While the word “technology” can refer to anything from a pencil or whiteboard to a projector or computer, here we focus on newer advancements in instructional tools. Some examples of pedagogical technologies are listed below; several are specific to UCF:
- Learning Management Systems (Webcourses@UCF)
- Materia
- Obojobo
- Lightboard, lecture capture, etc. (Faculty Multimedia Center)
- Presentations (PowerPoint, Prezi, Nearpod, etc.)
- Videos (TED-Ed, Khan Academy, etc.)
- Media sharing (Flickr, Vimeo, etc.)
- eTextbooks (Yuzu)
- Discussion Tool on Webcourses@UCF
- Classroom Response Systems
- UCF Apps
- Notification tools (Remind 101)
- Collaborative tools (Office 365, Google Drive, etc.)
- Social Media (Blogger, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
- UCF Mobile Apps
- LinkedIn Learning
- Classroom polling (Sli.do, Poll Everywhere, Nearpod, etc.)
The rest of this page is dedicated to thinking critically about the use of technologies in your course in an effort to support student learning and ease teacher challenges.
When should I use a certain technology?
As with any approach to learning, it is important to be goal-oriented. What do students need to learn? What skills do they need to build? Once those questions are answered, then you can consider how specific technologies can facilitate the completing of those goals. While it can be tempting to incorporate a new technology because of its bells and whistles, ultimately, a technology is only as good as the goal it is supporting. To take a non-goal-oriented approach can create roadblocks instead of dismantling them.
What are some important considerations when I’m deciding whether to incorporate a specific technology?
One extremely important thing to consider when incorporating technology into your classroom is making sure that technology is accessible for all students. Student Accessibility Services is an invaluable resource for helping to ensure that your classroom and the technologies you use for instruction support all of your students.
University faculty and staff are expected to adhere to information security guidelines regarding the handling and security of sensitive information. UCF IT offers a page on this information.