Technology for Teaching Overview
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports faculty in using a variety of academic technologies. We can work with you to identify a technology that fills your online, blended, or campus course needs, and provide training and support for you and your students.
Learning Management System and Tools
myCourses
Learning Management System (LMS) used to share course expectations, course materials, and activity instructions to students. Instructors can assess student performance with assignments, quizzes, and discussions, then keep record of their grades in the gradebook. Students are added to the course automatically based on SIS enrollment. Instructors can use the Ally integration to improve accessibility of course materials.
Ally
Tool within myCourses that automatically reviews course materials against accessibility standards and provides just-in-time training for instructors. Students also get access to automatically-generated alternative file formats for many course materials. Ally is a proactive approach to accessibility and is intended to complement existing services provided by the Disability Services Office (DSO) and the Department of Access Services (DAS).
Turnitin
Suite of tools to help promote academic integrity and improve students’ writing. Students can use the Turnitin Draft Coach Google Docs add-in to check the originality, citations, and grammar of their draft documents while writing. Instructors can use Originality Check/Similarity Report in myCourses Assignments to verify the originality of students’ submissions. Instructors can use Grademark in myCourses Assignments to annotate students’ submissions.
Respondus
Quiz management system for Microsoft Windows used to create question libraries and printed or online quizzes. Includes many question types and formatting options. Imports publisher-supplied question banks and quizzes written in Microsoft Word into myCourses.
Web Conferencing and Video Creation
Zoom
Web conferencing solution used to facilitate synchronous remote classes, include guest speakers, and provide additional collaboration opportunities. Synchronously connect with anyone else across the globe using your device’s camera and microphone. Instructors can increase interaction and participation using features such as polls, breakout rooms, whiteboard, screen share, and chat. Zoom meeting can be recorded and played back via the browser.
Panopto
Video hosting platform used to store asynchronous course videos for streaming in myCourses. Playback is adjusted to ensure smooth viewing across a variety of devices. Instructors can facilitate video-based assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Panopto also includes recording tools and lightweight editing software that can be used instead of Camtasia.
Camtasia
Software used to record and edit asynchronous course video. Records computer screen, webcam video, and audio. Robust editing options for splicing multiple media items together and adding text/image annotations. Common uses include screen recording tutorials/demonstrations, short lecture videos with instructor on camera, and voiced-over slideshow recordings.
Collaboration Tools
Google Workspace for Education
Suite of tools for file editing, sharing, and storage. Common use cases include creating project files, brainstorming, solving graphical problems, and using the commenting features for peer review. Use independently or co-create files with real-time collaborative writing/editing. Changes are tracked by each author in the revision history. Improve your writing using Turnitin Draft Coach add-in for Google Docs.
Microsoft 365
Suite of tools for file editing, sharing, and storage. Includes other productivity apps. Common use cases include creating project files and using the commenting features for peer review. Use independently or co-create files with real-time collaborative writing/editing. Changes are tracked by each author in the revision history.
Slack
Messaging tool for quick communication and helping to build community in a course. Common uses include facilitating group work, discussions on a topic, having an open communication channel during class, and asking course questions at any time that can be answered by anyone in the class. Includes options for group and one-to-one messaging, file sharing, multimedia content, and third-party integrations.
Technology in the Classroom
Document Cameras (Doc Cams)
Device for projecting physical content in the room to a screen in the front of the room or to remote participants. Allows for the sharing of written content (e.g. handwritten notes or whiteboard content), books, or even smaller three dimensional objects (e.g. molecular models, 3D printed objects).
Wireless Projection
Device that allows content to be shared to the in-room screen from anywhere within the classroom. Common uses include sharing phone or laptop screens while walking around the classroom, sharing images and videos captured on a smartphone, and having the students in the room share content.
Zoom Room
Controls built into certain teaching stations that provide a connection to Zoom meetings without the use of an additional device (e.g. a computer or tablet). Rooms with this functionality typically have cameras and microphones built into the room. The Zoom Room allows connection and control of these devices from the teaching station.
iClicker
Student response collection system used for in-class formative or summative evaluations and polling. Students can use mobile devices, laptops, or wireless remotes to respond. Aggregated results can be shared back to the class live and grades can be transferred to the myCourses gradebook. Students can view questions and answers after class as study aids.
Additional Academic Technologies
Gradescope (Pilot)
Currently in pilot. Gradescope is an assessment technology used to efficiently grade handwritten assignments/quizzes or computer code. Scanned handwritten documents can be easily uploaded and assessed efficiently based on automatic answer grouping and reusable instructor-authored feedback. Computer code can be graded automatically using an auto-grader.
Qualtrics
Survey tool used for collecting student preferences and opinions, submitting peer feedback to the instructor, and facilitating polls that show real time aggregated results to the class. Includes many question types, data analysis, and reporting options. Qualtrics is administered by ITS, but supported by CTL for teaching.