Digital education tools

See below for digital tools listed in two categories:

  1. Core tools that have been evaluated by the University and are centrally supported.
  2. Additional tools that require users to manage their own access and use. 

Digital Education Technologies User Group

Would you like to explore the use of digital tools to support flexible and inclusive teaching and learning at Oxford?

The Digital Education Technologies User Group provides staff with a forum for discussion with other users and learning technologists. It is facilitated and administered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, but is user-led and focussed. 

Find out more about the Digital Education Technologies User Group.

These tools have been evaluated and approved by the University in terms of data security and privacy, and are centrally supported. Many of them are integrated into Canvas and do not require separate login credentials. However, for some tools (eg H5P,
Miro), please contact us to request a licence.

 
Tool name Description Purpose Legal
Canvas

University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Oxford Staff guidance

All Accessibility

Privacy
Panopto Oxford University’s lecture capture and video hosting system

Get started with lecture capture
Presentation Accessibility

Privacy
ORLO Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) is a tool for creating online reading lists

Online Reading lists
Content Accessibility

Privacy
MS Teams Chat-based digital workspace that is part of Office 365; it has been designed specifically to address the needs of virtual teams by acting as a hub for chat, calls and online meetings

Getting started: Microsoft Teams
Collaboration

Content
Accessibility

Privacy
H5P Tool for creating interactive learning objects that can be used for teaching a variety of subjects

H5P Content types and applications
Content

Assessment
Accessibility

Privacy
Cabinet Online platform designed to support the use of objects and images for teaching

What is Cabinet?
Content

Collaboration
 
Vevox Platform for live polling, Q&A, word clouds and quizzing

Introducing Vevox (video)
Collaboration

Assessment

Accessibility

Privacy

Mentimeter Tool that enables polling, word clouds, quizzes and Q&A

Getting started with Mentimeter

What is Mentimeter? (video)
Presentation
Collaboration
Accessibility

Privacy
Miro Online collaboration and whiteboarding platform that allows you to create notes and designs, move things around, and communicate through embedded video calls or chats

Getting started with Miro (video)
Presentation

Collaboration

Assessment

Accessibility

Privacy

ClassVR Virtual and augmented reality platform that can bring complex subject matter to life

Top 10 ways to use ClassVR
Content Privacy
Inspera e-Assessment platform - it offers authoring and marking functionality too, but that is currently handled differently at Oxford

Online Coursework Submissions
Assessment Accessibility

Privacy
Rapidmooc A quick and simple way to record instructional videos in front of a green screen; no specialist skills or post-production required

Introducing Rapidmooc (video)
Content

Privacy

Turnitin Electronic text matching system that can be used to find text matches between submitted student papers and existing digital resources such as journal articles, webpages and previous student submissions

Turnitin Support Center
Assessment

Accessibility

Privacy

Ally Previously called Blackboard Ally. Accessibility checker for content in Canvas - it helps to build a more inclusive learning environment and improve the student experience by promoting accessibility and usability.

Introduction to Ally (video)
Content Accessibility

Privacy
LaTeX Math Editor Basic mathematical formatting in Canvas

How do I use the Math-Editor?
Content

Presentation
See Canvas

Although these tools have not necessarily been evaluated or approved by the University, they are being used by some parts of the University and may be useful to explore. Departments, faculties and colleges need to use their own discretion and resources in accessing, using and supporting these tools.

 
Tool name Description Purpose Legal
Zoom Video conferencing / communication / events
How to use Zoom (video)
Presentation
Collaboration
Accessibility
Privacy
Padlet An intuitive and fun way to use virtual post-it notes to collect ideas, feedback and suggestions from participants
How to use Padlet (video)
Collaboration Accessibility
Privacy
Screencast-o-matic Record, edit, share and manage video to connect with students or colleagues
CTL guide: Screencasting
Presentation Privacy
MATLAB Grader MATLAB® Grader™ is a browser-based authoring environment for creating and sharing MATLAB coding problems and assessments
Getting started with MATLAB (video)
Content
Assessment
Accessibility
Privacy
Camtasia An easy to use screen capture and recording tool that can be used to record Teams meetings, do sound edits and share the mp4 recording
How to use Camtasia (video)
Content
Presentation
Accessibility
Privacy
YouTube Public video creation and sharing platform Content Accessibility
Privacy
Canva A graphic design platform allowing users to create graphics, presentations, posters, and lots of other visual content
What is Canva? (video)
Content Privacy
Slack Channels with all the people, messages and files related to a topic, in one place
How to use Slack (video)
Communication Accessibility
Privacy
Flipgrid Flipgrid (owned by Microsoft) is a simple, free and accessible video creation and sharing platform that enables teachers and students to easily make and share videos with each other on various topics (‘grids’)
Ideas, tips, and best practices
Communication
Presentation
Accessibility
Privacy
VoiceThread A media player allowing users to asynchronously communicate (replacing text-only discussions) to discuss images, videos, presentations, and documents
VoiceThread in Education (video)
Presentation
Communication
Accessibility
Privacy
Notion Very powerful notetaking and organisation tool that is useful for students and academics
What is Notion? (video)
Collaboration
Content
Accessibility
Privacy
Numbas An easy way to create online Maths (and other) short-question-type tests; it is a free web-based system to build the exams you need to challenge your students, complete with videos and interactive diagrams
See demo
Assessment Accessibility
Privacy
Socrative Classroom app for effective engagement and assessment
Socrative: A formative assessment tool for teachers (video)
Collaboration
Assessment
Accessibility
Privacy

It is possible to consider and request the enablement of third-party ‘plugin’ tools into Canvas, to suit discipline-specific needs. Such requests will be considered by the Canvas Operations Group, and if agreed, all costs and user support will be the responsibility of the department concerned.

FIT - Flexible and Inclusive Teaching

Contact us


If you have a query, please contact us at

CONTACT@CTL.OX.AC.UK

 

Follow us


 @CTLOxford

 

Teaching & Learning Newsletter


Subscribe to our termly Teaching & Learning Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER