Needs Before Tools

An important rule-of-thumb to keep in mind when considering extra technology and tools for you course is:

Identify a need before identifying a tool; not the other way around!

In many cases, we find ourselves enamored with the flashy features of a tool that we’ve heard about or have seen used somewhere else, and we end up trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, so to speak. This is often to the detriment of the student experience. There is incredible potential with so much of the educational technology that’s out there, but, when it comes to online learning, simplicity is key. When we try to pull in every cool tool we find, the potential for technical difficulties and student frustration or confusion increases.

Consider first what you want to enable students to accomplish in the course. So much of what we think up can be found without leaving the comfort of our Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas.

But if it can’t be done in Canvas, we just might find a way…

Consult Your Instructional Designer!

If you have a vision for improved student engagement or an idea of some kind of neat functionality and you’re not sure how we could make it happen, your Instructional Designer will be happy to discuss it with you. If it can’t be done within Canvas—or if it can be better accomplished with another tool—your ID will be able to assist you in finding a way to make it happen, if possible.

If you have bumped into a limitation within the LMS, it’s a safe bet that you aren’t the first of your colleagues to have the same problem. There are all kinds of technology tools being used across the curriculum at Bay Path.  Your Instructional Designer is likely familiar with many of them, so you may not have to reinvent the wheel in order to solve your problem. Let the lessons already learned from other projects save you some time!