Programs and Applications

Online courses can be developed nicely by using only Canvas as a tool. However, there are many other programs that allow you to develop and present information in different ways and contain functions that Canvas does not. Some of the items produced by these programs can be imported into Canvas or linked from within Canvas. Some are easier to use than others - many have a steep learning curve and a high price tag.

 

 

Programs/Applications Useful for Online Development:

 

Type
Uses
Program/Link
Comments
Cost *
Office
word processing, presentations
the standard for Windows and Mac
** see below
online workspace sharing
Free
"the free and open productivity suite"
Free
interactive, PowerPoint-like Web presentations
Free
Web Builder
page and website creation using online content management systems (CMS) Used to create and edit your college web page.  Contact the Web Team to get started.
Free
Many free templates and widgets
Free version
Similar to Wordpress
Free
Graphics
draw (vector, line art) and paint (bitmap) to create or edit art, charts, diagrams Easy to use; does both vector graphics and bitmap photo editing
$299.00

Draw and paint programs with tools
(Windows-only)

$429.00
Photo Editing
crop, resize, use filters  
Free
Cheaper than Photoshop
$99.00
Sound Editing
edit narrations, add effects, remove noise  
Free
 
$199.00
Video
edit scenes, save in different format, add effects
MovieMaker/Media Center
 
Free with Windows
iMovie
 
Free with Mac
Cheaper than Premiere Pro
$99.00
Sorenson Squeeze Convert video to Flash video, QT, Real, etc. Various options
Screen Recording
motion capture all computer monitor activity and save as video
Camtasia
 
$299.00
 
$699.00
 
Free
 
Free
Screen Capture
capture still photos of your computer screen
Snipping Tool
 
Free with Vista
 
$49.95
Conversion
word to Bb  
$79.00
I-Learn
 
Free
Conferencing
allows multiple live sources to communicate  
Free
PDF
create, secure, collaborate using PDF files  Note that pdf is not necessary in Canvas
$299.00

 

* Note:

  • Most of these companies offer free trial downloads (a great way to test and learn software) with various limitations on time and functions.
  • You can get significant academic price reductions on first-time purchases at Academic SuperStore and many others (as well as academic pricing direct from Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, and more), but there is no future upgrade path for these (at reduced prices) - you must buy a new version at academic discount price each time which is usually more than the upgrade price. Also, some academic versions include limitations such as mandatory "splash screens" on all creations.

** District Connections:

  • Programs available on district server:
    • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
    • Microsoft Sharepoint Designer
    • McAfee Virus protection: free download for home use
  • Purchase Options: