The Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning supports VIU faculty and students with learning technologies. There are many technologies available for instructors and students at VIU to use. On this page you can find information about the tools that CIEL staff can support you with.
Supported Technologies
These are tools provided by VIU to all current VIU employees and students.
CIEL provides a wide range of support for VIU users working in these tools. You can find detailed self-help supports on our website for these tools. You can also open a support ticket by emailing learnsupport@viu.ca
VIULearn
VIULearn is VIU’s learning management system. Blank course spaces are automatically created for scheduled courses once timetabling is complete. Students and the instructor of record are automatically enrolled. If there are changes to a student or employee enrollment these will update within 24 hours. In VIULearn, you can communicate with and create a learning path for your students. The following is a list of some of the things you can do in VIULearn.
- post learning activities and assignments
- gather student work
- upload Documents
- share links to resources and media
- run quizzes or surveys
- give students feedback and grades
- have asynchronous online discussions
- email your students
- post Announcements
- create groups
VIUTube
VIUTube is VIU’s media streaming service. With VIUTube, instructors and students can:
- upload videos
- capture your screen and camera
- share videos in a course or website
- use the quiz feature to create interactive videos
Instructors use VIUTube to:
- create short, instructional videos on particularly difficult concepts.
- record lectures for students to view asynchronously.
- create welcome messages to post in VIULearn.
- ask students to create a video as part of an assignment.
VIUBlogs
VIUBlogs is VIU’s WordPress platform. With VIUBlogs, you can:
- create a course website, personal website, or blog
- ask students to create online content on their own, or collaboratively
- upload images or files to share with the VIU community or beyond
Teams
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/microsoft-teams/log-in
Teams provides a web-based video and audio conferencing system for real-time communication. VIU employees and students can use Teams to:
- conduct and record synchronous, online classes.
- hold virtual office hours.
- host synchronous meetings with students, colleagues, or classmates.
For more information about using Microsoft Teams see how do I use Teams? . If you have trouble logging into Teams, Contact the VIU IT Department.
iPeer
iPeer is a peer feedback platform created at UBC. Instructors at VIU can use iPeer to facilitate anonymous peer feedback when students are working in groups.
To request an account for iPeer, please contact learnsupport@viu.ca.
Other Technology
There may be tools beyond those directly supported by CIEL which you wish to use in your teaching. CIEL staff may be able to provide limited support for these technologies.
Limited support for uses directly related to teaching may be available for the following tools
- web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari)
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Microsoft Office
- VIU classroom technology (projectors, document cameras etc.)
- clickers or clicker alternatives (Socrative, Poll Everywhere, Turning Point etc.)
Requesting new software at VIU;
All new software requests at VIU are processed through the IT department. Please send any questions or requests regarding new software purchases or software licensing to ithelp@viu.ca.
Technology and textbook integrations with VIULearn
Integrations, extensions, plugins, cartridges, and online textbook integrations are common terms used by educational publishers to promote integration of VIULearn with their content delivery platforms. This is often achieved through the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) specification which allows these third-party applications to be accessed directly from within VIULearn.
LTI integrations allow a user, once logged in to VIULearn, to access content, tools, or services without entering another username or password. Often the tool provider will request information from VIULearn to facilitate the integration. This information may include the student number, name, and email address. These are used to validate the students’ access to the tool but may be also collected and stored according to the vendors own privacy policy.
Integrations into VIULearn present a number of privacy, accessibility, and cost considerations. To request a new textbook integration, please fill out a new learning technology integration request form.
Please allow a minimum 4-6 months for a new integration request. If you complete a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) before submitting your request, the amount of time CIEL needs will be much shorter. If you don't have your PIA completed yet, we strongly recommend you complete the PIA Needs Analysis Questionnaire in addition to our form. You can let the privacy officer know you are working with CIEL on your request so they can connect with us as they process your request.