Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning Technology tools are online tools made available through a web-based platform or as a downloadable application for your devices.

They make everyday tasks related to teaching and learning both in and outside of the traditional classroom easier and more efficient, and connect with different learning styles.

Each of these tools is intended for a specific teaching or learning purpose, but some of the tools provided here have multiple functions.

The tools in this guide are open source, free (some with options to upgrade), or are supported by a department on campus. 

They are organized by category based on intended use along the left-hand side. For each tool, we've provided

• A brief description
• Best uses
• Limitations 
• Information about support available on campus
• Help resources 

All the other tools which are not supported by campus departments have been tested by staff in the Media Studio. 

If you have any questions about any of the tools on this list, have suggestions for additions or questions about how they can be used in teaching, please feel free to contact us.

We have tried to provide considerations for whether the tool:

1. Can create projects that are accessible to people who use assistive technology (AT), such as screen readers.
2. Has an accessible user interface that enables AT users to create and share projects with other learners.

Not all developers provided information on accessibility, but we provided the information based on what we could find, contacted some developers, and performed some tests. Web-based and mobile tools are constantly changing and hopefully, the accessibility of these tools will continue to improve. 

In teaching

Before adopting a learning tool, it's the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the tool does not create barriers for students enrolled in their course.

While instructors are not required to make content posted within Courselink accessible until requested, we recommend planning in a way that allows you to be flexible and responsive as needed. Some good guidelines to consider when making accessible instructional materials are

1. Make accessible documents: Word, PowerPoint, PDFs (sign in required).
2. If you are incorporating live quizzes, make sure to leave enough time for everyone to respond.
3. If necessary, make arrangements to ensure that alternative formats are available or can be requested easily. 
4. Familiarize yourself with accessible web content creation guidelines.

Resources