Learning online: technology tips & tools

Last updated August 25, 2023

Whether you’re participating in one or multiple fully remote courses, or just a few select course activities at UW–‍Madison, here’s some helpful info on bandwidth; learning, communication, and video conferencing tools; best practices for security; and campus technical support for learning remotely, both on and off-campus.

Are you a new student? Welcome to UW–‍Madison! Start here.

In this page

Your internet connection | Common tools | Video conferencing | Staying secure guides | Get help

Your internet connection

A reliable, high-speed internet connection is important to be able to participate fully in online learning. Not sure how fast your connection is? Use this speed test and compare the result to our recommendations below.

There are 3 important numbers to consider when evaluating your internet connection.

Download speed: the rate at which data is transferred from the internet to your device – higher numbers are better, but we recommend at least 15 megabits per second (Mbps)
Upload speed: the rate at which data is transferred from your device to the internet – higher numbers are better, but we recommend at least 5 Mbps
Ping: the delay in transferring data imposed by network conditions – lower numbers are better, but we recommend that your connection have no more than 75 milliseconds

Learn more: How to manage slower internet & low bandwidth

Troubleshooting | How to access | Where to connect | Get help

Common tools

Canvas

Canvas is UW–‍Madison’s learning management system (LMS) used to view course materials, submit assignments and quizzes, and view grades for many courses. Many other learning technologies that you may use as part of a course are integrated. You can log in to canvas.wisc.edu with your NetID credentials.

Student FAQ | How to use Canvas | Get help

Software

UW–‍Madison provides no-charge software through our Campus software library including titles listed in this guide, such as the Microsoft Office Suite, Cisco Webex, as well as Mathematica, Adobe Creative Cloud, and many more.

How to access software | Get help

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a suite of tools provided by Microsoft. In addition to email and calendar features, Microsoft 365 provides multiple online applications such as OneDrive, the Office Suite and additional productivity tools. Tools include web-based and mobile apps as well as desktop applications.

How to access & use Microsoft 365 email | Get help

UW Library

You can access library books, journals, and articles while off-campus. Once you select what you need from this site, the site will prompt you to log in to the Remote Access/EZProxy service to access those resources you chose.

How to access library resources | Get help