Tools for education
On this page you will find an overview of the main digital tools available for teaching faculty. These tools will help you in different aspects of your teaching, such as online teaching, testing, collaborative learning and creation of video and audio materials.
Not sure which tool is best suited for your goal? Consult the toolpicker or contact ECOLe.
Click on a category or tool below to quickly navigate to your tool of interest.
Brightspace: the heart of the digital learning environment
Brightspace forms the core of the digital learning environment within Leiden University.
Brightspace
Here you publish teaching materials, collect assignments and maintain contact with students. Many other educational tools integrate directly with Brightspace, while some stand alone.
- Navigate to Brightspace via https://brightspace.universiteitleiden.nl/
- On this page you will find all manuals about Brightspace.
Active and collaborative learning
Want to engage students more actively in your teaching? There are several tools you can use to encourage self-study, increase interaction and foster collaboration. Whether it's discussions, interactive assignments or peer feedback - these tools will help you create a dynamic learning environment.
Brightspace Discussions
With Brightspace Discussions, you can actively engage students in course material by facilitating online discussions. This tool is ideal for having students ask and answer questions about lectures and articles, encourage discussions about course material, and collect weekly contributions or reflections on the material.
- Navigate to Brightspace via https://brightspace.universiteitleiden.nl/
- Step-by-step guide to Brightspace Discussions
Wooclap
For easy setup of polls, quizzes and other interactive questions to get immediate feedback and increase engagement during a lecture. Ideal for short knowledge checks during lectures or study groups, ice breakers and interactive discussions. Students can participate via their laptops or cell phones.
- Open Wooclap (Enter 'Leiden University at 'institution')
- The teaching support website has more links and examples of use.
- Check out the step-by-step guide.
FeedbackFruits
FeedbackFruits is a set of tools within Brightspace that promotes interaction between students and teachers. You can use it for peer feedback, interactive assignments and discussions.
- Peer Review: Students provide structured feedback on each other's work.
- Interactive Document, Video & Audio: Add questions or discussions to study materials.
- Automated Feedback: AI-based tool that checks documents for certain parameters, such as style and punctuation, so that you as a teacher can
- See all tools in this overview.
- How do I place a FeedbackFruits module in my course?
Pitch2Peer
Pitch2Peer allows students to submit their assignment, such as a presentation, video, audio file, poster or blog, and assess each other's work based on criteria set by you.
Kaltura Video Quizzes
Videos you create or upload in the Kaltura Video Portal can be converted into interactive video quizzes. Decide at which point in a video you stop the picture to ask a question about the material discussed.
- Check out Kaltura's documentation on Setting up a video quiz to see what a video quiz entails.
- Manual Creating Interactive Video Quiz
Articulate Rise
This e-learning creation platform offers a plethora of possibilities to showcase your course materials in an inviting and organized design, and also allows you to add interactive assignments, such as quizzes, flashcards, infographics and more.
- Example: This course was made in Articulate Rise.
- Contact ECOLe if you want to use this platform.
Ellips
Ellips is suited for speech, listening and writing skills education. Develop semi-adaptive modules to have students engage with the course materials in an interactive way.
- Open Ellips by navigating to https://ellips.service.rug.nl/login.aspx
- Ellips Quickstart Guide
Testing: formative and summative
Digital testing offers several options, including on-site summative tests and formative tests for students to practice. Some tools are integrated with Brightspace, offer auto-correction or focus on plagiarism control.
Besides learning to work with the tool itself, it is also important to be aware of associated procedures. So always take a look at the organising tests section as well.
Ans
Ans is the university's testing software, mainly used for summative tests on site but you can also use it to build an extensive question bank for formative tests.
- Use this page as your starting point to learn everything you need to know about Ans.
- Navigate to Ans via https://ans.app/.
Brightspace Quizzes en Assignments
Brightspace offers various possibilities for testing, such as essay assignments and quizzes for formative tests.
- Assignments: Suitable for essays or exams/assignments that students can take at home.
- Quizzes: Ideal for formative tests with various question types, automatic review options and reusable questions.
Turnitin
Turnitin is a plagiarism checker and integrated into Brightspace Assignments. It helps detect text matches in submitted assignments.
Wooflash
Wooflash is a tool for low-threshold formative knowledge tests, aimed at repetition and improving knowledge retention in students.
- Open Wooflash (Enter ‘Leiden University at “institution”)
- Contact ECOLe for specific questions.
Wooclap
For simple set-up of polls, quizzes and other interactive questions to get immediate feedback and increase engagement during a lecture. Ideal for short knowledge checks during lectures or working groups, ice breakers and interactive discussions. Students can participate via their laptop or mobile phone.
- Open Wooclap (enter ‘Universiteit Leiden at “institution”)
- Find more links and examples of use on the teaching support website.
- View the step-by-step guide.
Video conferencing for online education
Online and hybrid lectures and tutorials
Zoom
For online and hybrid teaching, Zoom is the standard and recommended tool. Suitable for both lectures and working groups, Zoom offers the possibility of interactive teaching through screen sharing, break-out rooms and recording options.
Kaltura live room
Especially suitable for specific cases with a standard audience of up to 350 participants. For groups between 200-350 students, you can request a Large Live Room from ecole@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
- Follow the step-by-step instructions for Kaltura Live room.
- Tips for Kaltura Live Room (English)
- Live Room Tech Check: check if your device is set up correctly for hosting a Kaltura Live Room
Creating and providing video and audio content
Video and audio can be a powerful addition to your teaching. From knowledge clips and web lectures to podcasts and interactive videos - with the right tools, you can easily create and share your own material with students.
Students can use the same video and audio tools available to teachers. This page contains content tips on using video and audio in education.
Kaltura Video Portal
Kaltura Video Portal is the online platform for hosting self-made videos. Videos you record with Kaltura Capture are automatically stored here, but you can also upload your own videos.
- Navigate to the platform at https://video.leidenuniv.nl/.
- Manuals video portal.
Kaltura Capture
With Kaltura Capture, you can easily record web lectures, both as a replacement and an addition to lectures. You can record screen, webcam and audio simultaneously, e.g. for short knowledge clips to prepare for a lecture. Editing options are limited to simple clipping of recordings.
- Navigate to Kaltura Capture in the video platform: https://video.leidenuniv.nl/kalturacapture/launch/create
- Tutorial recording with Kaltura Capture.
- Also see the page on weblectures.
Audacity (podcasts)
Audacity is a free audio-editing tool that makes it easy to record and edit podcasts. It offers more features than Kaltura Capture for editing audio and removing background noise.
- Video training for beginners (English)