Online Teaching

Tools & Technology

Headshots of four Instructional Technologies staff providing assistance in the virtual support room.

Support for Instructional Tools

Instructional technologists from Academic Technology Services (ATS)
provide live (virtual) support as well as support via email for Brightspace, Collaborate Ultra, Panopto, and other instructional technologies available at Dalhousie.

Virtual Support (for Dalhousie instructors)
Monday–Friday: 9 am–8 pm (Atlantic)
Enter a virtual drop-in support session.

Support via email
intech@dal.ca

Training on how to use the features of instructional tools, such as Brightspace, Collaborate Ultra, Panopto, and other technologies in use at Dalhousie, is offered by Instructional technologists from Academic Technology Services.

Instructional tools enhance the online teaching and learning experience. Dalhousie supports a wide variety of instructional tools that are supported by Academic Technology Services (ATS). These tools provide a wide variety of functionality, allowing faculty to:

Host live class sessions using web conferencing software using Collaborate Ultra or Microsoft Teams
Create an online class space using the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS)
Record and edit lectures or other video content with Panopto
And much more!

Brightspace, Dalhousie's Learning Management System, is the core platform for support online and blended teaching.

Panopto is integrated into Brightspace and can be used to create, edit, and share audio and video content with students.

Collaborate Ultra is integrated into Brightspace and is a platform for hosting synchronous teaching events and virtual classroom.

Microsoft Teams is a tool that can be used for group collaboration, synchronous class sessions, and small-group video meetings.

Other Instructional Tools

In addition to the core technologies, there are several other tools and software to support your online and blended teaching.

Training for Instructional Technology

On-demand training on the technologies in use at Dalhousie is available each weekday.

Lecture Capture

Some classrooms on Dalhousie campuses are equipped with Panopto software that allows you to record your voice, slides, and/or classroom.

Minimum Technology Requirements for Teaching and Learning

Online teaching and learning at Dalhousie require access to a computer or laptop and internet. Below are the minimum requirements needed to teach and learn online at Dal.

What you need to succeed
Online teaching and learning at Dal requires access to a computer or laptop and internet. Below are the minimum requirements needed to teach and learn online at Dal.

Windows

OS	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB
CPU	Core i5
Storage	256GB (SSD Recommended)
Internet Speed	1Mbps upload, 5Mbps download of available bandwidth for group video calling. Faster would be even better for large video/lecture uploads
Web Browser	Firefox/Chrome
Resolution	1024x768
Accessories	Webcam and microphone if not built-in. *Instructors only: Moderate quality external microphone as many Windows built-in microphones are lower quality.*

Mac

OS	Mac OS X 10.15 or higher
RAM	8 GB
CPU	Core i5
Storage	256GB (SSD Recommended)
Internet Speed	1Mbps upload, 5Mbps download of available bandwidth for group video calling. Faster would be even better for large video/lecture uploads.
Web Browser	Firefox/Chrome - Safari in certain cases (VPN)
Resolution	1024x768
Accessories	Webcam/Microphone if not built-in

Additional Selected Software System Requirements

Note: Some software on the software download page is only available on Windows. If a Mac is going to use Bootcamp or Virtualization to run Windows, better specifications are recommended.

Bootcamp – 512GB storage
VM – 16GB RAM, 512GB storage

Aside from running Windows in a Mac environment, some software would benefit from having a better CPU or more RAM, or even a discrete GPU -- SolidWorks, for example.

Dalhousie University