Educational Technology Tools for Student Engagement
Need assistance with your Online Course(s)?
View the UH Hilo Distance Learning website or email the UH Hilo Distance Learning Team at uhhilodl@hawaii.edu.
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Are you teaching online? It's all about engagement. Simply loading your Laulima site with a ton of information won't provide an effective way for your students to interact with you. Interaction is the key. Students will engage if they feel that a real live person is responding to them, whether you or another student. Below are a few tools designed to improve student engagement and retention.
Recommended Applications (UH System/UH Hilo Campus Licensed)
- Mac OSX - Preserves web links in converted documents
- Conversion to PDF
- Editing capability
- Form creation
- Most current version
- Up-to-date accessibility tool
- Online collaboration
- Access anytime on any device
Only the online browser-based version of Microsoft Office 365, which includes the full suite of Office products, is offered free to educators and students (suite is online access only; suite should not be downloaded and installed on your computer). You need to sign up with your UH email.
- Best for creating short videos and modules
- Real time screen capturing
- Video editing
- Auto closed captioning
Turnitin (UH Hilo Site License)
Turnitin: a web-based, plagiarism prevention program
- Best for evaluating written work
- Identify occurrences of plagiarism
- Students can identify and correct possible occurrences of plagiarism in their own work
- Improve student academic writing
VoiceThread (VT) (UH Hilo Site License)
VoiceThread (VT): 2-way multimedia engagement software
- Best for lectures and student presentations
- Creates interactive (2-way), asynchronous (recorded), PowerPoint like presentations
- No screen capturing; requires complete videos, PowerPoints, Word, Photos, etc.
- Videos created in ScreenPal (screen captures) can be uploaded
- Auto closed captioning
- Best for hosting videos
- Easy to use
- Accessible on most devices
- Auto captioning
- Auto resolution scaling to the end user's device (Desktop, tablet, and mobile devices)
- Does not require specialized video codecs or software
- Best for synchronous (live) lessons
- Works on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android
Other Applications
Augusta ADA Solutions
End of Service - 10/31/24 - Download files
Kahoot
Assessment and Quiz Tool
Kahoot ! is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share, and play learning games or trivia quizzes in minutes.
- Great for formal assessments
- Excellent for increasing student participation
- Exciting and Fun!
Lucidcharts
Diagramming tool
Lucidcharts is a visual workspace that combines diagramming, data visualization, collaboration, and mind mapping to accelerate understanding and drive innovation.
- Great for explaining complex concepts
- Process mapping
- Brainstorming with mind maps
- Real-time collaboration
- Whiteboarding
- Data visualization
Microsoft Whiteboard
Virtual Smartboard
Microsoft Whiteboard is an application designed to allow people to collaborate by drawing and refining ideas on a digital canvas (board).
- Great for explaining formulas, equations, and diagrams
- Virtual smartboard
- Handwritten annotations and notes
- Real-time collaboration
- Recommendation: Capture lessons with ScreenPal Premier
Padlet
Visual discussion platform
Padlet is an online virtual "bulletin board" where faculty and students can collaborate, reflect, share links, and pictures in a secure location.
- Great for collaboration
- Virtual "post-it" format
- Student presentation alternative
- Fun alternative to a discussion activity
Integrating Third-party Tools or Add-ons into Your Online Course
To help faculty better protect themselves and students when using third party online tools, UH Information Technology Services reviews these tools and provides a spreadsheet with extensive information. The ITS Approved Third Party Online Tools or Microservices review provides information that includes privacy, accessiblity, cost, and important notes.
Don’t see a tool you are interested in using on the ITS Approved Third Party Online Tools or Microservices list? Submit your tool for review.
For questions about the approved tool list, contact the UHOIC at uhoic@hawaii.edu.
Updated 10/03/24