Supported Tools
The tools below have been identified as online teaching solutions that can be quickly adopted by faculty and students, and that can be supported by Digital Learning Support. We have created extensive online support guides to help you use these tools. We are also available to meet with faculty in-person or online to assist you with these tools.
Instructors who already have experience with alternative tools are welcome to continue to use them, but keep in mind that those tools must be digitally accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, secure in the way they handle FERPA data, and that DLS expertise to support those tools is not be as readily available. The Digital Accessibility page contains resources on remediating and creating digitally accessible documents.
Canvas – learning management system
Canvas is UMW’s online Learning Management System. It provides various tools to help faculty communicate with the class, deliver content, as well as assess and grade student work. Every course at UMW has a Canvas course shell already created and available for use.
The Provost has set minimum expectations for faculty use of Canvas in their courses. This includes providing the syllabus, course schedule, contact and office hours information, processes of assessment and feedback, and links to other platforms you may be using outside of Canvas. This guide provides some advice on how to achieve this.
You can find all the Canvas guides here.
Yuja Panorama – digital accessiblity tool
YuJa Panorama is a platform designed to support faculty in making course materials more digitally accessible and compliant with Title II WCAG 2.1 AA requirements. It reviews your Canvas content for accessibility concerns, offers actionable feedback for remediation of files, and generates alternative formats—like audio and text-only versions—that students can choose based on their needs. Our Panorama guide will help you get started.
ScreenPal – video creation, hosting, and digital accessiblity tool
ScreenPal is a tool that allows you to record what’s happening on your computer screen, as well as video and audio via your computer’s built-in webcam and microphone. This is a useful tool for recording lectures to share with students online, especially if the lecture includes PowerPoint slides or other visual aids. It also includes digital accessibility features to create captions and audio descriptions.
Learn more about using this tool in our ScreenPal guide.
Zoom – video conferencing tool
Zoom provides video conferencing with real-time messaging and content. All students, faculty, and staff have access to Zoom Pro accounts. Zoom provides various tools to interact with participants in a meeting as well as some recording options.
For information about using Zoom within Canvas, see our Zoom Canvas Integration Guide.
We have created serveral other Zoom guides to help you set up an account and use this tool.
Microsoft OneDrive – cloud storage for files
Microsoft OneDrive is a personal cloud storage service similar to Google Drive and Dropbox. All UMW students, faculty, and staff have a OneDrive account as part Office 365. It can be especally helpful in storing media files that you can share in your Canvas course.
You can find out more about using this tool in our OneDrive guide.
Coursera Career Academy – online courses and microcredentials
Coursera Career Academy gives UMW students, faculty, staff and alumni access to industry-designed courses and microcredentials from companies like Google, IBM, Adobe, and Meta. Courses focus on high-demand skills like data analysis, cybersecurity, project management, media production, and social media communication. Our Coursera Career Academy page provides more assistance in getting started.