Instructional Tool Guidance

Connect to a growing directory of third party web-based instructional tools, apps, and resources used by UC San Diego instructors to supplement and enhance their courses

Important Note

An official contract or agreement between instructional tool vendors and UC San Diego is the most effective and accountable way to protect students, instructors, and the university. Anyone who wishes to use these tools should contact their departmental administration to secure a contract or license.

Current Challenge

• Instructors use many web-based instructional tools​ to supplement their courses
• Tools are often free/low cost, and thus cannot be licensed or purchased by the university
• UCSD instructors and staff have a responsibility to protect our students in the process of learning
• Many of these tools have unclear privacy assurance, security, and protection of student and faculty data​

Solution

• Key campus stakeholders have collaborated to offer a "Risk Tiers" approach to vetting 3rd party apps and tools
• The Process assures input from the Campus Privacy Office, ​Registrar, Office of Information Assurance, and The Teaching + Learning Commons
• Input is provided to the Instructional Technology Governance Committee (ITC), the body that ultimately decides if a tool is deemed acceptable / not acceptable for instructional use
• Review criteria, process, and results will be regularly updated to this website​, along with tools in queue to be reviewed

Overview

The tool vetting process is detailed in the Instructional Tool Guidance summary slide deck below. Tools are assessed as:

1. Use Responsibly: Tool is acceptable for course use.  All centrally licensed applications are designated as Use Responsibly.
2. Not Recommended: Security and privacy of student and instructor data cannot be assured.