March - December 2020: ATS’ COVID-19 Response

New and Expanded Use of Tools

Academic Technology Services (ATS) provided support for the sudden usage of a wide variety of new academic technology tools, as well as expanded usage of existing tools. New tools included: Kaltura, Otter AI, Mural, Perusall, and Jamboard. Existing tools that saw a rapid increase in usage were: Explain Everything, Gradescope, Lecture-capture technology, and Slack.

Explain Everything Logo
Explain Everything

How Amherst Faculty are using it: create video-based microlectures, interactive features (currently being explored)

Features:

  • Whiteboard environment
  • Collaboration
  • Synchronous & Asynchronous
  • Animation creation
  • Screencast video creation

Faculty Examples

Details
Gradescope Logo
Gradescope

How Amherst Faculty are using it: effective online grading, creating/managing rubrics, digitizing handwritten assignments

Features:

  • Rubric-based grading assistance
  • Enables faster and more uniform grading
  • Allows for handwritten assignments
  • Moodle integration

Faculty Example

Details
Jamboard Logo
Google Jamboard

How Amherst Faculty are using it: brainstorming, iterative drafting, collaboration, synchronous and asynchronous discussion

Features:

  • Whiteboard environment
  • Simultaneous collaboration via shared workspace
  • Synchronous & Asynchronous
  • Google Docs integration
  • App allows users to draw on phone/tablet screen
Details
Kaltura Logo
Kaltura

How Amherst Faculty are using it: creating videos, uploading and sharing videos, providing captions/transcripts, student video assignments

Features:

  • Video creation
  • Video storage
  • Automatic captioning/transcription
  • Moodle integration
Details
Icon with Play Button
Classroom Lecture Capture

How Amherst Faculty are using it: creating videos of classroom experience, recording complex demonstrations

Features:

  • Video creation
  • Asynchronous only (not for synchronous livestreaming)
  • Only available in specific classrooms (visit link to view list of available rooms)
  • Only available to faculty members (not student presentations)
Details
Mural Logo
Mural

How Amherst Faculty are using it: synchronous group work, collaboration, note sharing

Features:

  • Whiteboard environment
  • Visual collaboration via shared workspace
  • Synchronous & Asynchronous
  • Digital "sticky notes"
  • Templates for existing frameworks
Details
Otter AI Logo
Otter AI

How Amherst Faculty are using it: live transcription, augmenting class and meeting notes, increasing student engagement

Features:

  • Live transcription of meetings
  • Transcription of previously recorded meetings
  • Collaborative note taking, including highlighting and adding photos
  • Zoom integration

Faculty Examples

Details
Perusall Logo
Perusall

How Amherst Faculty are using it: close reading, critical reading, discussions

Features:

  • Collaborative annotation
  • Typically asynchronous, but could be synchronous
  • Critical reading skill-building
  • Resource consolidation (textbooks, PDFs, open educational resources), including articles digitized by the library (note: these must be downloaded from e-reserves and uploaded to Perusall)
  • Moodle integration

Faculty Example

Details
Slack Logo
Slack

How Amherst Faculty are using it: removing barriers to interaction, clarification of questions, aims for equity

Features:

  • Messaging platform - chatting, asking quick questions
  • Builds community
  • File sharing
  • App integration (Google, Office 365, Zoom, Dropbox, etc.)
  • Voice or video calls
  • “Teaching with slack” channel on AC Slack for faculty support
Details
Zoom Logo
Zoom

How Amherst Faculty are using it: hosting online classes and office hours, increasing student engagement during remote learning, collaborative synchronous reading discussion/annotation

Features:

  • Video meetings and presentations
  • Includes whiteboard and other collaboration tools to create virtual workspaces
  • Breakout rooms feature to enable small group discussions
  • Recording lectures and other course content
  • Moodle integration

Faculty Example

Details