INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY & CURRICULUM SUPPORT DEPARTMENT
Below are some suggested instructional technologies that can be used for teaching and learning. Select a tab below to expand the list of programs to read a brief description and best case use. The campus-supported technologies are highlighted in yellow in each category. Reach out to LaTonya Motley at latonya.motley@npc.edu or contact the ITCS Department if you have questions or need assistance with using instructional technology.
Zoom
Description: A widely-used video conferencing platform that facilitates virtual meetings, webinars, and collaboration.
Best Case Use: Ideal for businesses and educational institutions, Zoom allows users to host high-quality video meetings, share screens, and record sessions, making it perfect for remote work, online classes, and large-scale webinars.
Microsoft Teams
Description: A collaboration platform that integrates chat, video meetings, and file sharing.
Best Case Use: Best for organizations using Microsoft 365, Teams enables seamless collaboration through integrated tools for video conferencing, document sharing, and team communication, enhancing productivity.
Google Meet
Description: A video conferencing tool that is part of Google Workspace.
Best Case Use: Perfect for teams already using Google Workspace, Google Meet offers secure video meetings with easy integration into Google Calendar and Gmail, making it convenient for scheduling and joining meetings.
Cisco Webex
Description: A comprehensive video conferencing and collaboration platform.
Best Case Use: Suitable for large organizations, Webex provides robust features for webinars, online training, and team collaboration, including advanced security measures and integrations with various business applications.
Skype
Description: A long-standing video calling and messaging platform.
Best Case Use: Best for personal and small business use, Skype allows for video calls, voice calls, and instant messaging, making it a versatile option for informal meetings and catch-ups.
Slack:
Description: Primarily a messaging platform that also supports video calls and screen sharing.
Best Case Use: Excellent for teams needing a centralized communication hub, Slack allows for quick messaging, file sharing, and integration with numerous third-party apps, facilitating collaboration alongside video calls.
GoToMeeting
Description: A web conferencing tool focused on online meetings and collaboration.
Best Case Use: Ideal for businesses that require reliable video conferencing with features like meeting recording, screen sharing, and integrations with calendar applications for easy scheduling.
Miro
Description: An online collaborative whiteboard platform.
Best Case Use: Perfect for brainstorming sessions and workshops, Miro allows teams to collaborate visually in real-time, making it easy to share ideas and create diagrams during video meetings.
Discord
Description: Originally a gaming communication platform, now widely used for various communities.
Best Case Use: Suitable for informal group meetings and community discussions, Discord provides voice, video, and text chat features, making it a flexible option for team collaboration.
Perplexity AI
Description: An AI-powered search engine and chatbot that answers queries using natural language and provides citations.
Best Case Use: Teachers can use Perplexity AI to quickly find reliable information, generate content, and explore topics in depth. It can also help in creating summaries and answering complex questions, making it a versatile tool for both teaching and research
AIPal
Description: Chrome extension that integrates AI capabilities into daily tasks, enhancing productivity and creativity.
Best Case Use: Teachers can use AIPal for conducting research efficiently, generating lesson plans, and summarizing articles, allowing them to save time and focus on teaching rather than administrative tasks.
Magic School AI
Description: A platform featuring over 60 AI-powered tools designed for educators.
Best Case Use: Ideal for automating lesson planning and creating personalized assessments, Magic School AI can help teachers tailor their instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Poe
Description: An AI tool that allows students to create personal chatbots and explore various AI models.
Best Case Use: This tool can be used in project-based learning where students develop chatbots on topics of interest, fostering engagement and understanding of AI technology.
Chat for Schools by Skill Struck
Description: A platform tailored for K-12 classrooms to create custom AI tutors.
Best Case Use: Teachers can utilize this tool to monitor student interactions with AI, ensuring that it supports learning without compromising academic integrity.
Canva's Magic Media
Description: An AI feature within Canva that generates images, graphics, and videos from text prompts.
Best Case Use: Teachers can enhance their presentations and creative projects, making lessons more visually engaging and interactive for students.
Udio
Description: An AI platform that generates custom music tracks.
Best Case Use: Useful for creating educational songs or soundtracks for projects, Udio can help students memorize concepts through music, particularly benefiting those with special needs.
Undetectable.ai
Description: An AI detection tool that ensures academic integrity.
Best Case Use: Teachers can use this tool to verify the authenticity of student submissions, helping to maintain a fair assessment environment.
Otter.ai
Description: An AI-powered transcription and note-taking tool.
Best Case Use: This tool is effective for creating accurate transcripts of lectures, allowing students to revisit complex topics and aiding those who may have missed class.
SlidesAI.io
Description: An AI tool for generating presentation slides.
Best Case Use: Teachers can quickly create professional-looking presentations for their lessons, saving time in preparation while ensuring high-quality visuals.
Quizizz
Description: An AI-enhanced platform for creating engaging quizzes and assessments.
Best Case Use: This tool is perfect for formative assessments and interactive learning activities, helping to gauge student understanding in a fun and engaging way.
Moodle
Description: Moodle is an open-source LMS designed to provide educators with a robust system to create personalized learning environments. It supports various learning styles, including asynchronous, synchronous, and blended learning.
Best Case Use: Ideal for institutions needing a customizable and scalable platform for course management, assessments, and student engagement.
Google Classroom
Description: Google Classroom integrates with Google Workspace for Education, offering tools for assignment creation, grading, and communication.
Best Case Use: Best for schools looking for a simple, integrated solution for managing classroom activities and fostering collaboration between students and teachers.
Microsoft Teams
Description: Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that supports live classes, meetings, and chats. It integrates with other Microsoft 365 tools.
Best Case Use: Suitable for institutions that already use Microsoft 365 and need a comprehensive tool for virtual classrooms and collaboration.
Google Docs
Description: Part of Google Workspace, Google Docs is a cloud-based word processor that allows real-time collaboration and document sharing.
Best Case Use: Perfect for collaborative writing assignments and providing real-time feedback on student work.
iSpring Free
Description: A lightweight eLearning tool that helps create mobile-compatible online courses with engaging quizzes.
Best Case Use: Ideal for teachers looking to convert PowerPoint presentations into interactive online courses quickly.
Slides With Friends
Description: A platform for creating interactive slide decks with quizzes, polls, and discussion prompts.
Best Case Use: Excellent for making presentations more engaging and interactive, especially in large lecture settings.
Kahoot!
Description: A game-based learning platform that allows educators to create quizzes and interactive lessons.
Best Case Use: Best for creating fun and competitive learning experiences that engage students in real-time.
Quizizz
Description: An interactive quiz platform that supports gamified learning with leaderboards and live chats.
Best Case Use: Ideal for formative assessments and real-time feedback during lessons.
Edpuzzle
Description: Enables the creation of interactive video lessons with embedded quizzes and audio notes.
Best Case Use: Great for flipped classrooms and self-paced learning modules.
Google Meet
Description: A video conferencing tool that supports virtual meetings and classes with up to 250 participants.
Best Case Use: Useful for conducting large virtual classes and meetings with secure, easy-to-use features.
ClassDojo
Description: A platform that connects teachers, students, and parents to share updates and celebrate achievements.
Best Case Use: Best for building a positive classroom community and enhancing parent-teacher communication.
Flip (formerly Flipgrid)
Description: A video discussion platform that promotes interactive and engaging learning experiences.
Best Case Use: Ideal for fostering peer interaction and creative student responses through video discussions.
Xperiencify
Description: An LMS that uses gamification and psychological triggers to engage learners.
Best Case Use: Perfect for course creators looking to increase engagement and completion rates through gamified learning experiences.
Kahoot!
Description: A game-based learning platform that allows educators to create quizzes and interactive lessons.
Best Case Use: Best for creating fun and competitive learning experiences that engage students in real-time.
Description: Camtasia is a powerful screen recording and video editing tool that allows users to create professional-quality videos with ease. It includes features for adding interactivity directly into videos using its Smart Player.
Best Case Use: Ideal for creating detailed tutorial videos with embedded quizzes and interactive elements to test comprehension during the video.
Description: Articulate Storyline is a versatile e-learning authoring tool that supports the creation of interactive video content. It allows for branching scenarios, quizzes, and other interactive elements.
Best Case Use: Best for developing comprehensive e-learning modules that require complex interactivity and branching scenarios.
Description: Edpuzzle is an easy-to-use platform that allows educators to create interactive video lessons by embedding questions, comments, and audio notes into videos.
Best Case Use: Perfect for flipped classrooms and self-paced learning, where students can interact with the video content and receive immediate feedback.
Description: PlayPosit enables instructors to create interactive video lessons by adding questions, polls, and other interactive elements to existing videos.
Best Case Use: Excellent for enhancing pre-recorded lectures with interactive checkpoints to ensure student engagement and understanding.
Description: H5P is a free and open-source tool that allows users to create, share, and reuse interactive HTML5 content, including interactive videos.
Best Case Use: Ideal for educators looking for a cost-effective solution to create interactive video content that can be easily integrated into various LMS platforms.
Description: Kaltura provides a comprehensive video platform that includes tools for creating interactive video quizzes and branching scenarios.
Best Case Use: Suitable for institutions that need a robust video solution with extensive analytics and integration capabilities.
Description: Mindstamp is an interactive video platform that allows users to add personalized and dynamic interactive elements to their videos.
Best Case Use: Great for creating personalized learning experiences where students can interact with the content in a meaningful way.
Description: Vyond is an animation software that allows users to create animated videos with interactive elements.
Best Case Use: Best for creating engaging and visually appealing animated lessons that can capture students' attention and facilitate learning.
Description: ThingLink is a digital storytelling platform that enables the creation of interactive content using images, videos, and 360-degree media.
Best Case Use: Perfect for immersive learning experiences, such as virtual tours and interactive storytelling.
Description: Panopto is a video platform that supports the creation of interactive video content with embedded quizzes and other engagement tools.
Best Case Use: Ideal for institutions looking to integrate interactive video content into their existing video libraries and LMS.
NPC employees and students have access to all the Microsoft Office 365 applications:
Word: A word processing application.
Best Case Use: Creating and editing text documents, reports, and publications.
Excel: A spreadsheet application.
Best Case Use: Data analysis, financial modeling, and creating charts/graphs.
PowerPoint: A presentation software.
Best Case Use: Creating visual presentations for meetings, lectures, or pitches.
Outlook: An email and calendar application.
Best Case Use: Managing emails, scheduling meetings, and organizing tasks.
OneNote: A digital note-taking application.
Best Case Use: Organizing ideas, taking meeting notes, and collaborating on projects.
Teams: A collaboration and communication platform.
Best Case Use: Video conferencing, instant messaging, and file sharing for remote teams.
OneDrive: A cloud storage service.
Best Case Use: Storing, syncing, and sharing files across devices and with colleagues.
SharePoint: A web-based collaborative platform.
Best Case Use: Creating internal websites for document management and team collaboration.
Forms: A survey and quiz creation tool.
Best Case Use: Gathering feedback, conducting surveys, or creating quizzes.
Power BI: A business analytics service.
Best Case Use: Creating interactive data visualizations and business intelligence reports.
Planner: A task management tool.
Best Case Use: Organizing team tasks, tracking project progress, and assigning work.
Sway: A digital storytelling application.
Best Case Use: Creating interactive reports, presentations, and newsletters.
NPC students have access to Google Workspace applications. NPC employees may submit a request to the technical office for an NPC Google Workspace account:
Gmail: A web-based email service.
Best Case Use: Managing professional email communications with features like custom domain addresses, robust search capabilities, and integration with other Google Workspace apps.
Google Drive: A cloud storage service.
Best Case Use: Storing, syncing, and sharing files securely across devices, with easy collaboration features.
Google Meet: A video conferencing tool.
Best Case Use: Conducting virtual meetings and video calls with features like screen sharing, real-time captions, and integration with Calendar.
Google Chat: A messaging platform.
Best Case Use: Facilitating real-time communication and collaboration through direct messages and group chats.
Google Calendar: An online calendar service.
Best Case Use: Scheduling and managing events, meetings, and reminders, with seamless integration with Gmail and Meet.
Google Docs: A word processing application.
Best Case Use: Creating and editing text documents collaboratively in real-time, with built-in commenting and version history.
Google Sheets: A spreadsheet application.
Best Case Use: Analyzing data, creating financial models, and collaborating on spreadsheets with real-time updates.
Google Slides: A presentation software.
Best Case Use: Designing and delivering visual presentations, with collaborative editing and integration with other Google Workspace tools.
Google Forms: A survey and quiz creation tool.
Best Case Use: Gathering feedback, conducting surveys, and creating quizzes, with automatic data collection and analysis.
Google Keep: A note-taking service.
Best Case Use: Organizing ideas, taking notes, and setting reminders, with easy access across devices.
Google Sites: A website creation tool.
Best Case Use: Building internal project hubs, public websites, and team collaboration sites without requiring IT support.
Google Voice: A telephony service.
Best Case Use: Making and receiving calls, sending texts, and managing voicemail with a business phone number that syncs across devices.
Google Cloud Search: An AI-powered search tool.
Best Case Use: Searching for content across Google Workspace apps and third-party data sources, with machine learning to rank results based on relevance.
Other Free Web-Based Instructional Technologies