Evaluating Third-Party Tools for Teaching and Learning

  • November 12, 2026 | 11 AM PT | 2 PM ET

Faculty and staff have more digital tools to choose from than ever. An established vetting process is important to help determine which tools are appropriate for teaching and learning use, considering factors like data privacy and security alongside accessibility.

In this webinar, hosted in partnership with NWHeat, guest presenters Alice Swift and Chris Jitchaku-Silva from the University of Hawaiʻi System will walk through the process their institution uses to evaluate third-party tools submitted by faculty and staff for teaching and learning use. See how a structured review works in practice and leave with tips and resources you can use right away.

What you’ll learn

  • Tips on spotting red and yellow flags in terms of service and privacy policy language
  • How to build accessibility considerations into your own tool review process
  • Where to find helpful resources to guide informed technology choices for educational use

Who should attend

Faculty, instructional designers, educational technologists, IT and accessibility staff, and academic leaders who choose, recommend or approve third-party tools for teaching and learning.

 

Workshop Leaders

Chris Jitchaku-Silva

Chris Jitchaku-Silva

Institutional/Policy Analyst, University of Hawai’i

Chris is an Institutional Policy/Analyst with the University of Hawaiʻi Data Governance Office, where he supports the university’s Data Governance Program and helps faculty and staff navigate the responsible use of third-party technologies. His work includes evaluating tools and services for privacy, security, FERPA, contractual, and data governance considerations, with an emphasis on finding a responsible path to “yes” while protecting students and institutional data. Chris has worked in higher education and educational technology since 2005. Before joining Data Governance, he spent nearly two decades supporting UH faculty in delivering instruction through emerging and non-traditional technologies, including cable, distance, and online learning. His experience bridges teaching and learning technology with the privacy, security, and governance considerations institutions face today.
Alice Swift

Alice Swift

Instructional Designer, University of Hawai’i

Alice Swift is an instructional designer with the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) Online Innovation Center who supports faculty teaching online, hybrid, and web-enhanced courses across the UH system, along with other department initiatives such as professional development webinars, workshops, and programs for faculty across the 10-campus system. With a background in hospitality and food & beverage, she also teaches online courses as a lecturer with the School of Travel Industry Management, Shidler College of Business at the UH Mānoa. Her diverse background includes hands-on experience in hospitality, food & beverage, human resources, and learning and development, such as managing online and web-enhanced corporate training programs for MGM Resorts International, along with instructional design experience in multiple higher education and K-12 institutions. Her interests include AI integration into different contexts, learner engagement, and emerging technology in the hospitality, tourism, and education sectors, and humanizing online teaching and learning.