This is a quick-reference guide to the most pressing and relevant questions, resources, people, and information related to being a teaching assistant at IU Indianapolis. The links on this page focus on technology: questions related to technology for teaching and learning at IU Indianapolis, resources, support services offices,, and basic information, policies, and procedures.
Getting Started With IT at IU Indianapolis
At IU Indianapolis, the types and number of different technologies that are at your disposal that can assist you in your teaching assistant role are many. You have many different options and tools: email and communications tools, Oncourse (our Learning Management System, or LMS), web and video conferencing, classroom technologies, and more.
Where to Find Answers to Questions
Technologies Available
Accessibility, Tech, and Disabilities
Free Training!
IU Indianapolis has a number of different options for self-paced and group training through IT Training (UITS). If you are interested in workshops, there are many different face-to-face and online workshops available through UITS (PDF version). There are a number options for self-paced training, also - Lynda.com (required an IU Network ID), Skillsoft 27-4, Microsoft eLearning, and the IT Training Tips blog.
Finding Your Own Options
There are many different options out there - videos on YouTube, websites devoted to specific tools, and vendors/software publishers who may provide tutorials and support materials. Also, look at professional organizations within your field or discipline to see if they have resources related to technologies that are specific to or heavily used in your field/discipline. Academic & professional journals, resources, and websites may also have information on technological tools and suggestions or best practices about using those tools well in a teaching context.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Sometimes one of the best ways that we can learn is to try a tool on our own or with others. If there is software or hardware (interactive whiteboard, document camera) tool that is in specific rooms or classrooms that you would like to practice using, talk with your supervisor or departmental assistant about arranging access to that room. Check IUanyWare or IUware to see if the software that you would like to practice using is available. Finally, if you are interested in learning more about Oncourse, consider asking your faculty supervisor if s/he would be willing to sponsor a practice Oncourse site for you and/or your peers. This is one way that you could practice using the tools of Oncourse as an instructor without affecting an existing course.