In 2017, CTE surveyed Waterloo instructors about educational technologies they use in their courses. Of the nearly 70 technologies that were identified, we've selected the most popular and have briefly described them below. Most of these items also have at least one friendly contact: that is, a Waterloo instructor who has used the technology and is willing to share his or her expertise and experience with other Waterloo instructors. Additionally, the reasons for using the tool -- as reported by the Waterloo instructors -- is provided in the "purposes" table for each tool. Details pertaining to the project and the data it collected are available in this report (PDF).
Camtasia Studio
Camtasia Studio is a tool for making video tutorials (also known as screencasts).
With Camtasia Studio, you can record whatever is happening on your computer screen while narrating it at the same time. Camtasia Studio also integrates with PowerPoint, so if you have an existing presentation, you can simply import it into Camtasia and step through the slides, narrating each one as you go. You can also import existing video into Camtasia Studio – for example, video of a lab demonstration – and edit it or add it to other video.
Video tutorials are an effective way of conveying certain kinds of content: introductory; remedial; or complex content that demands repeated viewing.
Some instructors use video tutorials to deliver the bulk of their course content: students watch the video tutorials outside of class, allowing class time to be used to focus on application, question and answer, discussion, peer instruction, and so on. This is called flipping the classroom.
A copy of Camtasia is about $210 CAD.
Waterloo instructors report using Camtasia Studio for these purposes:
| Primary Purpose | Other Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Vivian Dayeh, Biology
- Rick Marta, Chemistry
- Steve Forsey, Chemistry
- James Skidmore, Germanic & Slavic Studies
- Chris Vigna, Kinesiology
- Steve Lambert, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- David Effa, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Sean Peterson, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Stefan Idziak, Physics
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton, Kyle Scholz
More resources
- CTE Teaching Tip: Camtasia Studio
- CTE Teaching Tip: Screencasts
- Camtasia educational pricing
Clickers
Clickers allow an instructor to ask multiple-choice questions in class, which the students respond to using a handheld device. The clicker system aggregates the students’ responses as a bar chart, which the instructor displays to the class.
Clickers can be used to provide a simple and quick check of class comprehension.
They can also be used to foster peer instruction:
- the instructors asks a challenging question which students answer on their own via their clickers;
- the students get into small groups to talk about their individual responses;
- the instructor has all of the students respond again to the same question. Usually, more students select the correct response because of the peer instruction they did in the small groups.
Two types of clickers are supported on campus: the hardware-based iClicker Classic and the app-based iClicker Cloud (formerly Reef Polling) which students use on their mobile devices (smart phones, laptops).
Clickers have been used in more than 200 courses at Waterloo, 50 courses in the past academic year. To use the iClicker system, students buy a physical iClicker device or an iClicker Cloud online account at the campus textbook store. Campus classrooms are set up for clicker use but instructors need a copy of the free iClicker software.
Waterloo instructors report using clickers for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Heidi Engelhart, Department of Biology
- Laura Deakin, Chemistry
Support
- CTE support: Paul Kates
- ITMS support: Tammy Marcinko
More resources
- CTE Teaching Tip: Clickers
Crowdmark
Crowdmark is a online platform that helps instructors manage and grade assignments and tests quickly and efficiently.
Paper assignments and tests can be scanned and input into Crowdmark, while online assignments can be submitted to Crowdmark directly by students. Markers see a grid of anonymous pages they can navigate and grade concurrently using markup tools that include shareable and reusable comments and a tagging facility for easy searching. Instructors can monitor grading progress at any time and grades are calculated automatically when grading has finished.
For midterms and final exams Crowdmark is usually used in conjunction with a companion UWaterloo system named Odyssey that provides examination seat assignment and printing/scanning services.
Online grading via Crowdmark has led to reported savings in grading time of 20-40%. The tool integrates with Waterloo's learning management system and has been used in more than 200 courses at Waterloo in the past year. It is free for UWaterloo instructors.
Waterloo Instructors report using Crowdmark for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
|
Friendly contacts
- Linda Carson, Fine Arts
- Andrew Milne, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Support
- CTE support: Paul Kates
- UW support: cmadmin@uwaterloo.ca
More resources
- CTE Teaching Tip: Crowdmark
- Crowdmark website
- Jason Harlow, Department of Physics, University of Toronto discusses Crowdmark (YouTube video)
- Crowdmark at Waterloo
- How Does Crowdmark work? (YouTube video)
Doodle
Doodle is a free, online scheduling tool for groups. A user sets up a calendar of possible dates and times for a meeting; that user then shares the URL of the calendar with other users who each indicate their availability; once everyone has indicated their availability, a date that works for everyone can be easily discerned.
Waterloo instructors report using Doodle for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Andrew Milne, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Maud Gorbet, Systems Design Engineering
- Carmen Caradima, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Rebecca Saari, Civil Engineering
- Shannon Dea, Philosophy
- Karla Boluk, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton
More resources
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-based, file-sharing platform. Users can upload documents, images, videos or other types of files in order to access them from multiple locations such as home and office. Additionally, users can share those files with others, either by sending them a link to a single file or to an entire folder.
Dropbox is free, but a paid version provides additional space and functionality.
Waterloo instructors report using Dropbox for these purposes:
| Primary Purpose | Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Bill Power, Chemistry
- Rebecca Saari, Civil Engineering
- Jill Tomasson-Goodwin, Drama and Speech Communication
- Raveet Jacob, English Language Studies
- Linda Carson, Fine Arts
- Ann Marie Rasmussen, Germanic & Slavic Studies
- James Skidmore, Germanic & Slavic Studies
- David Effa, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Lisa Prokopich, Optometry
- Cynthia Richard, Pharmacy
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton
More resources
Google Docs
Google Docs is a free, cloud-based application for creating, editing, storing, sharing, and commenting on documents. Google docs is wiki-like in that multiple users can edit the same document (and they can do so at the same time). Google Docs also allows users to “roll back” a document to earlier versions.
Google Docs is part of a larger suite of applications that includes Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Drawings.
Waterloo instructors report using Google Docs for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Raveet Jacob, English Language Studies
- Ann Marie Rasmussen, Germanic & Slavic Studies
- Jane Karanassiou, English Language Studies
- Peter Carr, Management Sciences
- Maud Gorbet, Systems Design Engineering
- Andrew Milne, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Linda Carson, Fine Arts
- David Effa, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Shannon Dea, Philosophy
- Jill Tomasson-Goodwin, Drama and Speech Communication
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton
More resources
- Introducing a New Google Docs (YouTube video)
- CTE Teaching Tip: Wikis
IF-AT Cards
IF-AT (Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique) cards are multiple-choice answer sheets which the learner scratches to reveal the correct answer. The IF-AT system provides immediate affirmative feedback (if a student’s answer choice is correct) and/or corrective feedback (if a student’s answer choice is incorrect).
Using the IF-AT system allows students to continue answering a question until they discover the correct answer. This ensures that students’ last response is the correct one. As a result, the IF-AT teaches while it assesses, facilitating learning and improving students’ retention of the information being tested. Additionally, IF-AT cards provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively.
A common method of use involves students answering a series of questions on their own without the use of IF-AT cards; subsequently, students work with a group to answer the same questions, come to a consensus on which answer is correct, and then scratch the card. If the students discover they are incorrect, they can discuss the question again and make another attempt.
The cards can be used for individual assessment as well. If used for summative assessments, partial grading is assigned for questions not answered correctly on the first attempt.
Waterloo Instructors report using IF-AT cards for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Lisa Prokopich, Optometry
- Patricia Hrynchak, Optometry
Support
- CTE support: your Faculty Liaison
More resources
- Epstein Educational Enterprises (for information and to purchase cards)
- TestMaker for IT-AT (free tool to help create tests for cards)
- Team-Based Learning information
- Two-Stage Exams (information and resources from UBC)
- CTE Teaching Tip: Gamification and Game-Based Learning
- CTE Teaching Tip: In-class Activities and Assessments for the Flipped Classroom
Kahoot
Kahoot is a free and easy to use classroom response system that does not require students to sign up or use any identifying information.
The instructor creates a game in Kahoot by entering a number of multiple-choice questions and then gives the student the game PIN to participate on any device. Students respond to questions using a laptop or smart device and the correct answer can be shown. Leaderboards and group Kahoots can be used to increase student engagement.
Waterloo Instructors report using Kahoot for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Vivian Dayeh, Biology
Support
- CTE support: your Faculty Liaison
More resources
- Kahoot home
- Five-Minute Guide to Kahoot (YouTube video)
- CTE Teaching Tip: Gamification and Game-Based Learning
- CTE Teaching Tip: Managing Students’ Use of Technology in the Classroom
Keynote
Keynote is a presentation tool. An instructor uses it to open a presentation on an iPad, and then annotates the slide or images with a stylus, while the students watch on the classroom screen.
Waterloo Instructors report using Keynote for these purposes:
| Primary Purpose | Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Mungo Marsden, Biology
Support
- CTE Support: Mark Morton
More resources
- iPad Pro Keynote (YouTube video)
- CTE Teaching Tip: PowerPoint
Lightboard
A Lightboard is an illuminated glass “chalkboard” for creating stimulating videos.
The instructor stands behind the glass and draws their explanation in front of themselves, while facing the camera. The Lightboard software then "flips" the image before the video is produced so that the instructor's writing is not backwards for the viewers.
Engaging the students with eye contact and gestures improves upon the traditional chalkboard where an instructor’s back is facing the audience, facilitating visual explanations of concepts. Lightboard videos can become an integral component of blended, flipped, and online courses.
Waterloo's Media Production Technicians will help instructors record the audio and visual for these presentations in the ITMS Waterloo Studio.
Lightboard can be used for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
-
Christine Barbeau
School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability
Support
-
ITMS: Waterloo Studio
-
CTE support: your Faculty Liaison
More resources
-
Educause (2014) ELI: Seven things you should know about Lightboard
-
Demonstration of Lightboard from Northwestern University (YouTube video)
-
CTE Teaching Tip: Lightboard
Maple T.A. (Mobius)
Maple T.A. is an online platform for testing students in advanced mathematics, science, and engineering.
Maple T.A. grades student responses "intelligently" – that is, it automatically grades mathematically equivalent answers and provides specific and relevant feedback, helping students identify conceptual errors. Hundreds of question variations can be delivered from a single question allowing students to practice as much as they want without requiring extra time from staff.
For the last several years Maple T.A. use has averaged about 40 courses per year at Waterloo.
Maple T.A. is being superseded by its sister platform Mobius in 2018. Mobius includes the Maple T.A. assessment platform as well as tools to create and present interactive web pages with questions, slideshows, and math apps.
Maple T.A. is free for use by University of Waterloo instructors and students.
Waterloo instructors report using Maple T.A. for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Rick Marta, Chemistry
- Laura Ingram, Chemistry
- Carey Bissonnette, Chemistry
Support
- CTE support: Paul Kates
- UW support: mapleta@uwaterloo.ca, mobiushelp@uwaterloo.ca
More resources
PEAR
PEAR (Peer Evaluation, Assessment, and Review) is an online software, developed at the University of Guelph, used to facilitate the peer review process, as well as the evaluation of group performance. The tool is integrated into LEARN.
The peer review process serves as a learning opportunity for students as they provide feedback to each other and subsequently reflect on their own work by allowing them to evaluate the work of their peers.
Peer review can also help instructors manage workload in large classes by engaging the students themselves in some of the grading and feedback to their fellow students.
The PEAR tool handles the logistics of the peer review process by setting up dates for submission, review, and resubmission. Students read and comment (anonymously or not) on each other’s work based on defined criteria that the instructors establishes within the grading form(s) in PEAR. Students can resubmit a revised assignment upon receiving feedback from their peers.
Peer evaluation of group member performance can be used to increase individual accountability and transparency within the group. The group evaluation feature in PEAR enables students to evaluate their group members (anonymously or not) based on established criteria using the grading form(s) in PEAR.
Waterloo Instructors report using PEAR for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
Friendly contacts
- Sean Geobey, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
- Joslin Goh, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Marcel Pinheiro, Biology
- Katie Plaisance, Knowledge Integration
- Susan Lolle, Biology
- Max Salman, Earth and Environmental Science
Support
- CTE support: Jason Thompson, Scott Anderson
- ITMS support: Jan Willwerth
More resources
- University of Guelph PEAR tool: PEAR tool
- CTE Teaching Tip: Methods for Assessing Group Work
- CTE Teaching Tip: Responding to Writing Assignments
Piazza
Piazza is a free, online question-and-answer platform that blends the functionality of a discussion forum with that of a wiki. Piazza helps students ask and answer their own questions, under the guidance of their instructor or TAs. Each post contains four panels and the question and answer process typically goes like this:
| 1st panel | A student posts a question using a WYSIWYG editor that features math notation and code blocks. Any student or instructor can edit the question for clarity or detail. Thus, the question area, like the answer area, allows for collaborative content (like a wiki). Other students or the instructor have the option of tagging the post with the label “good question.” |
| 2nd panel | Other students then attempt to answer the question. The instructor or a teaching assistant has the option of “endorsing” this answer, tagging it with the label “good answer.” |
| 3rd panel | If needed, the instructor or teaching assistant can supply an answer or comment on the answer provided by students. |
| 4th panel | Students then have the option to have follow-up discussion pertaining to the solution. Follow-up discussions can be tagged with the label “resolved” or “unresolved.” |
Piazza is integrated into LEARN. Over two hundred courses at Waterloo have used Piazza in disciplines such as Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, and Accounting and Finance.
Waterloo instructors report using Piazza for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Christopher Nielsen, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Maud Gorbet, Systems Design Engineering
Support
- CTE support: Paul Kates
- ITMS support: learnhelp@uwaterloo.ca
More resources
- CTE Teaching Tip: Piazza
- CTE Teaching Story: Cyntha Struthers
- Piazza home
- Using Piazza as a Discussion Tool (YouTube video)
Top Hat
Top Hat is an online platform that provides an integrated suite of tools such as polls, quizzes, discussion forums, slide annotation, videos, and customized content. Students use their smartphones, laptops, or other mobile devices to access Top Hat. Some instructors use only the polling tool in Top Hat, in order to foster student engagement through clicker-type questions. Other instructors draw on its full range of functionality and essentially use Top Hat as a Learning Management System – that is, as alternative to LEARN. (Top Hat, incidentally, was developed by two Waterloo graduates.)
Top Hat is free for instructors. Students pay about $26.00 for access for one term, or $38.00 for a full year.
Waterloo instructors report using Top Hat for these purposes:
| Primary Purposes | Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
|
Friendly contacts
- Steve Forsey, Chemistry
- Rob Burns, Kinesiology
- Hilary Bergsieker, Psychology
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton (note, Mark can provide pedagogical support, but not technical support)
More resources
- Top Hat home
- Top Hat Knowledge Base documents (tutorial for instructors)
Twitter allows users to share brief comments or links to online resources. If User A follows User B, then the comments or “tweets” shared by User B will automatically appear in the subscription or “feed” of User A.
Users can also search all of Twitter for tweets that contain specific words or phrases such as “mitosis” or “cell biology.”
Alternatively, they can search for hashtags, which are search terms that have been more purposefully created and which are preceded by the # symbol. For example, #educause2018 might be used to indicate tweets that are made during the 2018 Educause Annual Conference; #UWbio344 might be used by the instructor and students of Waterloo’s Biology 344 to share comments, questions, or online resources pertaining to that course.
Waterloo instructors report using Twitter for these purposes:
| Primary Purposes | Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
|
Friendly contacts
- Bill Power, Chemistry
- Rick Marta, Chemistry
- Rebecca Saari, Civil Engineering
- Linda Carson, Fine Arts
- James Skidmore, Germanic & Slavic Studies
- Peter Carr, Management Sciences
- Shannon Dea, Philosophy
- Karla Boluk, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Support
- CTE support: Tommy Mayberry, Mark Morton
More resources
- CTE Teaching Tip: Twitter
VoiceThread
VoiceThread is an online media player that features a built-in discussion space.
An instructor loads media – such as images, film clips, or documents – into VoiceThread, and students then comment on the media by means of a microphone, webcam, keyboard, phone, or file upload. Instructors (and students) can also “doodle” on the media in order to draw attention to specific aspects of it. As comments are added, the VoiceThread can be played back so that students can experience the development of the conversation. Students can also respond to each other’s comments.
VoiceThread is in some ways like an online discussion forum, but it is more interactive and visually-oriented.
Waterloo Instructors report using VoiceThread for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Kanstantsin Tsedryk, French Studies
- Kyle Scholz, Germanic and Slavic Studies
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton
More resources
WordPress
WordPress is a free blogging tool that allows a user, or a group of users, to share information, ideas, perspectives, images, and more. Users can also comment on each other’s blog posts. Blog posts can be categorized or tagged with keywords. WordPress provides a number of attractive blog designs.
Instructors can use WordPress to share their reflections with students; alternatively, instructors can ask students to use a WordPress blog to reflect on or contribute to class discussions or course content.
Waterloo instructors report using WordPress for these purposes:
|
Primary Purposes |
Secondary Purposes |
|---|---|
|
Friendly contacts
- Edwin Ng, Social Work
- Shannon Dea, Philosophy
- Rebecca Saari, Civil Engineering
- Peter Carr, Management Sciences
Support
- CTE support: Mark Morton
More resources
- Teaching with Blogs. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.
- Blogs for Teaching and Learning. DePaul University Teaching Commons.
- WordPress home
