Whether a class is held in person or online, the technology tools below can help instructors enhance their teaching, share materials, and increase engagement. The CTE provides support for getting started with these tools and exploring options for their pedagogical use.

Canvas

Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) designed to help faculty share course content, administer and grade assignments, and manage asynchronous interactions such as online discussions. A course site is provided for every course at 51茶馆, and students and instructors are automatically enrolled.

How Can It Help My Class?

For Instructors

  • Provides a space for you to organize course content and structure student interaction in a way that suits your learning goals and teaching practice
  • Makes course structure visible to students, reducing cognitive load and helping them stay on track

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For Students

  • Provides a single, central location for course material and communication听
  • Introduces a standard set of tools that are used across campus, reducing the amount of new technology students have to learn from class to class


Getting Started

  • Contact听centerforteaching@bc.edu听with questions about using Canvas in your teaching.
  • Contact听if you are having technical issues using Canvas.

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Panopto

Panopto allows instructors to create recordings of lectures or presentations, including audio, video and screen content, and share them with students in Canvas. Panopto lecture capture is available in technology-equipped classrooms, while personal capture recordings can be made on your personal laptop.

How Can It Help My Class?

For Instructors

  • Lecture capture encourages students to focus on engaging in class rather than note-taking and provides a means for absent students to review missed material听听
  • Personal capture provides a means for conveniently recording tutorials or lectures if you are 鈥渇lipping鈥� the classroom and plan for active discussion and engagement during class time
  • Both types of recordings provide analytics to track student viewing, and integrate easily into Canvas so they are contextualized by other course content.

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For Students

  • Allows students to rewatch the material as often as they like with additional navigational aids like headings and notes that can further support learning听
  • Assignments feature enables students to demonstrate their knowledge with a multimedia presentation

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Getting Started



Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is a web-based personal response system that enables students to use any internet-connected device to respond to instructor questions. This tool can be used to engage students synchronously (both in-person and online) or student responses can be collected asynchronously.

How Can It Help My Class?

For Instructors

  • Provide immediate feedback about how well students understand the course material.
  • Use to take attendance, give quizzes, and assess participation.
  • Create anonymous polls to gather honest opinions about sensitive topics.

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For Students

  • Allows students to share their thoughts and see what other classmates have submitted.
  • Gives students an opportunity to check their own understanding of the course material.
  • Fosters increased student engagement and increases the involvement of those students who typically remain quiet.

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Getting Started

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To accommodate students participating remotely, as well as students in the classroom, we recommend not using iClickers this academic year. Please contact centerforteaching@bc.edu with any questions or concerns.

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Zoom

Zoom is a virtual conferencing tool that allows instructors and students to meet in real time through audio and video. It also supports screen sharing and small group interaction through break-out rooms.听 Zoom sessions can be recorded so students who can鈥檛 be present can view them afterward.

How Can It Help My Class?

For Instructors

  • Allows meeting when circumstances prevent in-person gathering听
  • Provides an alternative meeting space for activities or conversations that might be difficult to achieve in a socially distanced classroom听
  • Supports immediate exchange and in-the-moment clarifications
  • Grants real time insight into student understanding

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For Students

  • Supports community building at a time when students need connection
  • Allows for regularly scheduled sessions that can provide structure and accountability
  • Encourages a sense of social presence that motivates learning

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Getting Started

Perusall

Perusall is a collaborative annotation tool that turns individual reading and viewing assignments into engaging collective learning activities. Integrated with Canvas, Perusall allows instructors to share readings and videos with students, who then work together to annotate and comment on the material.

How Does It Work?

How Can It Help My Class?听

For Instructors

  • Ensures that students come to class prepared and having thoroughly reviewed the material
  • Supplies insight into students鈥� engagement with course material outside of class
  • Provides analytics that allow the instructor to better address common misconceptions and difficult concepts


For Students

  • Fosters collaborative and text-based engagement with course material
  • Provides space to actively engage with content and share questions
  • Lays the groundwork for more meaningful in-class engagement and deeper learning


Getting Started

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