UMass Boston

Learning Design Toolbox

Learning Design Services provides pedagogical support for effective use of educational resources, tools and technologies. We offer ongoing support through:

Support

Instructional designers are here to help apply technology for your course, including Blackboard and more.

24/7 Blackboard Help

Course Design Help

General IT Tech Support

Tools

Collaboration

  • Zoom is a video conferencing tool for chatting and sharing screens.
  • Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a video conferencing tool for chatting, sharing screens, plus Blackboard attendance, and groups. Now see up to 25 attendees at a time. 
  • Pronto provides synchronous text chat features. 
  • Google Workspace: Collaborate with other Google Drive users using your UMass Boston account to access the full Google Workspace suite of apps. 
  • Blogs: Create a website using WordPress at blogs.umb.edu.

Engagement

  • VoiceThread is a multimedia tool in Blackboard to narrate PowerPoints, allow threaded discussions in audio and video formats, assign group projects and more!
  • Echo360 is an Active Learning Platform that combines video, lecture capture, polling and course analytics at echo360.umb.edu.
  • iClicker Assignments allows you to create low stakes quizzes from PowerPoint presentations.
  • The Blackboard App (for students) / Blackboard Instructor App gives access to course material on a mobile device.

Assessment

  • SafeAssign is a built-in Blackboard plagiarism prevention tool.
  • Respondus Lockdown Browser & Monitor are two tools that increase the security of test delivery in Blackboard. 
  • Gradescope makes it easier for instructors to quickly grade remote and paper-based assignments and gain additional insights about student learning.
  • Respondus 4.0 allows you to import text-based tests (Word, etc.) into Blackboard.

Resources 

Blackboard 

  • Blackboard includes helpful tools for communication, content delivery, assessment, grading and more.
  • umb.umassonline.net

ALLY

  • ALLY automatically identifies ADA accessibility issues with course content and helps remediate the content to improve access for all learners.
  • umb.edu/learningdesign/accessibility

LinkedIn Learning 

  • 16,000+ videos on relevant topics, including MS Office, Blackboard, Photoshop. Faculty can link directly to videos from within Blackboard courses. Completion certificates can be displayed on a LinkedIn profile to enhance employability.
  • umb.edu/learningdesign/tools/linkedinlearning
 
 
Information Technology Services
Healey Library, 3rd Floor
 617.287.5220
 ITServiceDesk@umb.edu