Teaching and Learning Supported Tools
This is where you can find The Learning Teaching & Assessment supported tools. They are pedagogical tools available to academics to support the curriculum delivery (“Applied teaching tools”).
The tools characteristics are:
• A particular focus on students’ learning outcomes.
• A particular focus on improving student engagement.
• A particular focus on the management of assessment, marking and feedback.
• A particular focus on supporting an accessible learning experience.
Examples include: Blackboard, PebblePad, Panopto.
The whole Teaching & Learning Software portfolio consists of around 275 unique software packages used to support Teaching, Learning & Assessment.
The software packages characteristics are:
• They are specialist and subject-specific software.
• They support students to apply acquired knowledge and achieve their learning outcomes.
• They are industry standard software supporting student’s employability. They can be seen as an applied learning tool.
Examples include: Adobe CC suite, Autodesk suite.
The current overview list is managed by DTS and is available: Consolidated software list
Please Note: The Consolidated software list can only be accessed if you have an IT account at Sheffield Hallam University.
The Teaching and Learning Support Tools list will help you identify the tools available, and the ones you may wish to use in your teaching and learning practice. There is a description of each of the tools and important links to further information, support and guidance.
The tools characteristics are:
• A particular focus on students’ learning outcomes.
• A particular focus on improving student engagement.
• A particular focus on the management of assessment, marking and feedback.
• A particular focus on supporting an accessible learning experience.
Examples include: Blackboard, PebblePad, Panopto.
The whole Teaching & Learning Software portfolio consists of around 275 unique software packages used to support Teaching, Learning & Assessment.
The software packages characteristics are:
• They are specialist and subject-specific software.
• They support students to apply acquired knowledge and achieve their learning outcomes.
• They are industry standard software supporting student’s employability. They can be seen as an applied learning tool.
Examples include: Adobe CC suite, Autodesk suite.
The current overview list is managed by DTS and is available: Consolidated software list
Please Note: The Consolidated software list can only be accessed if you have an IT account at Sheffield Hallam University.
The Teaching and Learning Support Tools list will help you identify the tools available, and the ones you may wish to use in your teaching and learning practice. There is a description of each of the tools and important links to further information, support and guidance.
Blackboard Integrations:
Software: |
Description: |
Guides and support: |
| Blackboard | The VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) for SHU. Build your Module or Organsiation site in this online learning environment offering an online space for learning activities and a range of tools for communication, collaboration, assessment, feedback, reflection and content management. | Blackboard Ultra Guides |
| Turnitin | Use for submissions to get similarity reports comparing students' text submissions with other text sources. Integrated into Blackboard. | Turnitin Guides |
| PebblePad | The online Portfolio tool for SHU. A flexible online reflective portfolio system. Excellent for ongoing formative and summative assessments. Can help support employers and placements get more involved with student work and assessments. | PebblePad Guides |
| Panopto | Video creation and storage platform which includes software for recording and editing video, a portal for storing and managing your videos, a search engine for finding content inside your videos, and a way for students to submit videos to Blackboard.. Panopto is a great resource for recording lectures and supplemental video tutorials to improve student learning in and outside of the classroom. | Panopto Guides |
| Blackboard Ally | Make your Module or Organsiation site more accessible. | |
| Blackboard Collaborate | A virtual classroom. Run and record live online sessions with interactive options like polls and quizzes. | |
| Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams is the team workspace in Office 365. It provides workspace chat and videoconferencing, file storage and application integration. | Microsoft Teams Guides |
| LinkedIn Learning | Online courses for you (or students) to study at your own pace. The LinkedIn Learning library of 9,000+ digital courses are taught by industry experts and cover a wide range of business, creative and technical topics, from leadership "soft skills" to design principles to programming. You can group, collate or embed courses into your Blackboard experience. | |
| Talis (reading list online) |
Microsoft Office 365:
Software: |
Description: |
Guides and Support: |
| OneDrive | One Drive is a cloud storage service where you can access Microsoft 365 applications, share files and work collaboratively. | OneDrive Guide |
| Word | A popular word-processing program, similar to Google Docs. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | MS Word Support and Guides |
| Excel | A standard spreadsheet program for analysing tabular data, similar to Google Sheets. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | MS Excel Support and Guides |
| PowerPoint | A popular presentation program, similar to Google Slides. It can also be used to layout posters. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | MS PowerPoint Support and Guides |
| Forms | Microsoft Forms is an online survey creator. | MS Forms Support and Guides |
| Sway | Presentation tool. Combine text and media to create a presentable website. | MS Sway Support and Guides |
| OneNote | OneNote is a digital notebook for capturing all your ideas and to-dos on the go. | MS OneNote Support and Guides |
Google Apps for Education:
Software: |
Description: |
Guides and Support: |
| Google Drive | Google Drive is a cloud storage service where you can access the Google Apps for Education, share files and work collaboratively. | |
| Google Slides | Google’s Web-based, collaborative presentation application, similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. | |
| Google Form | Google’s Web-based data collection application, relatively simple to setup, and can save results to a Google Sheet. | |
| Google Doc | Google’s Web-based, collaborative word-processing program, similar to Microsoft Word. | |
| Google Sheets | Google’s Web-based, collaborative spreadsheet application, compatible with Microsoft Excel. |
Other Supported Software:
Software: |
Description: |
Guides and Support: |
| Padlet | Padlet is an online noticeboard, which means it can be used for personal note-keeping as well as collaborative brainstorming, file sharing and discussions. | |
| Screen-pal | ScreenPal used to be called Screencast-o-Matic and lets you easily create, edit and communicate with videos and images by recording your computer screen. | Screen-pal Guide |
| Echo Poll | Create polls, quizzes and surveys, then deliver them online or in person, live or scheduled, and store the responses for analysis. Integrates with PowerPoint. | |
| QR Generator | Generate QR Codes for any URL. | Launch QR Generator |
Not Supported but Commonly Used (unofficial):
Please read the text below this table to learn important information around software that is not supported (unofficial software).
Software: |
Description: |
Guides and Support: |
| Google Sites | Google Sites lets you create simple, secure websites, and then share them. | Go to:Google Sites homepage |
| Miro | Miro is an online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring your audience together, anytime, anywhere. | Go to: Miro homepage |
| Socrative | Socrative is an interactive web-based student-response system (also available through iOS, Android, and Chrome apps) that can help teachers spark conversation and learning through polls and quizzes. | Go to: Socrative homepage |
| Kahoot | A game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share and play learning games or trivia quizzes in minutes. Can be used in the classroom, or during online delivery. | Go to: Kahoot homepage |
| Mentimeter | Create and present online live or asynchronous polls, quizzes and word clouds. | Go to: Mentimeter homepage |
| Slido | An easy-to-use Q&A and polling platform for live, remote or hybrid meetings, events, classes, and webinars. Set up a Slido event in less than a minute while all the participants need to join the conversation is a simple event code or link. | Go to: Slido homepage |
| Quizlet | Quizlet is a web-based tool that allows users to create study tools such as interactive flashcards, tests, and study games. | Go to: Quizlet homepage |
| WordPress | WordPress is used for blogging, but also to create websites. | Go to: Wordpress homepage |
| Canva | Canva is a design tool. You can hoose from a massive library of templates, elements, text, audio, and animation files to create virtually any document. From presentations, newsletters to infographics, invitations and announcements, Canva is a good tool for creating enticing visuals. | Go to: Canva homepage |
| YouTube | Video watching, hosting and sharing platform. | Go to: YouTube homepage |
| Explain Everything | An interactive, collaborative whiteboard with many useful features, e.g. importing and drawing on PowerPoint slides to create new presentations. Works best with iPads and other tablets. | Go to: Explain Everything homepage |
| LinkedIn is a networking service for connecting with others professionally. | Go to: LinkedIn homepage |
|
| Genially | Make your content more interactive. Create interactive slides and maps etc. | Go to: Genially homepage |
Unofficial Software
From here on we are dealing with unofficial applications. By this we mean applications that are not provided by DTS.
All official applications have been through a rigorous DTS process that evaluates them for their suitability for use at Hallam before approving them for use.
There are many factors involved in the evaluation. Cost and avoiding duplication of functionality are primary, however two other factors are considered major complex factors:
- Data security - This is a hugely complex area and the university has to adhere to very rigid rules around data security. This is not a task for anyone other than the experts in their field within DTS to undertake.
- Licence - Every application has a licence, even free or low-cost ones. This is also a complex area and experts in DTS will ensure that an application can be licensed correctly for it's intended use at Hallam.
There are other factors as well and each application will be different.
The good news is that DTS undertake all this evaluation. DTS also continue to monitor applications after approval.
You may be already using an application or be aware of an application that is in use elsewhere that you are considering using but are unsure if it has gone through the DTS process. Don't assume because colleagues are using an application that it is approved. A sensible way to check is to look at how it is accessed.
These are ways that you can tell if an application is official:
- Applications that are installed by DTS on university computers
- Applications that are accessed via AppsAnywhere
- Web applications and services where the URL ends with .shu.ac.uk
- Applications and services accessed through the Staff Intranet home page or these sub-pages: I want to... and Take me to...
- Applications and services where the university provides you with an account and you sign in using your university username and password
Now that many applications can be used in a web browser (often referred to as Web Applications or Cloud-Based Applications), it isn't necessary to request every application you use to be installed on your computer. This has made it easier to use unofficial applications and bypass the DTS process. This has led to decisions being made locally on which unofficial applications can be used, some of which are free however some areas of the university are paying for applications out of their local budgets.
⚠️ Just because you can use unofficial applications does not make it right. Use of any application that has not been through the DTS process carries with it significant risks for both individuals and the university. Our advice is not to use unofficial applications. If you choose to use them then you should fully understand the implications of doing so and mitigate any risks (See below).
- Before you do, consider why you need a new application. It is unlikely that the reason you need an application has not arisen before. In most cases you will find that Hallam already has an application that will do what you need. If this is the case DTS will not approve a new application without a very strong business case. Staff that are new to Hallam and are accustomed to using different applications should bear this in mind. If you are unsure what applications are available for specific purposes you can check out Tools for Tasks for the most common types of tasks.
- Contact DTS if you are usure if Hallam already has an application for what you need to do.
- If you wish to proceed to requesting a new application please refer to the DTS guidance Request new software
What do I need to consider if I want to use an unofficial application?
- Official Applications - Have you checked if there is an official application that will do what you need? Take a look at Tools for Tasks for the most common types of task, or if you can't find the answer there, Contact DTS.
Please note: a particular feature of an unofficial application that is not available with any of the official applications is not by itself justification to use an unofficial app. This situation will always exist and unless there is a strong business case to use this feature for work purposes, it is just good marketing. If there is a strong business case, you can follow the official channel (see above) - Licensing - Understand the licensing. Make sure it allows what you intend to use it for. Don't forget that if you use an application, you will have accepted the terms and conditions of the licence even if you did not read them. You are personally agreeing to these, not the university.
- Data Security - You are responsible for data security.
- It is your responsibility to understand what data is subject to GDPR. If DTS have not approved the application, it is not considered GDPR compliant by the university. You must not store any data that is subject to GDPR in the app, you must not ask others to do so, and others must not ask you to do so.
- Even if the intention is not to store data that is subject to GDPR in the app, requiring people to create an account or register to use it without informing them that it is not considered GDPR compliant by the university, is itself a breach of GDPR. Their personal information (which includes their name and/or email address) is involved so they must be able to make an informed choice.
- You cannot disadvantage anyone who does not wish to use an unofficial application for work purposes or university business. Therefore you must also offer an alternative official way of doing this.
These are the most obvious considerations. There may well be other considerations related to the particular application you are considering. The responsibility lies solely with you for ensuring that all risks to the university caused by your actions are mitigated.
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