Higher Order Thinking Given consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor, OWL has the potential to facilitate students in exercising higher order thinking skills
	Feedback on Learning Given consideration to design, employment of appropriate tools, and facilitation, students can regularly receive formative feedback on learning (i.e. they can track their performance, monitor their improvement, test their knowledge, etc.) through OWL

Security and Privacy

This tool has been formally reviewed by Western’s Technology Risk Assessment Committee

Security and Privacy Flags

Last Updated: March 5, 2024

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The eLearning Toolkit Evaluations are made available under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence

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Ratings icons are based off images made by authors on Freepik, Zurb, and Icomoon and licensed by CC BY 3.0

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