Students in class with laptops

Academic Technology

Welcome to Academic Technology

Academic Technology, part of UW–‍Madison’s  Division of Information Technology (DoIT), provides innovative and sustainable technology services that support teaching, learning, research, and outreach throughout the university community.

Who we are

DoIT Academic Technology helps make learning at UW–‍Madison more engaging and effective through the use of technology. We work with faculty, instructors, and campus partners to bring fresh ideas and useful tools into classrooms and online learning. Our teams are adaptable and forward-thinking to meet the evolving needs of the university and provide modern, effective technology solutions that help students succeed.

Learn@UW

The instructional technology professionals in the Learn@UW team provide comprehensive support, administration, documentation, and training for a wide array of technology offerings at UW–‍Madison, including Canvas, the university’s main learning platform. The tools in the Learn@UW suite are designed to enhance teaching, learning, and career readiness. We are committed to providing innovative services that meet the university’s needs and support the academic enterprise.

More about Learn@UW

Application Development

The Teaching & Research Application Development (TRAD) team works with instructors, researchers, and others at UW–‍Madison to create custom software that supports learning, advising and research. We help turn ideas into practical technology solutions and provide support for complex tools in the university’s digital learning ecosystem. Our focus is on helping the university community use technology to teach, learn, and explore in new ways.
Our team provides the technical expertise to:

  • Build solutions for research data collection, aggregation and sharing
  • Design and develop prototypes and fully developed applications to support teaching, learning, advising and research innovation,
  • Identify technical recommendations, assess feasibility, and develop estimates for applications supporting grant proposals
  • Address complex, varied, and evolving teaching and learning data integration and infrastructure needs

More about TRAD

Center for User Experience

We partner with you to create more accessible, usable and inclusive digital spaces for all students, faculty, staff and members of the university community. We consult, design, research and evaluate digital content for the university.

Accessibility

We can evaluate the accessibility of digital technology for free. This includes products already in use on campus or products that are in consideration for purchase.

UX consultation

Partner with us for a project to improve your website, application or online service.

We can consult with you about accessibility and usability and what tools might help you.

More about the Center for User Experience

Software Training for Students (STS)

Software Training for Students (STS) offers free peer-to-peer tech training at UW–‍Madison, helping students acquire practical skills. Through workshops, one-on-one sessions, and custom group training, we support tools like Photoshop, Excel, Python, WordPress, and more—at no cost to students.

More about STS

Information Technology Academy

Information Technology Academy (ITA) is a pre-college program that prepares low-income and first generation students for higher education. Originally launched in Madison, ITA expanded in 2013 to reach more Native American and rural students through ITA Oneida and ITA Lac du Flambeau. Since its inception, 96% of ITA graduates have been accepted to institutions of higher education, demonstrating the program’s success in preparing students for post-secondary opportunities.

ITA provides students with a structured, multi-year experience designed to build technical and academic skills while fostering personal growth and confidence.

More about ITA

Teaching and Learning Data

We collaborate with university partners to leverage teaching and learning data to support data-driven educational practices, university initiatives, and to enhance student learning.

More about Teaching and Learning Data

Academic Technology news

List of articles

Events, help, and consultations

Get help or schedule a consultation

If you are a student, contact the DoIT Help Desk for assistance with our supported academic technology tools.
Instructors and instructional staff can request a consultation with a DoIT AT consultant through the DoIT Help Desk. There are a wide range of tools available, and our learning technology consultants are happy to help you choose the best tool to fit your needs.

 

DoIT Help Desk