Office of Academic Technology

Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Technology

Office of Academic Technology

Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Technology

What we do

We are a community of people working together to amplify the teaching and learning mission through the strategic use of academic technology.

The University of Texas at Austin is a leading public research institution renowned for teaching and learning excellence. Technology interfaces with the learning experience in a way unlike any other investment . It is a conduit to learning. The mission of the Office of Academic Technology (OAT) is to lead a strategic and holistic academic technology ecosystem where students, faculty and staff thrive. The OAT strategically guides the adoption and implementation of academic technologies that foster the achievement of learning outcomes while simultaneously ensuring privacy, accessibility, data security, streamlined technology spend and digital literacy on campus.

What We Do

Residing within Academic Affairs, The OAT is the primary authority for executing initiatives that develop and enforce predefined policies, processes and guidance that supports consistent academic technology experiences for our Colleges, Schools, and Units as well as our faculty, staff and students. Examples of such initiatives include the Learning Technology Adoption Process, a comprehensive framework we designed and oversee for formally vetting and evaluating academic technologies. We also led implementation of the Canvas Adoption Policy to help ensure every student has consistent access to course materials in a single, reliable location. We oversaw the evaluation and adoption of Simple Syllabus to enhance the creation of accessible educational materials that are critical to the student learning experience.

We’ve also worked to advance responsible adoption of generative AI for teaching and learning through our AI Detection Software Guidance, our AI-Responsible – AI-Forward Framework and UT-Sage, our new AI-Tutor. Finally, our office also oversees the Course Evaluation System (CES), which administers more than 500,000 course evaluations on campus each year. While these are just a few examples, all of our areas of work include leading campus-wide strategy, policy, governance and stakeholder engagement to effectively manage and coordinate academic technologies across campus.

The OAT was created in 2023 to ensure privacy, security, accessibility and consistent implementation for the entire campus community. We collaborate with instructors, departments, colleges and schools to identify barriers to learning that academic technology can solve. From there, we develop strategies, policies, and recommendations to help move the University forward in achieving its teaching and learning mission while modernizing existing systems and experiences.

The Office is responsible for developing and enforcing defined policies and processes related to academic technology purchase and adoption; data privacy, security and accessibility risks; and digital literacy and technology training for teaching and learning. Our areas of work include strategy, policy, user experience research and stakeholder communication in relation to the adoption of academic technology on campus.

OAT and Academic Affairs are part of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

OAT Initiatives

Course Evaluation System

The Office of Academic Technology (OAT) leads the course evaluation process at UT Austin. The goal of the course evaluation system (CES) is to drive teaching excellence and support continuous improvement in teaching and learning experiences. Learn more about the CES on the CES team’s website or email course-evals@utexas.edu.

Learning Technology Adoption Process

The Learning Technology Adoption Process (LTAP) is an evaluation process designed to help guide academic technology decision-making on campus in ways that support a thriving Longhorn Learning Experience for all campus stakeholders. The LTAP aids the campus in developing a strategic understanding of a tool or technology’s pedagogical effectiveness, active learning user experiences, and campus sustainability and longevity. To learn more or get involved, email the OAT at oat@utexas.edu.

Academic Technology Council

The Office of Academic Technology leads UT Austin’s Academic Technology Council (ATC). The ATC is a member-based group on campus that represents a combination of academic stakeholders from a broad cross-section of the university alongside key members of the IT community with a relevant understanding of the impact of committee decisions on infrastructure, implementation, and staffing. To provide comprehensive campus perspective, advice, and guidance pertaining to technology-enhanced education with a particular emphasis on the acquisition, deployment, and strategic use of these technologies in service of the instructional mission of UT Austin.

Strategic Partnerships

Teaching, Learning, and Collaboration Services Group within Information Technology Services (ITS)

The OAT partners with the university’s Information Technology Services (TIS) group Teaching, Learning, and Collaboration Services to provide training, customer support and service, and academic technology integrations on campus. Contact the TLC group today if you need technical support or help using learning technologies.

Center for Teaching and Learning

The OAT partners with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to support the teaching and learning mission of UT Austin. Contact CTL to engage in a variety of programs and teaching advancement opportunities.

Strategic Academic Initiatives

The OAT partners with Strategic Academic Initiatives on Learning Technology Adoption Process projects, including on developing data, evaluation, and assessment tools.

Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services

The OAT partners with Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services to support and advance academic technology on campus. Contact LAITS if you have questions about classroom support, computer support, or technology integration.

Campus Stakeholder Engagement

The OAT engages with key campus stakeholders to help inform and guide academic technology strategy, policy, user experience research, and stakeholder engagement related to academic technology, including the following groups:

C13, C14
IT Leadership Council
Faculty Council
Academic Technology Council
Educational Technology Council
UT Teaching and Learning Consortium
Classroom Technology Committee (TCC)

UT Sage

In collaboration with Instructional Technology Services and with backend development from AWS, the OAT is developing UT Sage, a virtual instructional designer and AI tutor. Designed by UT Austin experts to support the responsible use of generative AI in teaching and learning, instructors can use UT Sage to create interactive chatbots that enhance student engagement and customize learning experiences.

Sage is currently in the early pilot and development phase, with a small set of instructors and students testing prototypes and making improvements. If you are interested in evaluating Sage when the pilot is expanded in the spring, you can sign up for more information. In the meantime, you can visit the UT Sage webpage to learn more.

Questions About Using Learning Tools

What should I do if I receive an unwanted vendor email about academic technology products on campus?

Forward the email to the Office of Academic Technology at oat@utexas.edu.
Include a note that this is an unwanted email/solicitation.
Block the sender so that you do not receive additional emails.

What should I do if I receive an email from a vendor with a tool I am interested in?

Forward the email to the Office of Academic Technology at oat@utexas.edu.
Include a note with the forwarded email letting us know about your interest.

What is the process for adopting a learning tool or technology on Campus?

The University requires a campus-wide, college, departmental, or unit-level contract to use any third-party software, technology, or tool on campus. Individual faculty may not sign contracts with third-party vendors. The contract process involves ensuring academic tools are properly vetted for their pedagogical efficacy and adherence to state and federal law related to data security, privacy, and accessibility. You can read more about the University’s learning technology adoption process here. If you want to integrate a tool with your course, you can check if the tool is already approved here or contact canvas@utlists.uexas.edu.