Tools for Education
Before choosing tools to facilitate activities in your education, you will probably think about what you want your students to achieve. In other words, what are the course’s intended learning outcomes (ILOs)? Based on these ILOs, you will choose teaching and learning activities (TLAs) that suit your course best. And, of course, select assessment tasks that authentically represent the course ILOs.
Subsequently, you will decide how to organise these activities, considering conditions such as your students’ study location (on campus or remote), your role as lecturer or monitor, and how the assessment will take place. During this stage, you typically choose didactic tools to use in your course.
At Maastricht University, most tools and technological support are housed within the university library. Check the library website for an overview of the applications and tools offered.
Related pages
Tool Wheel and Tool Box
EDLAB currently hosts the Tool wheel (developed by the University Library) to help you find your way in the jungle of tools. It starts with activities you want your students to perform and directs you to tools which could facilitate the activities you envision to take place.
The wheel distinguishes tools that are licensed by UM and those that are not licensed. A wide variety of tools are available to students. Similar to the Tool Wheel for teaching staff, the Library developed a Tool Box for students, which helps them identify tools that suit their needs. Teaching staff are invited to include a link to the Tool Box in your Canvas course environment.
Project on upgrading the Tool wheel (2023)
The Tool wheel was created at the start of the first lockdown due to COVID. After some minor updates on new or no longer available tools or minor adaptations in manuals or support info, we intend to relaunch a version to better connect tools to course design within the context of constructive alignment.