Project background
The EdTech ecosystem has become complex and unsustainable with rising costs and support demands and a fragmented decision-making and funding model. The fragmentation degrades the student experience and results in cybersecurity, privacy, and accessibility compliance risks, as well as duplication, increased cost and support demands, and inequitable access to technology. The intent of this project is to address current decision-making and funding challenges that create fragmentation and inefficiencies, while developing an improved strategy to holistically and efficiently manage and support EdTech.
At present, EdTech is a combination of technologies that are decided upon and funded:
- Centrally through the Provost's enterprise software budget; and
- Through the faculty or department for specific programs or use cases; and
- Selected and funded by individual instructors; and
- Required by instructors for a course and funded by students who purchase it
A collaborative strategy to effectively manage EdTech costs and decisions
With the support of Deans Council and EdTech Steering, the project team will work collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff to simplify the model to address duplication and other challenges through:
- The prioritization and use of centrally supported EdTech tools in teaching and learning.
- Consideration of a small, flat-rate student technology fee, if it is deemed to provide benefit to students without significant overhead, for a pilot period to ensure there is appropriate revenue for the cost of EdTech while the University addresses student out-of-pocket EdTech expenses and current duplication issues. During the pilot of the fee, the project will:
- Create a holistic decision-making process for EdTech that considers sustainable funding, appropriate scalability, equity, and inclusion of all stakeholders in decisions.
- Establish and design maintenance processes for a core list of safe, institutionally approved EdTech that instructors are required to use.
- Create an exception protocol and criteria when instructors want to use EdTech that is not on the approved core list.
- Clearly define what technologies are and are not considered EdTech that will be used to decide what is within the scope of a student fee and duplication or exception protocols.
This pilot recommendation is being reviewed and has not yet been approved.
Benefits
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Alignment with the Digital Learning Strategy.
- More transparent and consistent management of EdTech and a clear, consistent protocol for EdTech decisions and funding.
- Improvements to the student experience by addressing duplication and reduced average EdTech cost for students.
- Appropriate support frameworks that enable informed decision-making and risk mitigation.
Project outcomes
The goal of the EdTech 2.0 framework project is to ensure these technologies are responsibly managed and used to enhance teaching and learning in a way that provides a consistent, secure, and reliable student experience in alignment with University policies, guidelines, and the digital learning strategy, while reducing the increasing cost of EdTech for the University and students alike.
Work plan
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2025
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Sep
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Consultations
Held September 2025 to April 2026
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Sep
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2026
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Jan
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Analysis and recommendations
From February to June 2026
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Apr
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Recommendation endorsement
From April to June 2026
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Jun
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Implementation
From June to December 2026
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Jan
Approved temporary exception protocol
A master list of known EdTech used across campus has been created and indicates if non-centrally supported EdTech has been reviewed and approved for use for specific pedagogical requirements, or if it is awaiting an assessment. While approval of centrally supported EdTech tools (net new or requests for renewal) must meet defined criteria and must follow guidelines for integrations, the University’s current financial environment may influence the final decision.
A temporary protocol is available:
- Should you, as an instructor, want to use a technology that is not centrally supported or on the master list of tools.
- When there is contention around removing a duplicate or unsafe technology prioritized through the EdTech 2.0 project or on the master list. While the team works through EdTech assessments on the master list, you can continue using software that is "waiting for assessment."
Submission
- Must detail pedagogical requirement.
- Must include explanation of why a central tool will not work.
- Include dates for period of use.
Assessment
- Committee review includes: AVPA, UG/Grad student, Teaching Fellow (will consult with others).
- Unanimous decision required.
- Implementation pending Information Risk and Privacy Impact Assessment (IRA-PIA).
Notification
- Final decision and rationale provided by the committee.
- If approved, the instructor is accountable for knowing how the unsupported tool works and acquiring vendor information.
Master list updated
- Master list updated with decision and rationale details.