It is the new Blackboard, with more online tools and easy access for students and professors alike — Unizin.

This month, Unizin will replace Blackboard, extending online opportunities for students, like taking courses from other universities that are also using the portal.

Indiana University, Colorado State University, the University of Florida and the University of Michigan will share Unizin, a Canvas learning management system, allowing students from each university to view material from one another and take online classes.

Professors can share their information via the portal to professors across the nation. The collaboration of the universities will help professors pick and choose parts of lectures used by other professors. Unizin is based on the partnership of like-minded institutions looking to share knowledge.

Canvas is the student’s personal account, where they can access grades, view course material, watch lectures online, search selective and credible databases for research papers and have group discussions and chats.

Unizin will cost the University $1 million over three years, enabling it to share information over the cloud-based program.

Collegian Senior Reporter Josephine Bush can be reached at news@collegian.com.