Are you wondering which tools to choose to achieve learning goals for your course? Use our Tool Finder to see guides for the various tools in our Academic Toolbox. You can also reach out for guidance on using the tools that best suit your specific course context and needs.
Welcome to the Tool Finder
Getting Started
This section contains resources to help you get started with the Academic Toolbox, including a quick start guide for Quercus, the University’s central learning management system (LMS). This section also contains resources for general-purpose Microsoft 365 and generative AI tools that have multiple teaching and learning applications.
Quercus
Microsoft 365 Tools
Generative AI
Contact North AI Teacher’s Assistant Pro
Related:
Teaching with Generative AI at U of T – Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (utoronto.ca)
Building, Organizing, and Maintaining Your Course
Quercus facilitates building, organizing, and managing your course and making your course materials available to students so they can access them with ease. A well-organized course supports students in their learning journey so they can spend their time learning the materials rather than trying to find the materials.
Course Administration
Quercus Copy Content from Another Course in Quercus
Quercus Download Student Emails
Content Development
Microsoft 365 OneDrive – Access and Share Files
Quercus New Rich Content Editor
Rich Content Editor Icon Maker
Multimedia Content
Quercus Rich Media Files (Videos & Pictures)
Microsoft Stream Video Hosting
Microsoft Teams Video Recording
Library and Publisher Apps
Discipline-Specific Apps
Related Resources
- Considerations for Large Courses
- Course Design
- Develop a Course Syllabus
- Developing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
- Developing or Redesigning a Course
- First Class Strategies
- How do you ‘set the tone’ on the first day of class?
- Instructor Quercus Checklist
- Lecture Capture
- Online Course Design Guidelines
- Planning Online Learning
- Quercus course templates and example courses
- Recording of Lectures and Class Sessions
- Resilient Course Design
- Sample Statements for Your Course Syllabi
- Teaching Tools Criteria Checklist
Connecting, Communicating, and Collaborating with Your Students
Quercus and other educational technologies, such as Microsoft 365, facilitate connecting, communicating, and collaborating with your students, as well as fostering a sense of community in the learning environment. An environment that promotes connection, communication, and collaboration empowers students and helps them know they belong.
Communication Tools
Quercus Download Student Emails
Collaborative (or Collaboration) Tools
Quercus Groups and Student View
Discussion Tools
Student Response Tools
Online Meeting Tools
Related Resources
Assessing Student Work and Providing Feedback
Quercus facilitates accepting electronic submissions, assessing student work, providing feedback, and assigning and calculating grades. Timely action-oriented feedback throughout the term helps students prepare for assessments and attain the learning outcomes.
Assignments, Quizzes, and Tests
Microsoft 365 OneDrive Assignments
Group and Peer Assessment
Feedback and Evaluation
UT Optical Mark Recognition Grade Upload.
Remote Proctoring
Related Resources
Designing and Fostering Accessible and Inclusive Teaching and Learning
Quercus and educational technologies for designing and fostering accessible and inclusive teaching and learning reduce learning barriers and welcome learner variability. Accessible and inclusive course designs acknowledge the impact of identity on student learning and promote equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.
Accessibility Checkers
Microsoft Accessibility Checker
Multimodal Engagement
Related Resources
Analyzing Teaching and Learning Data and Insights
Quercus and educational technologies for analyzing teaching and learning data and insights facilitate pedagogical reflections, improvements, and innovations. Teaching and learning data and insights help unpack how students are progressing through a course—what content they are engaging with, what concepts they are struggling with, and insights into how learner variability intersects with course design.
Learning Progress
Learning Analytics
Quercus Course Data and Reports