Requesting new academic software:
LITS and the Dean of Faculty's office will be analyzing the software needs feedback gathered from the Learn. Design. Build: Preparing for Fall 2020 Faculty Development Survey sent to faculty on June 18th, along with requests sent via email and other forms. The Learn. Design. Build Survey is the best way to communicate needs for new software during the rest of June. The LITS software purchase form can be used July and after.
Software evaluation criteria:
LITS evaluates technology purchase requests based on
- scope of need: the more widely needed and applicable, the more strongly we consider a new technology
- accessibility
- staff time required for implementation and support
- relationship to other tools: redundant functionality, interoperability, integration options
- cost and funding availability
Timeline:
- Late June/Early July: analyze data on technology needs gathered
- Mid-late July: follow-up with requestors, evaluate possible tools for purchase
- Late July through the academic year: rolling adoption of selected new tools for purchase and/or addition to our suite of fully supported tools where possible
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why can't LITS set up integration with tool x in Moodle, especially if it is currently free to institutions?
Cost is only one of several considerations with integrating new tools and features with existing technologies. Adding new tools to Moodle can sometimes break existing tools. We need to be sure that anything we add to Moodle doesn't disrupt features already in use, which takes staff time to evaluate, test and implement.
- If a teaching tools is free but not on the list of "fully supported tools", can I use it for my class?
Yes! Many tools offer free individual accounts, but require an institutional license to be purchased and/or signed for campus wide use and integration into other tools like Moodle. It is important to make sure any technology you require your students to use is accessible to all students in the course, and you can be fairly independent in using the technology, as support from LITS may be limited. If this is the case, yes! Go ahead and try out a new tool, and please share feedback with LITS on your experience so we can use it in our continuing evaluation of future tools we may adopt.
- What if the technology tool I need is essential to my teaching but is specific to my subject or discipline, and might not meet LITS's criteria for wide applicability?
In the case, the funding for new tool purchases would need to come from departmental funding or the Dean of Faculty's Office. You should still fill out the LITS software request form to initiate an initial accessibility review and include LITS in any technology purchasing or contract negotiations.
