Guide to Assessing Educational Technologies

The Guide to Assessing Educational Technologies (PDF) identifies key aspects of educational technologies important for supporting and enhancing teaching and learning and connects those to the principles of teaching excellence outlined in MacEwan University’s Teaching Greatness Strategic Vision (2023). This resource was developed by the Emerging Technologies Sub-committee of the Committee on Teaching and Learning (GFC) (Approved May 26, 2025). The guide consists of a short list of key characteristics, along with a more detailed definition, a list of features, and an example of how to apply these in an academic learning context designed to help assess the suitability of specific educational technologies for adoption. The intent is for the key characteristics and features to be considered and used as guideposts throughout the assessment, selection, and implementation processes, to ensure that adopted technologies support and enhance teaching and learning.

This guide can be applied by faculty, staff, administrators, departments, and committees when assessing technology for educational use in curricular and co-curricular settings. This could be regarding the use of specific technology for a specific class, audience, learning purpose, or for university wide license. It is recognized that in specific educational contexts, certain tools being assessed may still be useful even though they may not have all the key characteristics. However, the guide is not intended to be applied to an entire class of technology (i.e., Virtual Reality as a whole) but rather to a specific virtual reality headset or app experience intended for a specific educational purpose.

The guide will contribute to a shared understanding of what aspects of technology are important for educational purposes and provide a baseline for the kinds of features that support these larger purposes as well as some overarching pedagogical goals to keep in mind when incorporating technologies into teaching and learning practices.

The key characteristics were drawn from educational technology assessment frameworks used by universities around the world, including:

• University of Saskatchewan Evidence Based Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Principles and LTE Assessment Rubric (2025)
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards – Teacher Ed Tech Evaluation Tool and Guide (2023)
• Rubric For Evaluating e-Learning Tools in Higher Education (Anstey and Watson 2018, EDUCAUSE) Used by University of Calgary, Carleton University, Memorial University, and Western University.

These frameworks reference, are built upon, and incorporate, research and practice informed models such as:

• Enhance, Extend, Empower 3E Framework (Smyth, Bruce, Fotheringham and Mainka, 2011, Edinburgh Napier University). Used by the University of Saskatchewan, the London School of Economics, University of York, and dozens of other universities.
• Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) Model (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), featured by the University of Calgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning as a resource.

Criteria from all three of the above models were cross checked to identify common themes, then these were connected with the identified educational priorities in MacEwan University’s Teaching Greatness Vision. The proposed characteristics, features and application examples follow the formatting of the University of Saskatchewan’s framework.

MacEwan University Key Characteristics to Consider for Educational Technologies

Usable – Learners and educators can easily, quickly, and intuitively get started using technologies for their intended purposes with minimal learning curve.

Accessible – All learners and educators can access technologies without barriers regardless of ability, culture, language, sexuality, gender, etc.

Designed for Learning – Learning goals are served by technologies, supporting evidence informed, enriched learning.

Sustainable – Learners and educators can expect ongoing supported access to university wide tools, knowing that technologies support economic and sustainability goals whenever possible.

Secure – Technologies should be consistent with MacEwan's privacy, IT security, and intellectual property policies, as applicable.