technology 3 part 2

Category

Criteria

Works Well

Minor Concerns

Serious Concerns

Not Applicable

Functionality

Scale

The tool can be scaled to accommodate any size class with the flexibility to create smaller sub-groups or communities of practice

The tool can be scaled to accommodate any size class but lacks flexibility to create smaller sub-groups or communities of practice

The tool is restricted to a limited number of users and cannot be scaled

Functionality

Ease of Use

The tool has a user-friendly interface and it is easy for instructors and student to become skillful within a personalized and intuitive manner

The tool has an interface that may be confusing to either instructor or learners; there is limited opportunity for personalization

The interface is not user-friendly for either the instructor or learner; it is cumbersome, unintuitive, rigid and inflexible

Functionality

Tech Support/ Help Availability

Campus-based technical support and/or documentation is readily available and aids users in troubleshooting tasks or solving problems experienced; or, the tool provider offers a robust support platform

Technical support and help documentation is available but limited, incomplete, or not user friendly

Technological support and help documentation is not available

Functionality

Hypermediality

The tool allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) and allows for non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with material

The tool allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) but is limited in its ability to provide non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with material

The tool is restrictive in terms of the communication channels employed (audio, visual, textual) and presents information sequentially in a rigid, inflexible format

Accessibility

Accessibility Standards

The tool meets accessibility guidelines (e.g. local accessibility legislation and/or W3C WCAG 2.0 standards)

The tool has some limited capacity to meet accessibility guidelines

The tool fails to meet accessibility guidelines or no information of compliance has been made available for the tool

Accessibility

User-focused participation

The tool is designed to address the needs of divers users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning

The tool has some limited capacity to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities

The tool is restrictive in meeting the diversity of needs reflective in the student body. The tool likely restricts some learners from participating.

Accessibility

Required Equipment

Proper use of the tool does not require equipment beyond what is typically available to instructors and students (computers with built-in speakers and microphone, internet connection, etc.)

Proper use of the tool requires specialized equipment (e.g. unique device) that likely requires purchase at a low cost

Proper use of the tool requires specialized equipment requiring moderate to significant financial investment

Accessibility

Cost of Use

All aspects of the tool can be used free of charge

Limited aspects of the tool can be used for free with other elements requiring payment of a fee, membership, or subscription

Use of the tool requires a fee, membership, or subscription. Use of the tool requires a purchase that is likely to pose a financial burden on students (exceeding $50 for a single half-term course)

Technical

Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS)

The tool can be embedded (as an object vial HTML code) or fully integrated (e.g. LTI-compliant tools) into an LMS while maintaining full functionality of the tool

The tool can be embedded within an LMS, perhaps with limited functionality, but cannot be fully integrated

The tool can only be accessed in an LMS through a hyperlink or static representations of the tool (e.g. file export), rather than a functional version of the tool itself

Technical

Desktop/Laptop Operating Systems

Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date operating system

Users may encounter limited or altered functionality depending on the up-to-date browser being used

Users are limited to using the tool through one specific browser

Technical

Additional Downloads

Users do not need to download additional software or browser extensions

The tool uses a browser extension or software that requires a download and/or user permission to run

The tool requires a past or version of a browser extension or software to run

Mobile Design

Access

The tool can be accessed, either through the download of an app or via a mobile browser, regardless of the mobile operating system and device. Design of the mobile tool fully takes into consideration the constraints of a smaller-sized device.

The tool offers an app, but only for a limited set of mobile operating systems. Tool is not accessible through a mobile browser. Design of the mobile tool is constrained by the limitations of the mobile device.

Access to the tool is limited or absent on a mobile device

Mobile Design

Functionality

There is little to no functional difference between the mobile and the desktop version, regardless of the device used to access it. No difference in functionality between apps designed for different mobile operating systems.

Core features of the main tool are functional on the mobile app, but advanced features are limited. Some difference in functionality between apps designed for different operating systems, but has limited impact on learners’ use of the tool.

The mobile app functions poorly such that core features are not reliable or non-existent. Significant difference in functionality depending on the mobile device’s operating system used to access the tool.

Mobile Design

Offline Access

Offers an online mode: Core features of the tool can be accessed and utilized even when offline, maintaining functionality and content

Offers a kind of offline mode, where the tool can be used offline, but core functionality and content are affected

The mobile platform cannot be used in any capacity offline

Privacy, Data Protection, and Rights

Sing Up/Sign In

Use of the tool does not require the creation of an external account or additional login, such as no personal user information is collected and shared

Either instructors are the only users required to provide personal information to set up an account; or the tool has been vetted through appropriate channels to ensure strict adherence to local, institutional, or personal policies/standards for protecting the collection and use of student personal data by a third-party group

All users (instructors and learners) must provide personal information to a third party in creating an account and there is some question or concern of the adherence to local, institutional, or personal policies/standards for protecting the collection and use of such data by the third-party group

Privacy, Data Protection, and Rights

Data Privacy and Ownership

Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; the user can keep data private and decide if/how data are to be shared

Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; data are shared publicly and cannot be made private

Users forfeit ownership and copyright of data; data are shared publicly and cannot be made private, or no details provided

Privacy, Data Protection, and Rights

Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data

Users can archive, save, or import and export content or activity data in a variety of formats

There are limitations to archiving, saving, or importing/exporting content or activity data

Content and activity data cannot be archived, saved, or imported/exported

Social Presence

Collaboration

The tool has the capacity to support a community of learning through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users

The tool has the capacity to support a community of learning through asynchronous, but not synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users

Communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users is not supported or significantly limited

Social Presence

User Accountability

Instructors can control learning anonymity; the tool provides technical solutions for holding learners accountable for their actions

Instructors cannot control learner anonymity, but the tool provides some solution for holding learnings accountable for their actions

Instructors cannot control learner anonymity and there is no technical solution for holding users accountable to their actions

Social Presence

Diffusion

The tool is widely known and popular, it’s likely that most learners are familiar with the tool and have basic technical competence with it

Learners’ familiarity with the tool is likely mixed, some will lack basic technical competence with its functions

The tool is not well known/foreign, it is likely that learners are not familiar with the tool and lack basic technical competence with its functions

Teaching Presence

Facilitation

The tool has easy-to-use features that would significantly improve an instructor’s ability to be present with learners via active management, monitoring, engagement, and feedback

The tool has limited functionality to effectively support an instructor’s ability to be present with learners via active management, monitoring, engagement, and feedback

The tool has not been designed to support an instructor’s ability to be present with learners via active management, monitoring, engagement, and feedback

Teaching Presence

Customization

Tool is adaptable to its environment: easily customized to suit the classroom context and targeted learning outcomes

Limited aspects of the tool can be customized to suit the classroom context and learning outcomes

The tool cannot be customized

Teaching Presence

Learning Analytics

Instructor can monitor learners’ performance on a variety of responsive measures. These measures can be accessed through a user-friendly dashboard.

Instructor can monitor learners’ performance on limited measures; or data are not presented in a format that is easily interpreted

The tool does not support the collection of learning analytics

Cognitive Presence

Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s)

The tool enhances engagement in targeted cognitive task(s) that were once overly complex or inconceivable through other means

The tool enables functional improvement to engagement in the targeted cognitive task(s)

The tool acts as a direct tool substitute with no functional change to engagement in the targeted cognitive task(s)

Cognitive Presence

Higher Order Thinking

Use of the tool easily facilitates learners to exercise higher order thinking skills (given consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor)

The tool may engage learners in higher order thinking skills (given significant consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor)

The tool likely does not engage learners in higher order thinking skills (despite significant consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor)

Cognitive Presence

Metacognitive Engagement

Through the tool, learners can regularly receive formative feedback on learning (i.e. they can track their performance, monitor their improvement, test their knowledge)

Opportunities for receiving formative feedback on learning are available, but infrequent or limited (i.e. poor opportunities for tracking performance, monitoring improvement, testing knowledge on a regular basis)

There are no opportunities for formative feedback on learning (i.e. lacking opportunities for tracking performance, monitoring improvement, testing knowledge on a regular basis)