Supported Tools

Tools for Interpersonal Communication

Blackboard

Supported by Geddes, CAS IT, and BU IS&T

Please see the dedicated Blackboard resource page for detailed information about Blackboard.

Zoom

Supported by Geddes, CASIT and BU IS&T

Zoom is video conferencing tool that instructors may use for virtual classrooms, online meetings, and for student video conversations. Its features include breakout rooms, the ability to record sessions, and audio transcriptions.  Boston University has a site licenses available for students and faculty.  A BU account can automatically upload recorded sessions into the cloud, which then can be shared via weblink. Zoom may be used as a language lab software alternative for those who wish to record student video as well as audio, through the use of breakout rooms.

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    iSpraak

    Supported by Geddes

    Instructors can create pronunciation exercises in Google Chrome, where students read a text and attempt match written text (with an optional audio component). BU has a site license for iSpraak for anyone with a @bu.edu email address.

      Boomalang/Talk Abroad

      Supported by Course Coordinators in conjunction with Boomalang/Talk Abroad

      Boomalang and Talk Abroad pair students with a native speaker for a recorded conversation. Departments generally choose between Boomalang or Talk Abroad based on the languages available and price. Students purchase conversations as part of their course. Boomalang costs $15 for two 15-minute conversations. Talkabroad is $15 for one 30 minute conversation.

      Boomalang is available in: Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian. TalkAbroad is available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Japanese.

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      Pronto

      Supported by Geddes, BU IS&T

      Pronto is a messaging app supported by Blackboard. It allows students (and instructors) to text, share info, and video conference (with a small group of people.)

      Tools for Interpretive Communication

      Text Annotations of Videos

      GoReact

      Supported by CASIT

      GoReact allows for text and multimedia comments to be embedded in uploaded or YouTube videos.  Videos can be graded using customized rubrics.  CASIT has a limited number of licenses of this software, which is available to licensed faculty via a Blackboard integration.. Please contact CAS Information Technology at cashelp@bu.edu for more information if you wish to use GoReact.

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      Video Quizzing

      Kaltura Quizzes

      Supported by Geddes, CASIT, and BU IS&T

      Multiple choice questions, short answers, and reflection points can be added to any videos uploaded to Kaltura MyMedia using the built-in video quiz editor.  Grades based on score or completion may optionally be integrated into Blackboard and the Grade Center.

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        Other Activities/Assessments

        Google Doc

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        Texts may be uploaded into Google for students to use the commenting feature to create threads and reply to other students’ posts.  Texts may be converted from PDFs using Adobe Acrobat’s recognize text feature and exported to Word.

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        Google Forms

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        Create online surveys and quizzes within Google, and collect student responses.

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        BULB for WordPress

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        WordPress is a content management system used to create and display web content. Sites may be created by instructors who wish to create resources for their courses.  BU WordPress can optionally contain a plug-in called “BULB” (BU Learning Blocks), that allow for standalone true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, and numeric exercises.  Exercises are self-graded, but scores are not currently stored, so they are mainly for self-reflection. WordPress is free to the BU community, and sites may be requested here.

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        H5P

        Supported by Geddes

        Create rich multimedia exercises that may be embedded within Blackboard or a course website (presentation, interactive video, memory game, quiz, multiple choice, timeline, collage, hotspots, drag and drop, cloze test, personality quiz, accordion, flash cards, audio recorder).  H5P.org is free and allows for testing, while H5P.com requires a paid subscription ($230 per instructor per year) and may integrated with Blackboard.  Some licensing may be available.

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        Tools for Presentational Communication

        Digital Storytelling & Flipped Learning

        Google Slides or PowerPoint presentations can be recorded and narrated to provide a “flipped” learning module (or instructional video) that students will watch as part of a pre-class or asynchronous class assignment. Digital storytelling is not limited to orally narrated slideshow-style presentations. The “story” may also be told in the format of a movie or animation, or in a written form such as a storybook, a info graphic poster, or a comic strip.

        Narrated Slides

        Kaltura Capture

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        Kaltura Capture is a feature of Kaltura MyMedia, where instructors and students may record their screen and optionally also record video or audio narration. By making use of these screen recording features, students and instructors may record their slideshows.

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        PowerPoint Recording (Windows Only)

        Supported by Geddes, CASIT and BU IS&T

        PowerPoint 365 for Windows has a built in recorder to create narrated slides and save them as a media file. See the video below on how to use this feature.

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        Quicktime Player (Mac OS Only)

        Supported by Geddes, CASIT and BU IS&T

        Quicktime Player has a screen recording option that allows for voice only narration.

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        Adobe Creative Cloud Express (Adobe Spark)

        Supported by Geddes, CASIT and BU IS&T

        Adobe Spark is a cloud based mobile or web app for creating short audiovisual stories. Using a provided template, images, videos (up to 30 seconds) and text can be dropped into a timeline and then optionally narrated.

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        Adobe Creative Cloud

        Supported by Geddes, CASIT and BU IS&T

        The Adobe Creative Suite is available for free to students and most faculty. The Adobe Creative Cloud includes Adobe Spark, Adobe Rush, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and many more apps. Boston University’s department of Digital Learning and Innovation has series of video guides on how to use the suite, listed below. To obtain a license visit the TechWeb website.

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        ePortfolios:

        WordPress

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        WordPress is a content management system used to create and display web content. Sites may be created both by instructors who wish to create resources for their courses, or by students who wish to create an online presence/portfolio. WordPress is free to the BU community.

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        Digication

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        Digication is BU’s preferred platform for students to publish a professional portfolio online using multimedia tools.

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        Promoting Classroom Interaction

        Padlet

        Supported by Geddes and BU IS&T

        Padlet is a bulletin board web app where students and instructors can post text, images, and videos for everyone to see and comment.  Contact CAS Information Technology (cashelp@bu.edu) for a instructor license within CAS.

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