What is Nuku?
Nuku is our new online learning platform, which replaced Blackboard Learn in November 2022.
Nuku is not just one tool, but a collection of tools brought together as a bigger platform. The Canvas learning management system (LMS) is the central tool in Nuku, and it's connected with a number of other digital learning tool integrations to form our learning platform. Nuku will enable us to teach flexibly, collaboratively, and globally, under any mode of delivery. |
Why did we change our learning platform?
When we first implemented the Blackboard LMS in 2001, things were quite different in terms of what LMS technology could do, and what students and teachers expected from it. But after 20 years—a long time in technology—the time came to say goodbye to Blackboard and search for a new LMS that better meets the needs of students and teachers now.
We also had very recent experience of major disruption to our physical campuses (including earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic) that forced us to think about how we incorporate digital tools and increase flexibility and resilience in our learning and teaching.
This meant we needed to be able to deliver a more streamlined online experience that enables students to take control of their learning, with better support for mobile devices and better digital accessibility features. We quickly realised that there is no single product on the market that can do everything we need, that we would need a platform approach that would allow us to continually expand and develop our online learning environment. We selected the Canvas LMS as the central tool of Nuku, because we assessed it was the LMS that would best enable us to build a flexible platform.
We also had very recent experience of major disruption to our physical campuses (including earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic) that forced us to think about how we incorporate digital tools and increase flexibility and resilience in our learning and teaching.
This meant we needed to be able to deliver a more streamlined online experience that enables students to take control of their learning, with better support for mobile devices and better digital accessibility features. We quickly realised that there is no single product on the market that can do everything we need, that we would need a platform approach that would allow us to continually expand and develop our online learning environment. We selected the Canvas LMS as the central tool of Nuku, because we assessed it was the LMS that would best enable us to build a flexible platform.
Nuku as our online campus
We like to think of Nuku like an online campus, spanning and complementing all our physical locations. And for online students, and during times when our physical campuses are unavailable, it becomes our main campus. The experience of the last few years and particularly the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated why our online spaces are just as important as our physical spaces.
A lot of work on improving the online student learning experience in our LMS was done by many staff during the pandemic period, under the banner of Toiere. Our transition to Nuku will enable the sustainment and continuation of this work – not just as something we think about during times of disruption but as a normal part of how we do things at Te Herenga Waka.
A lot of work on improving the online student learning experience in our LMS was done by many staff during the pandemic period, under the banner of Toiere. Our transition to Nuku will enable the sustainment and continuation of this work – not just as something we think about during times of disruption but as a normal part of how we do things at Te Herenga Waka.
What does the Nuku name mean?
We chose the name Nuku to reflect the breadth and shift our new learning platform represents, and how it will enable the ways we want to undertake learning and teaching in the future. The name also grounds the learning platform to our whenua, our place, as it starts to permeate the entire university learning environment.
This meaning is reflected in the design of the visual identity for Nuku. The dynamic puhoro motif represents the concept of movement, while the triangular shapes are an abstraction of the whenua and the connection to Papatūānuku.
This meaning is reflected in the design of the visual identity for Nuku. The dynamic puhoro motif represents the concept of movement, while the triangular shapes are an abstraction of the whenua and the connection to Papatūānuku.
How do we talk about Nuku, and the tools that make up Nuku?
The idea of Nuku is a little bit conceptual, as it’s not just one tool but a collection of tools connected together. Most of the time when we talk about our learning platform, inclusively or non-specifically, we’ll talk say Nuku.
When you go to nuku.wgtn.ac.nz, the interface that you see is Canvas. It's the most visible component of Nuku, and the glue that binds Nuku together. But there are lots of tools that have been connected to with it, and we've also configured it for our requirements here at Te Herenga Waka, which will be slightly different from other universities. So together, this collection of tools—including our instance of Canvas, Panopto, Talis, Turnitin, Qualtrics, and others—is all Nuku.
Courses use a mix of tools in Nuku, including but not limited to Canvas, to do activities such as learning content delivery and assessment—so we can say courses are taught with Nuku.
It’s still fine to talk about a specific tool in Nuku by its product name, when it makes more sense to be specific. For example, if you call the Service Desk, it might help get your problem solved faster if you identify which tool in Nuku you’re having trouble with. If you don't know, though, it's still fine to say Nuku—our service desk and digital solutions professionals will work it out!
Another time when we might use a specific tool name is for delivering training or giving instructions on how to use specific tools or parts of Nuku.
When you go to nuku.wgtn.ac.nz, the interface that you see is Canvas. It's the most visible component of Nuku, and the glue that binds Nuku together. But there are lots of tools that have been connected to with it, and we've also configured it for our requirements here at Te Herenga Waka, which will be slightly different from other universities. So together, this collection of tools—including our instance of Canvas, Panopto, Talis, Turnitin, Qualtrics, and others—is all Nuku.
Courses use a mix of tools in Nuku, including but not limited to Canvas, to do activities such as learning content delivery and assessment—so we can say courses are taught with Nuku.
It’s still fine to talk about a specific tool in Nuku by its product name, when it makes more sense to be specific. For example, if you call the Service Desk, it might help get your problem solved faster if you identify which tool in Nuku you’re having trouble with. If you don't know, though, it's still fine to say Nuku—our service desk and digital solutions professionals will work it out!
Another time when we might use a specific tool name is for delivering training or giving instructions on how to use specific tools or parts of Nuku.
Last updated: 17/02/2023