Educator feedback is shaping USask learning technology support

USask educators use learning technologies every day to support teaching, assessment, communication, student engagement, and flexible learning. To better understand what is working well and where support can be improved, the Learning Technologies Governance Committee surveyed educators from December 2025 through January 2026. 

The survey offers a high-level view of instructor experiences with commonly used learning technologies. It highlights broad patterns in confidence, support needs, tool use, and opportunities to improve the overall teaching and learning technology experience. 

Participation was moderate (146 respondents), and responses came primarily from a handful of colleges, so the findings are best understood as a snapshot rather than a complete representation of all educators. Even so, they provide useful insight into what is working well, where educators experience challenges, and how support can continue to evolve. 

Findings 

Overall, respondents expressed a relatively high level of confidence using USask’s learning technologies. They also emphasized the importance of tools that are reliable, easy to access, and connected to everyday teaching needs. 

A recurring theme was the value educators place on tools that support core teaching activities in familiar and dependable ways. Respondents emphasized the importance of stability, consistency, and clear guidance when tools change. Many also expressed a strong preference for minimizing changes to our heavily used tools. 

The survey also identified opportunities to improve educators’ experiences. These include reducing friction in common workflows, strengthening communication about tool changes, improving reliability for live teaching contexts, and making practical support easier to find. 

Key themes for continued improvement

• Communicate learning technology changes clearly and consistently. 
• Continue improving reliability, readiness, and confidence in supported tools. 
• Provide practical, easy-to-access support for common teaching needs.

    Access the full results summary

Changes already underway 

• In response to a strong call for increased support around Canvas grading and gradebook management, GMCTL developed and offered a new session in May. Another offering "Canvas Assignments and Grades" is planned for August 26, 2026.

• A new Microsoft Team is available for staff and educators who want timely updates on learning technology features and opportunities to try new features early. Request to join the Team here: Learning Tech - New Features

• GMCTL, ICT Academic Innovation Technology, and ICT Client Success have improved their collaborative feature-testing process to help confirm update reliability and ensure support resources are ready at launch. The teams have been busy this spring and summer as several new Canvas features are now available!

• The GMCTL, ICT Academic Innovation Technology, and ICT Client Success, and IT Support are collaborating more closely to make support for learning technology tools easier to find and use. Many useful resources already exist, and the goal is to make it clearer where educators can go for timely, practical help.

Find learning technology support in the LTE Toolkit 

Educators looking for guidance on selecting, using, or getting support for USask learning technologies can visit the Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Toolkit for practical resources, tool information, and supports designed to help with teaching and learning technology decisions. The toolkit also includes the list of approved tools and information about how to request a new tool. 

Questions about the survey or the LTE can be directed to GMCTL@usask.ca

This resource is shared by the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL), University of Saskatchewan, under a CC BY-NC-SA license.