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Software Solutions for Teaching and Interaction

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There are many eLearning strategies and tools that you can use to enhance your teaching and learning. Many of these tools are available at no charge. However, it can be difficult to determine what tool is best so we've collected all the tools here so you can decide which tool is best for you. Contact the Faculty Technology Center at ftc@csun.edu for any additional questions.

For a comprehensive list of CSUN university-supported tool, visit the Learning Technologies page.

Which Tool is Best?

I want to interact with students using video

The following software solutions can be used to interact with students using video. Visit each product page for suggested ways to use each tool in your instruction. 

Canvas Studio - is a video tool that allows you to engage with your students using video. With this tool you can record yourself and your computer screen, share videos with your students and inject questions into your videos. 

GoReact - is an interactive cloud-based platform for feedback, grading, and critiquing of student video assignments.

Panopto - is CSUN’s online video platform for recording, hosting, and sharing video. With Panopto, you can simultaneously record video from a webcam, capture your screen, and audio from a microphone, or upload your own video files.

Zoom - CSUN’s video and web conferencing tool, is available to all students, faculty, and staff. Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between up to 300 participants.

Canvas Studio vs. GoReact vs. Panopto

I want to record lecture material

Camtasia - is a powerful software program that can capture any combination of your computer’s audio, screen, and webcam, and then lets you edit and annotate your recording. 

Panopto - is CSUN’s online video platform for recording, hosting, and sharing video. With Panopto, you can simultaneously record video from a webcam, capture your screen, and audio from a microphone, or upload your own video files.

SnagIt - is a tool that helps you capture images and videos of your computer screen for the purpose of tutorials, instructions and more.

Zoom - CSUN’s video and web conferencing tool, is available to all students, faculty, and staff. Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between up to 300 participants. Zoom also offers a recording feature, either locally to your computer or to the cloud. 

Panopto vs. Zoom

I want to meet live with my students

Zoom - CSUN’s video and web conferencing tool, is available to all students, faculty, and staff. Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between up to 300 participants. 

Microsoft Teams - is a part of the Microsoft Suite that allows everyone at CSUN to chat, meet, call and collaborate in one place, no matter where they are. Microsoft Teams is available to students as well. 

I want to engage my students through better communication

Canvas - has all the features of a modern learning management system including the ability to accept and grade assignments, conduct discussions in forums, administer quizzes and exams, store and organize course resources, communicate with students, etc.

Microsoft Teams - is a part of the Microsoft Suite that allows everyone at CSUN to chat, meet, call and collaborate in one place, no matter where they are. Microsoft Teams is available to students as well. 

Pronto - is a communication hub created for the everyday user. It connects people via chat and video, so they can learn faster, work smarter, and communicate seamlessly. 

I want to interact with documents with my students

Hypothes.is - brings annotations to Canvas helping students with reading comprehension and developing critical thinking about course materials. 

I need better support for STEM materials for my students that need accommodations

EquatiO - An equation editor that creates and remediates STEM content. 

I need a storage solution for all of the files for my course

myCSUNbox - is CSUN's secure cloud-based file storage and collaboration solution that gives students, faculty and staff the ability to access content at any time, from any device. myCSUNbox stores large files and is the recommended storage solution. 

Canvas - has all the features of a modern learning management system including the ability to accept and grade assignments, conduct discussions in forums, administer quizzes and exams, store and organize course resources, communicate with students, etc. Note: Canvas has a limited amount of storage and is not meant for large files such as videos. myCSUNbox is the recommended storage solution. 

 

I want to provide my students with a realistic lab experience

Labster - gives students access to a realistic lab experience that will let them perform experiments and practice their skills in a fun and risk-free learning environment.

I want a better way to create and manage exams in Canvas

Respondus is a Windows-based authoring tool that makes it easy to create and manage exams for Canvas and other learning management systems. To get Respondus, visit the CSUN Software Downloads page.

Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment during an online quiz or exam. Instructors may use this tool for their Canvas quizzes, either as part of a myCSUNtablet course or any other course.