Encouraging the Use of University Supported Tools and Technologies

Image of a man working on a tablet.

Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki

Published March 2, 2022

We live in a time of unprecedented technological innovation and advancement. Our phones auto-update while we are sleeping, our cars get angry and start beeping at us when we are too close to something else, and our regular visits to the doctor’s office seem to yield some new protocol or procedure that they want us to sign up for.

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“ETTAI is a partnership to provide a collaborative and coordinated process to review, assess, and make recommendations on existing and emerging technology at UB. ”

Therefore, it is only natural that, as instructors, we should look to the abundance of apps, websites, software, programs, technologies, and pedagogical advances in order to better reach and serve our students.

On the one hand, UB depends on the initiative of faculty as the true drivers of our high-quality educational experience. On the other hand, our administrators and support staff want to make sure that we are knowledgeable and prepared in supporting our faculty in the various innovative platforms and technologies that they are employing in the classroom, and that instructors are regularly informed about centrally supported tools and technologies available to them. As such, the Emerging Teaching Technology Assessment Initiative is intended to bridge this gap between relevant usage and available support.  

Goals of the initiative:

  • To provide UB faculty and staff with a simple and effective process to explore existing and emerging teaching technologies.
  • To connect those technologies to teaching methodologies, course design practices, and learning environments.
  • To provide a single point of reference and referral to help program administrators, faculty and staff navigate the process of technology procurement and implementation.
  • To manage vendor marketing practices.
  • To ensure that adopted technologies fall within accessibility and data security parameters established by the institution.
  • To ensure that departments are appropriately navigating the student fee process if required for procurement.
Zoom image: ETTAI process flowchart Photo showing ETTAI user process from site entry to tool selection.

ETTAI process flowchart

Collaborative and coordinated process:

The Emerging Teaching Technology Assessment Initiative (ETTAI) is a partnership to provide a collaborative and coordinated process to review, assess, and make recommendations on existing and emerging technology at UB. The ETTAI will be a gateway to a stakeholder-driven process to streamline comparing, requesting, and implementing new technologies and innovative teaching practices.

Ultimately, it is our goal to put in place an automated process, whereby faculty, staff, and external vendors may initiate a review process for new and emerging technologies that may or may not hold promise for scaling to the broader level of university sponsorship and support.

Especially, while we continue to work to develop and implement this process, we encourage instructors to use university supported tools and technologies so that we might best be able to assist you should various needs arise. For further guidance on university supported options:

Instructional Tools (UB CATT)
Teaching Technology (UBIT)

In the meantime, please stay tuned for updates on this important initiative as we work to build out our forthcoming review process, website, and stakeholder oversight process!