Learning Technology Selection Guide
This guide is designed to support instructors by outlining the educational technology tools recommended for use at Red River College Polytechnic.
Educational Technology, Information Privacy and Data Security
Educational technology can be an effective tool to support best practices in teaching and learning. When choosing an educational technology, it is important to consider not only how the tool can be used to meet learning outcomes, but also to provide a safe online environment for all students to learn and participate.
Red River College Polytechnic has reviewed a range of educational technology which instructors may find useful in delivering their courses. The College does not recommend tools that have not undergone a privacy and security assessment. Tools that meet privacy and security standards are endorsed and supported by ITS and the CLPE and released College-wide.
Learn more about Software Evaluations and Privacy Impact Assessments, including the risks associated with third-party tools and the process for initiating a privacy and security assessment on a third-party tool.
Educational Technology Finder
Discover educational technology supported by Red River College Polytechnic.
Red River College Polytechnic’s Centre for Learning and Program Development has adapted an e-learning tools rubric from Western University to assist you in evaluating the basic privacy aspects of educational technologies as well as their functional, technical, and pedagogical features. The CLPE is also piloting a version of this e-learning tools rubric in the development of a process for evaluating educational technology including privacy impacts.
If you have any concerns about how to use this rubric, about the privacy or security of the tool you’re interested in, or have any questions about how to implement an educational technology tool in your course, please contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca.
The CLPE and the Information Technology Solutions department (ITS) provide training and support for the following educational technologies.
Accessibility
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| Kurzweil | Kurzweil screen reader is available to RRC Polytech students and staff. Kurzweil makes printed or electronic text accessible to people with blindness and visual impairments — speaking text aloud in a variety of natural-sounding voices that can be modified to individual preferences. | For a Kurzweil license, contact Accessibility Services |
Assess
Tools for formative and summative evaluations.
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| ALEKS | ALEKS is a personalized, adaptive learning experience that supports students at all levels of preparation. Flexible enough to support a variety of course formats, ALEKS integrates assessment and learning to provide a truly optimal experience where students work on material they need, right when they need it. | ALEKS support |
| FlipGrid | FlipGrid allows users to create video message boards, or tiled “grids”, to facilitate video discussions. Instructors can post a topic to a grid, and students can post video responses that could be used as formative assessment. Compatible across various devices and embeddable in LEARN. | Contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca or visit the FlipGrid website |
| H5P | H5P allows users to create interactive content in LEARN including videos, presentations, quizzes, forms, and games that could be used as formative assessment. A cost is associated for each user of H5P. | Contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca or visit the H5P website |
| iClicker | iClicker is a student response system that allows students to respond to questions posed by the instructor in class. The software allows instructors to upload scores to the LEARN gradebook. | CLPE iClicker support |
| LASSI | Learning & Study Skill Inventory (LASSI) is designed to measure current study skills and habits related to skill, will and self-regulation components of strategic learning. | LASSI support |
| LEARN | LEARN is Red River College Polytechnic’s Learning Management System (LMS) used in the delivery of online, blended, and face to face courses. Assessment capabilities include the dropbox, rubric, quiz, self-assessment, and gradebook tools. | Visit the CLPE’s LEARN Support blog for self-help resources or contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca |
| Questar Degrees of Learning | Questar Assessment’s Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) helps teachers assess students for what they know and where they need more work, employing a scientifically developed scale of text complexity that measures reading ability and text complexity in a single metric to pinpoint the exact level of each student’s individual reading comprehension. | Questar support |
| Respondus | Respondus is a tool to transfer quizzes between LEARN and other file formats such as Word documents. | The CLPE is able to reimburse users who purchase a single-use license CLPE Respondus support |
| Respondus Lockdown Browser | Respondus Lockdown Browser is a browser that locks down the testing environment within LEARN during an online exam preventing access to other areas of the student’s computer. | CLPE Lockdown Browser support |
| Vretta | Diagnostic assessment is used to identify strengths and areas of improvement in math skills. | Vretta support |
Collaborate
Tools for working together remotely.
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| GoBoard | GoBoard is the premier online tutoring platform that combines video conferencing with an interactive canvas. Simply create a GoBoard, share the link, and begin sharing content face-to-face. | GoBoard support |
| Kahoot! | Kahoot! is a free game-based polling platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device. | Kahoot! support |
| LEARN Discussion Tool | LEARN Discussion tool is used for facilitating discussion between students within a course as part of the LEARN learning management system. Posts can be created by students and instructors to promote collaboration and communication on various topics. | Visit the CLPE’s LEARN Support blog for self-help resources or contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca |
| LEARN Groups Tool | LEARN Groups tool allows instructors to create student groups for collaboration on assignments, discussions, and targeted communication. | Visit the CLPE’s LEARN Support blog for self-help resources or contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca |
| Microsoft Office 365 | Microsoft Office 365 is a cloud-based service available to instructors and students including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote, and more. Students and staff can collaborate in real-time on the same Office document stored on OneDrive. These features mirror those available in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. | Allows authorization of up to five devices including personal ones. ITS Microsoft Office 365 support |
| Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams is a cloud‑based collaboration workspace in Microsoft Office 365 available to instructors and students upon request. Teams includes features like chat, audio or video calling, a virtual whiteboard, file storage, and project management tools. | Request your own Team and student access through Maestro. ITS Microsoft Teams support |
| WebEx | WebEx is a videoconferencing tool used to deliver live online lessons or hold virtual office hours. Features include screens and file sharing, digital whiteboarding, and polling. Sessions can be recorded and posted in LEARN. Students can use it to collaborate independently. | CLPE WebEx support |
Communicate
Tools for engaging in discussions and sharing video.
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Folders | Nine provides your mobile devices a wirelessly synchronized, encrypted connection to your company servers or email hosting services, so you can instantly access up-to-date Emails, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes when away from your office your or home. | 9 Folders support |
| FlipGrid | FlipGrid allows users to create video message boards, or tiled “grids”, to facilitate video discussions. Instructors can post a topic to a grid, and students can post video responses. Compatible across various devices and embeddable in LEARN. | Contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca or visit the FlipGrid website |
| LEARN | LEARN is Red River College Polytechnic’s Learning Management System (LMS) used in the delivery of online, blended, and face to face courses. Instructors can communicate with students through the email and news tools and use the discussion tool to promote student interaction. | Visit the CLPE’s LEARN Support blog for self-help resources or contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca |
| Mediasite Desktop Recorder | Mediasite Desktop Recorder is used to record, upload, and share video and desktop materials such narrated PowerPoint presentations and software demonstrations. Recordings can be embedded in LEARN. | CLPE Mediasite Desktop Recorder support |
| Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams is a cloud‑based collaboration workspace in Microsoft Office 365 available to instructors and students upon request. Teams includes features like chat, audio or video calling, a virtual whiteboard, file storage, and project management tools. | Request your own Team and student access through Maestro. ITS Microsoft Teams support |
| RRC Polytech Email System | The RRC Polytech email system is the primary point of contact between the College and its students. Staff and students are expected to use the system as external systems have not been approved and are not supported. | Staff email: ITS Staff Email support Student academic email: ITS Student Email support |
| Sharestream | ShareStream is a video service for instructors and students to upload video content for streaming in LEARN or as an assignment submission. | CLPE Sharestream support |
| Webex | WebEx is a videoconferencing tool used to deliver live online lessons or hold virtual office hours. Features include screens and file sharing, digital whiteboarding, and polling. Sessions can be recorded and posted in LEARN. Students can use it to collaborate independently. | CLPE WebEx support |
Create Content
Tools for designing course materials.
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| Electude | Online training process consists of hundreds of lessons and quizzes specifically designed for modern automotive education. Electude is a complete curriculum that can replace or supplement traditional automotive technology textbooks. | Electude support |
| EquateIO | EquatIO software allows you to create mathematical equations, formulas and more directly on your computer. | EquateIO support |
| Evolve | One-stop online portal for healthcare educators and students to access and purchase Elsevier digital teaching and learning materials. | Contact the Campus Store or Elsevier for more information |
| H5P | H5P allows users to create interactive HTML5 content in LEARN. This tool can be used to create and edit videos, presentations and games. A cost is associated for each user of H5P. | Contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca or visit the H5P website |
| LinkedIn Learning | LinkedIn Learning offers online training videos in a wide range of topic areas such as software, creative and business skills. These videos can be linked from LEARN courses. | CLPE LinkedIn Learning support The Library can create curated playlists based on a given topic: Library LinkedIn Learning support |
| Mediasite Desktop Recorder | Mediasite Desktop Recorder is used to record, upload, and share video and desktop materials such narrated PowerPoint presentations and software demonstrations. Recordings can be embedded in LEARN. | CLPE Mediasite Desktop Recorder support |
| Microsoft Office 365 | Microsoft Office 365 is a cloud-based service available to instructors and students including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote, and more. Students and staff can collaborate in real-time on the same Office document stored on OneDrive. These features mirror those available in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. | Allows authorization of up to five devices including personal ones ITS Office 365 support |
| New Shoes | As an introduction to marketing simulation, New Shoes covers marketing concepts at a basic level by focusing on the roles of price, product, promotion, and place. Student teams manage the marketing decisions for a simulated athletic shoe company and compete against one another to become the industry leader in market share and profitability. | New Shoes support |
| Shadow Health | Provides students and faculty access to Digital Clinical Experience™ (DCE) products in which students interact (ask questions of, view anatomy, perform simulated examinations of) with virtual patients | Shadow Health support |
| Sharestream | ShareStream is a video service for instructors and students to upload video content for streaming in LEARN or as an assignment submission. | CLPE Sharestream support |
| SMART Podium | SMART Podium is an interactive pen display including dedicated SMART Notebook digital whiteboard software. SMART Notebook lets users create instructional videos using a digital “whiteboard” to visually demonstrate concepts, ideas, or processes. | Available to borrow from the CLPE CLPE SMART Podium support |
| Textbook Publisher Resources | Textbook Publisher Resources such as Pearson Mindtap and Nelson Brain integrate textbook publisher material within LEARN, including e-books, homework solutions, quizzes and multimedia content. Instructors can add content and assignments, review and analyze student progress and grades, and send student notifications. | Once product selection has been made through a publisher representative, contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca about integrating the tools into LEARN Some support from the Campus Store may be required to coordinate the sale of e-textbooks |
Learning Management
Tools for organizing and delivering courses online at Red River College Polytechnic.
| Tool | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| LEARN | LEARN is Red River College Polytechnic’s Learning Management System (LMS) and includes a range of features to enhance the delivery of online and blended courses | Visit the CLPE’s LEARN Support blog for self-help resources or contact LEARN Support at learn@rrc.ca |