Category: Tips for Teaching with Technology

AccessChecker, a new content accessibility tool is now available in Canvas!

You might have noticed a new item in your Canvas course navigation called AccessChecker.  While Canvas itself is accessible to all users, regardless of disability, content posted to Canvas might require additional modifications to conform to best practices. This tool enables faculty to identify accessibility issues in their Canvas course content. AccessChecker will scan a course,…Continue Reading AccessChecker, a new content accessibility tool is now available in Canvas!

Poll Everywhere as Back Channel Space for Questions

Have you ever wanted to capture questions from students during a lecture? Do you just know students have questions about the content, but there is always silence when you ask them? I’d love to share a really cool and interesting way of using Poll Everywhere in your classes to solve this problem. Dirk Albrecht is…Continue Reading Poll Everywhere as Back Channel Space for Questions

Spotlight on Student Engagement: Piazza

Piazza is a free, easy to use Q&A platform integrated within Canvas. If you’ve been looking for more ways to get your students contributing in class, Piazza might be the tool for you. The Piazza platform encourages all types of learners to ask and answer questions in an online forum environment. Students have the option…Continue Reading Spotlight on Student Engagement: Piazza

Welcome back WPI Faculty!

Hope everyone’s first week is going smoothly!  Last Wednesday TTL was able to meet with new faculty members at WPI and give them an overview of the services we offer from Technology for Teaching and Learning @ the ATC.   It got me thinking that we should give the same refresher to our returning faculty! Such is the…Continue Reading Welcome back WPI Faculty!

The app that we’ve all been waiting for is here! Echo360 for Tablets!!

Over the past few years, the ATC has fielded requests from many instructors concerning how they might record annotated videos using their tablets. And have them publish to their myWPI site using Echo360, our lecture capturing system. For the earlier, we always recommended the iPad app “Explain Everything.” However, for the latter, we never had a great…Continue Reading The app that we’ve all been waiting for is here! Echo360 for Tablets!!

Check out these 3 great features of PDF Annotator!

On the classroom podiums you will find 2 programs that will allow you to mark up PDFs as well as Powerpoint presentations and other files – Smart Notebook and PDF Annotator. Alright! So lets start with why I’m focusing on PDF Annotator and not Smart Notebook. At some point in the near future WPI will…Continue Reading Check out these 3 great features of PDF Annotator!

Compatibility Mode and myWPI

If you’re an Internet Explorer 11 user, you may have noticed that myWPI has the occasional tendency to look, well, odd. If you’re seeing errors like these scrollbars, or perhaps encountering other errors in Internet Explorer where things aren’t displaying or working correctly, you may need to turn off Compatibility Mode! Compatibility mode is a…Continue Reading Compatibility Mode and myWPI

That’s What We Are Here For!

Yesterday I had one of what we call our “great meetings”.  I met with two faculty (don’t worry, they shall not be named here) who identified some of their teaching challenges.  We spent our time discussing the following topics: 1.  Grading multiple choice exams.  How can we cut down on grading time while also gathering…Continue Reading That’s What We Are Here For!

The more things change…use of media in the classroom.

This term I am taking a course that covers the history of educational technology.  You may hear more from me on the topic!  One of the themes that keeps striking me repeatedly is the pattern we have suffered in this field.  The challenges I face in my role today, such as a lack of a…Continue Reading The more things change…use of media in the classroom.