I know I’m stating the obvious when I say that online and digital learning would not exist without modern technology tools. During my time in higher education, however, I’ve observed that many users of those tech tools (faculty and administrators in particular) express disdain toward the companies that provide them. Some of this tension comes from a few bad actors in the field (not to be named) and the occasional predatory practices by some vendors (i.e., circumventing administrators and IT staff and courting faculty instead). I also suspect that those in higher ed who have dedicated their lives to public service are critical of end-stage capitalism and therefore find for-profit industries a bit distasteful.
Still, a cynical person might consider tech vendors a “necessary evil,” like income taxes or strip malls. After all, most institutions have realized that building in-house digital learning tools is not affordable, sustainable, or scalable, so the platforms and innovations that ed tech companies can provide are necessary to increase online engagement and access.
Which gets to my point: Ed tech companies are absolutely necessary, but not evil.
In my role at OLC, I’ve worked with a lot of solutions providers, and what I have found is that most everyone I come across shares an interest in seeing students learn more and be more successful. I acknowledge that there is a sales aspect to some of these discussions, but behind the product and the bottom line, there are people who genuinely give a damn about education. I would say that ed tech companies are necessary partners, and we should embrace that relationship in support of our students.
Trust is critical to any such partnership, which is why OLC launched the Solutions Provider Endorsement last year. The goal of this initiative is to provide our community with a list of trusted vendors that meet key criteria for usability, accessibility, effectiveness, and seamless integration with campus systems. Institutions spend considerable time and resources vetting these companies and their products, and the stakes are usually very high (expensive and disruptive), so part of the Solutions Provider Endorsement is to equip our community with the right questions and considerations to guide informed decision-making when evaluating and selecting ed technology solutions.
The process for becoming an OLC-endorsed solutions provider involves an application, a self-review, and an evaluation against a set of standards. For the sake of transparency, there is a fee for vendors to go through the process, but rest assured that these endorsements are earned, not bought; the fee is for the internal costs needed to facilitate the process.
As an example, I’d like to recognize a company that has earned the OLC Solutions Provider Endorsement distinction: TableTop Science. TableTop Science offers a selection of online virtual science labs appropriate for undergraduate general education science laboratory courses. These offerings include Biology Lab Activities, Physical Science Lab Activities, Nutrition Lab Activities, Physics Lab Activities, and Interdisciplinary Science Lab Activities, with additional labs under development.
During our evaluation, we found that access was a key benefit of TableTop Science labs, which create opportunities for students in online classes (in-person, too) to access real lab activities that normally require physical components. We also appreciated TableTop Science’s dedication to user experience, taking a “simplicity” approach to keep students on task and to minimize the need for technical support. Even with an easy-to-use interface, TableTop Science has a fast (<60 min) response time to student and faculty support emails, and the tool includes an AI assistant (named Addy) to help with just-in-time pedagogical issues. The labs meet those crucial WCAG 2.2 AA standards as well.
TableTop Science received a Solutions Provider Endorsement from OLC because they meet a genuine pedagogical need, and they do so in a way that promotes access and quality in an affordable way. I offer TableTop Science as one of those vendors that aligns with OLC values and deserves a look if you’re on the hunt for a virtual lab tool.
Figuring out who to work with and what tool to invest in is important and challenging work for any institution or organization. Our Solutions Provider Endorsement is designed to make that process easier by providing trusted options and by connecting you to people who want to develop the best possible experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
