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Enterprise, AI-powered LMS for personalized learning at scale.
Sakai
Feature‑rich LMS for collaborative learning and research
Sakai is a Java‑based learning platform offering tools for teaching, research, and collaboration, with multilingual support, accessibility focus, and easy deployment on Tomcat via Maven.
Overview
Overview
Sakai is a Java‑based learning management system that combines teaching, research, and collaboration tools into a single, extensible platform. Designed for higher‑education and research institutions, it supports more than 20 languages and follows accessibility guidelines through the Ra11y plan and CKEditor Accessibility Checker. The core suite includes course sites, assignments, forums, gradebooks, and content authoring, all configurable via a modular skinning system.
Deployment & Community
The system is built with Maven and runs on Apache Tomcat 9, requiring Java 1.8. Institutions can compile the source with mvn install and deploy using the provided Maven Tomcat plugin. Sakai is maintained by the Apereo Foundation under the Educational Community License 2.0, with regular releases (e.g., 24, 25) and a vibrant global community that contributes translations, accessibility improvements, and additional tools via the sakai‑contrib repository. Support channels include mailing lists, Slack, and a public Jira for issue tracking.
Highlights
Comprehensive suite of teaching, research, and collaboration tools
Built‑in multilingual UI covering 20+ languages
Accessibility‑focused design with Ra11y plan and CKEditor checker
Modular skinning and extensibility via community‑contributed tools
Pros
- Robust Java ecosystem and Maven build process
- Active global community with regular releases
- Extensive language and accessibility support
- Flexible skinning and extensibility
Considerations
- Requires Java 1.8 and Tomcat 9, limiting newer runtime options
- Installation can be complex for non‑technical administrators
- Out‑of‑the‑box UI may feel dated compared to some commercial LMS
- Community‑contributed extensions vary in quality and support
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Fit guide
Great for
- Higher education institutions seeking a customizable, standards‑compliant LMS
- Research groups needing integrated collaboration tools
- Organizations requiring multilingual and accessible platforms
- IT teams comfortable managing Java/Tomcat environments
Not ideal when
- Small schools with limited technical staff
- Deployments that need cloud‑native containerized solutions only
- Institutions requiring a turnkey SaaS LMS
- Projects that cannot meet Java 1.8/Tomcat 9 prerequisites
How teams use it
Course delivery for a multilingual university
Instructors can create courses in any of the supported 20+ languages, allowing students worldwide to access content in their native language.
Collaborative research project portal
Researchers share data, manage discussions, and track progress using Sakai’s built‑in collaboration tools, all within a secure campus environment.
Accessible online assessments
Students with disabilities benefit from WCAG‑aligned interfaces and the CKEditor Accessibility Checker, ensuring exam content meets accessibility standards.
Custom branded learning portal
Institutions apply their own skinning and branding, delivering a consistent look and feel while leveraging Sakai’s core functionality.
Tech snapshot
Java81%
HTML10%
JavaScript6%
SCSS1%
PLSQL1%
CSS1%
Frequently asked questions
What Java version is required to build Sakai?
Sakai requires Java 1.8 for compilation and runtime.
Which application server does Sakai support?
Sakai is designed to run on Apache Tomcat 9; other servers are not officially supported.
How is Sakai licensed?
It is released under the Educational Community License version 2.0.
Where can I find community‑contributed tools?
Additional tools are hosted at the sakai‑contrib GitHub organization.
Is there a way to test the latest development builds?
Yes, nightly servers are provided for testing the most recent builds.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 1,197
- Watchers
- 1,197
- Forks
- 999
LicenseECL-2.0
Repo age11 years old
Last commit5 days ago
Primary languageJava
Last synced yesterday