Waterloo's EdTech Sandbox offers both a virtual and a physical space for Edtech exploration.
Waterloo's EdTech Sandbox
Coming to campus iteratively, with a soft launch of our virtual space in Winter 2025, Waterloo's EdTech Sandbox provides an online and in-person space for our community to experiment with educational technology (EdTech). The EdTech Sandbox is accessible to all faculty, staff, and students.
For a list of technologies, equipment, and resources available for use and booking, see Sandbox Resources. Bookings are currently required. Please contact the EdTech Sandbox at edtechsandbox@uwaterloo.ca.
Review the Project Updates below to stay up to date on engagement opportunities and ways to get involved with the EdTech Sandbox.
Why a "Sandbox"?
A sandbox was a term originally used in software engineering to describe a space for developers to safely test new code before implementing it more widely.
Similarly, our EdTech Sandbox is a space for collaboration, safe testing, and experimentation of different educational technologies and software for use in courses. It is a hub of resources to allow technology-enabled teaching approaches to be put into practice and accelerate the innovation of education at Waterloo.
Sandbox Timeline: Access, Bookings, and More
Accessing the Virtual Space
As we await the launch of the physical space for the EdTech Sandbox, there are numerous strategic partnerships we are building across campus to establish a strong network of EdTech stakeholders. These include partnerships include:
- VR Headsets to virtually attend lectures, captured via 360 cameras
- The use of MS CoPilot in grading student assessments
- Evaluating LEARN Tools, specifically Creator+ and Performance+
- Evaluating polling tools such as iClicker and Vevox
- EdTech Forum: Sign Up
- Investigation of the management and administration of VR Headsets
If you're interested in getting involved in any of the projects currently underway in the EdTech Sandbox, either click on the link above to sign up (where applicable) or reach out to Kenneth Berry, EdTech Sandbox Supervisor.
Jump to a list of technologies available through the virtual sandbox space.
Accessing the Physical Space
The Sandbox's physical space is currently under construction with an anticipated launch date of Spring 2025. In anticipation of its launch, the EdTech Sandbox Supervisor has been developing processes for prospective users interested in using our EdTech and booking out the Sandbox space. Information about how to access the Physical Sandbox space will be published to our website once it is available. Please stay tuned.
Jump to a list of technologies available through the physical sandbox space.
Virtual Sandbox
The virtual EdTech Sandbox is a collection of resources, programs, and softwares available for 24/7 online access from anywhere. These resources will support innovative teaching and learning, for instructors and students.
Physical Sandbox
The physical EdTech Sandbox is an alternative learning space to a traditional lecture hall, with moveable furniture to allow for different learning space configurations and various learning technologies to inspire learning.
Project Updates
Attend the Webinar: Interactive Content in LEARN: Creator+ and the Instructor Experience
On April 14, 2025, from 10am-11am EDT, the Teaching Innovation Incubator will be hosting a webinar for interested users to learn more about Creator+ and lessons learned from Waterloo instructors who employed it in a real class setting. Click on the session title for more details. Registration is required.
Learning from examples: Waterloo instructors showcase their course design using Creator+
Highlighting example use cases of the Creator+ tool by Waterloo faculty members who have used Creator+ in their courses.
Join the EdTech Forum!
A space to collaborate and share knowledge and information with other instructors and staff about educational technologies currently in use or being investigated at Waterloo.