Broadly Available: Engageli as an active learning tool

By Scott Moore

December 14, 2022

Next up in this series evaluating Engageli as an active learning technology against the Educause rubric is the criteria: ‘Broadly Available.’ (The introduction to the series can be found here.) In the previous two posts, we showed how and described why Engageli passed the criteria, ‘easy to use’ and ‘participation.’ 

The authors of the rubric propose that the Broadly Available category has four sub-criteria:

  • Sign-up: how much is privacy protected by the sign-up/sign-in process
  • Device support: users can use the technology on any up-to-date OS on desktop or mobile devices
  • Additional downloads: users are not required to download additional software
  • Cost of use: the cost of the software is either free or borne by the institution

As you will find, Engageli addresses each of these sub-criteria.

Sign-up/Sign-in
Engageli can be integrated into an organization’s Learning Management System (we support the LTI 1.3 protocol), through a single-sign-on process, or by creating accounts directly with Engageli. The only personal identified information (PII) Engageli stores is First Name, Last Name, and Email. Email is important for generating the data for the engagement dashboard that Engageli generates. Data is stored in a secure, offsite cloud infrastructure that is SOC2/3 compliant. This data center is monitored 24/7, and access is strictly controlled to authorized individuals only. Engageli Environments are hosted in AWS, which has many certifications such as SOC2, ISO 27001, etc.

Device support
Engageli can be used on any device on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Engageli even works on systems that are 5+ years old running OSx, Windows, and Linux. Our platform also runs on any iOS device on Chrome or the iOS app for students. Coming soon is our Android App for learners! Engageli also has a “low bandwidth mode” that allows it to run more easily on much older devices or slower networks.

Additional downloads
Since Engageli runs as a Web app, no additional downloads are necessary unless the learner wants to use the optional app on an iOS or Android device. 

Cost of use
The technology cost is completely covered by the institutional license so learners would not bear the cost of the technology.


Summary

This criteria is about how easily and broadly available the technology is. Engageli is easy to access, free for learners, requires no download, and runs on various hardware. Thus, clearly passes this criteria of the rubric. 
Next, we explore how Engageli meets the criteria ‘Equitable’ through various accessibility standards and features designed for inclusive teaching.