Recommended Teaching and Learning Tools at The University of Memphis
Draft Updated: 11/11/2009
Collaborative Commentary Tools - Textual based tools that allow users and communities to share descriptions, news, opinions and commentary on any defined subject
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Within D2L there is a basic blogging tool. Its functionality is Blogger is a free blog service that anyone can subscribe
Blogs limited to the course where the blog content resides. to and use. As part of the Google Apps toolset, Blogger
is a very simple way to get started with creating and
maintaining your own blog that you can share with
others.
Wiki
The default interface of Twitter. This classic interface FriendFeed is aggregator for Twitter, Facebook and
Micro-blogging allows you to create unlimited "micro-blogs" 140 Google. Gives you a simple interface to manage your
characters at a time. micro-blogs. No cost to use this tool.
Slide-based presentation tools - Slide presentation tools that can be used in the classroom or that can be delivered via the web. These tools have a wide variety of uses
within the classroom and on-line.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Classroom Slide Presentations
MS - Power Point - (PC and Mac)
SlideRocket (SR) is one of the most outstanding tools available today for on-line presentations. Much easier to use than MS Power Point , SR eliminates the need of learning
how to integrate PowerPoint slides into D2L. In addition to being an outstanding presentation tool, SR also has decent reporting features that you can use to measure your
On-line presentation with audio students' presentation viewing trends. The tool is free for up to 250Mb of presentation storage and $20 a month for the full collaboration suite. (The collaboration suite
allows you and your class to comment, share and leave feedback surrounding a particular presentation.) One very handy and interesting feature of SR is that the tool will
allow you to place audio (and video) per each individual slide, then advance the slide when the audio is complete.
This tool allows you to record audio along with your Power Simply drop your Power Point (or Keynote) slides into
Lecture recording capture Point Slides. It has a nice feature of providing the end-user, this tool and begin recording your lecture. It will output
in the finished presentation, a slide time-line. (PC) ($) your finished presentation in a variety of formats.
(Mac) ($)
Screen capture - There are a variety of needs that a screen capture tool with address. Screen capturing or "screencasts" are an excellent way to deliver tutorials for
software applications, or demonstrations of various screen-based activities.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Jing is a free, light-weight version of Camtasia. It combines CamStudio will capture all video and audio activity on
Screen Capture screen captures with screen casting. Screencasts can only your computer and output to a video file. This open
be up to 5 minutes in length - however, the tool is very source product gives you some very nice controls over
easy to use. your video output.
Podcasting - The production and delivery of course content via a podcast. These tools and services allow faculty and students to easily deliver audio and video content.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
WavePad Sound Editor is a free download that will allow GarageBand 09 is a very comprehensive podcast
Podcast creation tools you to create or convert audio files to the preferred mp3 creation tool. Simple and fun to use. (MAC) ($)
podcast format.
Podcast Delivery tool and Podcast Repository
Audio and Video Streaming - Real-time streaming of audio and video content. Can be used for a variety of uses: lectures, presentations, external guest participants,
collaboration projects and news events.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
skype is a free, easy to use voice product. Via the internet Wimba Voice Tools is a web-based audio service
you can make free calls to any number of people. Though available to all faculty and students at UofM for class
Audio Streaming not an absolute requirement - skype works best with the communications. You can use Wimba to conduct audio-
addition of a combo mic/headset. (Under $30) Skype can based sessions with your students in eCourseware
now communicate with the iPhone (via wi-fi only) classes or as stand alone meetings. Contact the ALC for
more information.
The University now has a YouTube EDU account. With the uSTREAM is a free streaming service that anyone can
YouTube EDU, faculty can place extended video course use. In addition to broadcasting your content, you may
Video Streaming content to be streamed. With the YouTube EDU account also watch any number of live and recorded streams.
there is no video length limit for you video content. (To avoid the advertising of the free grant model, your
Contact the ALC for more information. stream can be "embedded" into an existing web page.)
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Photo and video editing tools - Photo/Video editing tools are important components in the creation of course content or in the creation of student produced content.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
flickr is primarily a copy, store and photo share site. It is Pixlr's photo tool is all online. It is flash-based and
free and very simple to use. Photo editing is very basic and resembles the Photoshop layout. Users can edit photos
handled via a flickr partner, Picnik. One nice features of from websites files on their computer. When finished
Web-based photo editing tools flickr is the ability to organize photos and videos around a editing the image, you just click "Save" and you are able
certain theme. Another interesting feature is that flickr to save your image to your computer. Privacy: The
allows you to geotag photos onto a map. images are automatically erased from the Pixlr servers
every 5 minutes. Changes in the image never leave the
screen.
Windows Movie Maker - Is a free download from VideoStudio Pro x2 - This tool combines video editing
Microsoft and comes with Windows. Basic video editing with disc authoring. In use within the ALC as their
Desktop-based non-linear video editing tools software. (PC) preferred video editing tool. - (PC) - ($)
iMovie - Video editing software that come with the iLife Final Cut Express - Very lite version of Apple's FC Studio
suite when you purchase a Mac. Advanced drag-and-drop product. The functionality lies somewhere between
editing features. - (Mac) - ($) iMovie and FC Studio. - (Mac) - ($)
On-line Video editing tools JayCut is a free, web-based, 2-track video editor that
resides totally on-line.
Collaboration tools - These tools are focused on collaborative activity. Often times these tools provide collaboration around a common data set, document or visual
artifact to be discussed.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Google Docs allows users to create and edit documents From within a slide-based format you can create a visual
online while collaborating in real-time with other users. artifact that can be embedded in any site (including a
blog post) that anyone can leave a comment in one of
On-line collaboration tools
five ways: by recording an audio comment, recording a
video comment, typing a text comment, uploading a
file, or leaving an audio comment by calling a phone
number. Fees for additional services apply.
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Student Response Systems - Traditionally these student response systems are predominately classroom-based tools - however, most of the tools listed here can be used
to poll students outside the classroom.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Text-based responses to an embedded web page or Power TwitterCamp is a great way of getting a class to interact
Point Slide. Response can be entered via SMS texting in real-time. Via Twitter, the tool will display each
Student-based responses and polls
(student's cell phone), the web or directly through Twitter. student's thoughts, ideas or impressions in a single
Free for 32 participants but you can have multiple centralized (visual) display.
questions. Fees for more participants and for multiple
instructors.
SurveyMonkey is the standard web-based survey tool.
Web-based survey tool It allows you to send a survey to 100 people, with 10
questions per survey, for free. Fees for additional
questions and services.
Statistics and Charting - There are a variety of tools that turn your data content into charts or that visualize your statistics into interesting graphical content.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Lovely Charts is a free diagramming tool that allows the Flowchart.com is a free, (while in beta), easy to use
Flowcharts/Process diagrams creator to focus content in the chart without being graphical flowcharting tool. The tool allows for
concerned about choosing the correct chart symbol. Fees collaboration around a particular flowchart and works in
for advanced tool services. a variety of browsers.
With Gapminder - you will never look at statistics in the PSPP is a program for statistical analysis of sampled
Statistical Data same way. Full of re-useable, valuable data that you can data. It is a free replacement for SPSS, and appears very
simulate in your class - Gapminder even allows you to similar to it with a few exceptions.
upload your own data sets, too.
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Online storage - There is no need for your course content to not be available to you from any location at any moment of the day. The tools listed here allow you to store
your course content, files and documents in web-based, on-line repositories. There is always a balance with on-line storage; reliable (backup based) storage space
versus large amounts of file storage space.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Secure, managed, full-featured web-based
The University provides all students, faculty and staff with web-based storage via Umdrive. UMdrive is a secure, highly redundant file storage service. Faculty begin with 500
disk storage space Mb of storage space on UMdrive and can be increased by simply making a request to the Help Desk.
drop.io is an internet based file storage service that allows SkyDrive from Microsoft gives you an unprecedented 25
Free, unsecure web-based disk storage space users to create as many 100 Mb "drops" as they would like GB of free storage.
to for free. Each drop is assigned a URL for sharing files
with others.
Social Bookmarking - Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web pages on the Internet with the help of
metadata, typically in the form of tags that collectively and/or collaboratively become a folksonomy.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
The Evernote tool delivers social tagging and bookmarking Probably the emerging standard in social bookmarking
Bookmark tools for Higher Ed via a notes-based interface. Capture web pages, pictures, tools. Share your bookmarks and tags with others, too.
text links and screenshots from a simple interface. Search
your notes via simple keyword searches.
Web creation - Tools that allow faculty to create web content and systems.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Simple, free easy to use web-creation tool. Limited Jimdo is free web creation site and tool. With more
Web site and page creation functionality gives way to a simple interface. functionality than other similar tools, Jimdo gives you
unlimited pages with unlimited usage.
For the first time in the history of the internet you can
Mobile web site creation build a mobile web application from your own mobile
phone. Fascinating technology that is very easy to use.
Virtual learning spaces for higher education
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
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Virtual Worlds Second Life (SL) is a virtual world that enables viewers, (via a client tool) to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, socialize, participate in individual
and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the "grid."
Maps and Geodata - Web-based mapping tools that allow faculty and students to represent data in a geographically visual fashion.
Tool Description Basic Functionality Extended Functionality
Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view Google Maps will allow you to geo-code and build maps
satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies sets based on your data. This free tool is a powerful
Mapping Tools in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore way to represent data sets, visually.
rich geographical content, save your toured places, and
share with others. Google Earth requires the initial
download of the earth client tool.
Miscellaneous tools - The tools listed in this section either do not fit a category listed above or are so new that they might require their own unique category. There are
lots of interesting and useful tools listed here. (Reminder: Any tool that is in beta testing is always subject to change.)
Tool Link Tool Description
This tool is a free web-based timeline that can contain text, images and video. This tool has the potential to become a really terrific teaching and learning
tool. Lots of graphical timelines have already been created and can be reused.
This is an emerging application that has the potential to become a powerful multi-media creation tool.
xtra normal is a new application that turns text into movies with sound. The tool provides a fascinating way to visualize the written word. (PC)
Glogster allow students to create interactive virtual posters. Interesting concept for getting students to express any subject.
The KEEP Toolkit is from the Knowledge Media laboratory of the Carnegie Foundation. The KEEP Toolkit is a set of web-based tools that help teachers,
students and institutions quickly create compact and engaging knowledge representations on the Web.
Web-based screen capture tool for posting screencasts to Twitter. Very easy to use. Very well designed tool for demonstrating "How-To's"
ooVoo is a new free video conference application. ooVoo is one of the first free applications that combines quality video and 6-way conference calling.
Monthly fees for additional services.
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phis
s and commentary on any defined subject
Full Functionality
WordPress MU is free and allows for unlimited blogs
with unlimited authors. An example of a university
using Word Press MU: http://tinyurl.com/q2gkvy
Tweet Deck is an outstanding aggregator that extends
the functionality of Twitter. Allows you to manage your
Twitter followers, posts and Direct Messages from one
comprehensive interface.
b. These tools have a wide variety of uses
Full Functionality
Keynote from Apple - (Mac) ($)
se than MS Power Point , SR eliminates the need of learning
decent reporting features that you can use to measure your
h for the full collaboration suite. (The collaboration suite
ry handy and interesting feature of SR is that the tool will
.
mediasite is a full-featured, audio, video lecture capture
product. (mediasite requires consultation with the ALC
before using) ($$)
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n excellent way to deliver tutorials for
Full Functionality
Camtasia Studio (6.x) is a full-featured screen capture
and editing product. With lots of high-end editing
capability, Camtasia has a bit of learning curve in
producing high-quality output. ($)
to easily deliver audio and video content.
Full Functionality
Audacity is free, open source software for recording and
editing audio. The tool requires an investment of time
to become proficient and to use many of its features.
sentations, external guest participants,
Full Functionality
No product to recommend here - ALC may have
input
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he creation of student produced content.
Full Functionality
In terms of usability, the Photoshop Express (Photoshop
Online) site is probably the best. However, there are
several issues in using Adobe's online editing tool. First,
the program can only use jpegs. It also requires
registration (an Adobe ID) and saved images are
automatically saved to their servers (the images can be
saved to the computer and deleted from the server).
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 - The advanced video editing
suite for the Windows Platform. Integrates with most
Adobe products. - (PC) - ($)
Final Cut Studio 2 - The film and television industry
standard for video editing. - (Mac) - ($)
a common data set, document or visual
Full Functionality
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er, most of the tools listed here can be used
Full Functionality
Interwrite PRS is the standard "clicker-based" response
system at the UoM. There is no charge for the start-up
kit for instructors. Students must purchase clickers to
participate to the response system in your class.
Consultation with the ALC is required before you can
use this system.
o interesting graphical content.
Full Functionality
Visio 2007 is the latest version from Microsoft. Visio is
the full featured flowchart application that give users
powerful flow charting capabilities. (PC) - ($)
SPSS is the de-facto standard for statistical software. -
($)
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day. The tools listed here allow you to store
reliable (backup based) storage space
Full Functionality
highly redundant file storage service. Faculty begin with 500
web pages on the Internet with the help of
Full Functionality
Full Functionality
Full Functionality
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ars. Residents can explore, socialize, participate in individual
e world, which residents refer to as the "grid."
shion.
Full Functionality
quire their own unique category. There are
ential to become a really terrific teaching and learning
ol.
ing way to visualize the written word. (PC)
s to express any subject.
olkit is a set of web-based tools that help teachers,
eb.
ned tool for demonstrating "How-To's"
mbines quality video and 6-way conference calling.
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