Faculty Guide for Online Tools

Table of Contents

Workshops are Available Every Semester

Please visit www.svsu.edu/workshops to look for session topics and times. Please note the related articles on the right-hand side of the page.

Webinars Offered Outside of SVSU

Request EchoVideo in Your Course

Teaching with EchoVideo in the classroom or on your computer? Each semester if you intend to use EchoVideo in the classroom, Live Stream, or want to enhance student engagement utilizing the *Active Learning Platform (ALP) you need to request EchoVideo in your course; only the current term can be requested. Need help? Watch the video we created on how to fill out the EchoVideo Semester Request Form - SVSU

Did you know? You can embed your media in a Canvas content window and see usage analytics in your personal library. If you are new to register for the EchoVideo introduction workshop at http://svsu.edu/workshops

Canvas Tools to Help You Teach

  • Announcements: Send timely course communication messages to students or delay them for a specific date. Students can make comments if enabled. Show recent announcements on your course Home Page.
  • Quiz: Online testing, surveying, and quizzing (graded/non-graded).
  • Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor: Used for online exams that restrict students from accessing websites/applications and monitor via webcam (must be enabled). View the Respondus Student Guide.
  • Discussion: Asynchronous text discussions with and among students.
  • Use Microsoft Teams in Canvas - Create MS Teams online meetings in your course within Canvas from the Announcement tool. MS Teams is available in the Rich Content Editor (plug-shaped icon). Teams is great for collaboration (file sharing), online office hours, sharing your screen, there is a Lobby, breakout rooms for group activities, reactions, chat, and more. Microsoft Teams is the default conferencing tool for web conferencing in Canvas, set up your Team's class in Canvas.
  • Big Blue Button Conference: We recommend Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) in place of Canvas Conferences (Big Blue Button (BBB).
  • Class meetings with Big Blue Button Conference tool can be recorded, they store for 7 days only. You can use it for synchronous meetings, it offers real-time video/audio, computer screen share, chat, a whiteboard, and reactions. View our article with a comparison table of what applications we recommend for synchronous and asynchronous teaching tools


Canvas Quick Start Video by Instructure


Watch this YouTube video "Canvas Quick Start Guide" by Instructure, it is a condensed version of the needed essentials to help teach using Canvas. For full training on using Canvas's tools register for our training workshops at svsu.edu/workshops

Tools to Help You Teach Outside of Canvas

Web Conferencing Tools

  •  EchoVideo: It is SVSU's chosen lecture capture system. You can pre-record your video lectures or stream them live in your Canvas courses. Record your screen, audio, yourself, and engage your students. Are you an instructor? Visit svsu.edu/echohelp if you are a student view our EchoVideo Student Guide.
  • Microsoft Teams: Use MS Teams for Features two-way communication using chat (private/public), video/audio, break-out rooms, file/screen sharing capabilities, meeting lobby, ability to record your online meeting with live transcription, present live with PowerPoint, raise your hand virtually or react in a meeting, join all your colleagues with Together Mode, and more. MS Teams is our RECOMMENDED collaboration platform. Learn more about MS Teams.
  • Zoom: Free/basic Zoom accounts have a 40-minute time limit, it is one of our supported online meeting tools. For video training see Zoom's collection of resources be sure to check out our Zoom Video Conferencing Guide.

Teaching Apps for a Touchscreen Device

  • Microsoft Whiteboard: This is a collaborative digital canvas that integrates with Microsoft Teams, you can use it during an online meeting. Use the Whiteboard app online via the Microsoft 365 app launcher. Available from the Microsoft Store and iOS devices. Coming soon for Android.
  • Microsoft Draw feature: Use your touchscreen device (Windows, Mac, and iOS/Android) and sketch your ideas and teach lessons within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can annotate, highlight, and emphasize content. Math faculty use the Ink to Math or Math Assistant in OneNote. Learn how to "Use the Draw feature in Microsoft Apps with your Touch Device".

Teach Without a Touchscreen Device

Use EchoVideo Universal Capture Personal. You can record 2 inputs on your screen and written content on a document camera.
Use a Wacom Drawing Tablet to Teach. Write, draw, paint, and more. Explain concepts visually, sketch, and annotate on your screen. Use it in Microsoft apps link PowerPoint, OneNote, MS Word, and more.
You can request equipment needed for teaching just fill out our Equipment Request form.
Print Article

Related Articles (10)

EchoVideo's Universal Capture Personal software allows you to record synchronous or asynchronous lectures. This guide covers how to install the software on your computer.
Turn your mobile device into a portable scanner. View the table matrix comparison between Microsoft Lens or Adobe Scan.
Create, upload, share videos inside and outside of SVSU.
Microsoft Teams is an all-in-one work-space for file collaboration, instant messaging, audio or video calls, and screen sharing. Host departmental or cross-campus communication.
Resources to assist with the use of Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
This article provides student resources on using Respondus LockDown Browser and common frequently asked questions.
Student guide for various online tools they have access to where they can learn Canvas, Echo360, join a meeting in Teams, create graphics, presentations, short videos and more.
Overview of supported tools for teaching and a comparison table of synchronous and asynchronous software this includes Microsoft 365 apps (OneDrive, Bookings, Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.) Canvas, Respondus LockDown Browser, EchoVideo, Teams, Adobe, and more.
Microsoft Whiteboard is a freeform digital canvas that allows you to used as a standalone whiteboard for lectures or lessons on can be used in a Teams meetings to sketch ideas and work creatively with meeting participants.
Streamline editing Microsoft 365 documents with Digital inking tools with your touch device using your finger, pen, or stylus to annotate and highlight text, and use the built-in digital ruler. The feature in PowerPoint would depend on if your university desktop or laptop is the most up to date Microsoft 365 version. Available via the Draw tab in the Office ribbon.