Educational Technologies

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The Educational Technology team fulfil various roles within CHERTL and the institution:

  • academic staff development
  • consultation about blended and online learning
  • research
  • contributing to formal qualifications
  • management of technological resources
  • policy and strategy development where relevant to educational technology
  • management and support of RUconnected

 

Technology may provide the opportunity to engage student learning outside of the traditional classroom. Choices around blended and online learning need to be aligned to pedagogies. We encourage a pedagogy first approach. We acknowledge that technology is not neutral; that access to technology is not evenly distributed; and that technology can be used either to serve the interests of the status quo in higher education or to contribute to its transformation.

To book a consultation, or if you have a query, please email edtech@ru.ac.za.  

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Technologies currently supported:

RUconnected 

The Rhodes University Learning Management System (LMS) is an institutionally supported virtual learning space for teaching, learning & assessment activities and resources. For staff support, please email edtech@ru.ac.za For student support, please send a message via our RUconnected Support Facebook page.

Turnitin

Text matching system to help check originality of written work (accessed from within RUconnected). For support queries, please email edtech@ru.ac.za

G-Suite 

Google apps that can be accessed by staff with an institutional login. This does not include the support of Google Classrooms as an alternative to RUconnected. Contact IT& S for support via support@ru.ac.za

Screencast-o-Matic

Software used to create screencasts and narrated presentations. We have an institutional license available for staff. Please email edtech@ru.ac.za  

Zoom

A cloud-based web-conferencing tool used to host online meetings. We have an institutional license available for staff. Please email n.pallitt@ru.ac.za 

        Grammarly 

A digital writing assistant that uses artificial intelligence to detect potential grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and style mistakes.  We have an institutional license available for staff and students. 

 

Instructions: 

Step 1: Go to this link https://login.ru.ac.za/to/grammarly

Step 2: Log in with your RU/ROSS details

Step 3: Go to https://www.grammarly.com/ (if you are not taken to Grammarly)

and sign in with your ROSS/RU credentials

Camtasia 

Capture digital audio and video from your screen; edit digital video. Limited licenses are available to staff. Please email n.kramm@ru.ac.za

NVivo 

Qualitative data analysis software for use by academics and registered postgraduate students. Limited licenses are available. Please email edtech@ru.ac.za

Intelliboard

Intelliboard enables lecturers to access analytics for student activity in RUconnected. It is integrated into RUconnected with reports enabled. 

To set up Intelliboard on your course use the following guides to: 

  1. Set up your course to enable Intelliboard
  2. Guide on the reports in Intelliboard

The Invigilator App

A remote invigilation app used for timed online assessments that can be used on a mobile phone or laptop. It prompts students to take selfies to verify their identity and records sound in their space to discourage collaboration. Student support provided via a WhatsApp helpdesk (number provided in the student guide shared by lecturers).

 

Lecturers to contact Nicola n.pallitt@ru.ac.za for a lecturer dashboard. You will also be added to a site with resources for The Invigilator. Please note that students need to be added to a database before you can use this app with them, so you will need to share the link to your course site so we can upload the students when you are ready to use it.

ConnectYard

Connect Yard sends the emails from announcements and other forums in RUconnected courses to students as a WhatsApp or SMS messages and email. Students and lecturers can then reply to these messages via WhatsApp or SMS making communication easier. Lecturers’ personal phone numbers are not shared with students as messages are sent via Connect Yard. Lectures can access analytics to see which students have read the messages you sent via your RUconnected page.

 

 

Connect Yard is simple and easy to use. Students and lecturers only need to set up their profile once on the Connect Yard module and that will work across all course sites. For support with this tool please contact edtech@ru.ac.za

LabSims

Interactive simulations and activities for Bioscience and Chemistry that lecturers can integrate into RUconnected course sites. Lecturers to contact Nicola n.pallitt@ru.ac.za

 

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COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning Resources

 

Resources for teaching staff:

Introduction to RUconnected for teaching (RUconnected course site)

RU remote teaching guide

What my course site should have and low-tech principles

RU Teaching Online (RUconnected course site)

RU Tutoring Online (RUconnected course site)

Supporting Students’ Writing Online (RUconnected course site)

Questions for formative evaluation of online teaching

RU Guidelines for assessment approaches and methods for online and remote teaching and learning

RUconnected Help videos on YouTube

 

Resources for students:

Welcome to RUconnected for students (RUconnected course site)

RU Learning Online (RUconnected course site)

Open access online orientation resources for student online orientation

RUconnected Support on Facebook

 

Other important documents and resources:

EdTech Strategy (2018-2020, access via RUconnected)

Teaching and learning with technology (2016)

Last Modified: Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:05:15 SAST