Hours and Contact Information

  • Zoom
  • In-person: As of Friday, August 9th, Instructional Media Lab (IML) in-person support will be available from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday - Friday, in their new office on the 7th floor of the W.E.B Du Bois Library.
  • Email@email

Appointments are available in up to 2-hour blocks most weekdays. Drop-ins are welcome on a space-available basis. For more information, including a faculty events calendar, see the IDEAS homepage.

For technical questions on the Canvas platform (for UMass-specific questions, use the support options above), 24/7 support is also available from Instructure.

We can help you to:

  • Explore technologies: If you have a new tool in mind, we will help you learn the basics and figure out how best to use it to meet your goals. If you have a goal in mind, but aren't sure if there is a tool that can help, we'll review the options with you and see if there is something out there that can help.
  • Build confidence: Not everyone loves fiddling with technology. If you get stuck, or aren't sure how best to use a tool, we're here to help. Our goal is to build your confidence and get you to a place where you can use a tool and have it help, not hinder, your work as a teacher.
  • Discover emerging technologies: Learn about the latest tools being explored for teaching. We'll help you review what the tool can do and if it will help you meet your goals.

Services and Facilities

  • Assistance with course sites: Get introduced to Canvas for an easy-to-make course site that can include sophisticated communications tools, or use the WordPress at UMass Amherst service to build a public course website that is easy to create and update.
  • Audience Response Systems (ARS): Instructors can learn to use iClicker, the audience response system supported by UMass Amherst IT, to engage students and promote interaction in large classes.
  • Media capture and editing: Learn how to capture and edit videos. Take advantage of our sensitive microphones and cameras to capture audio and video for instructional uses. 
  • Lecture capture: Learn how to use the EchoVideo system for recording lectures in equipped classrooms.
  • File conversions: Learn how to convert Word and PowerPoint documents to PDF, save images in Web-friendly formats, and optimize video for posting online.
  • Scanning images & text: Learn how to get the best results when scanning images and text documents, without creating unwieldy, gargantuan files. Scanners available: slide scanner (35mm), flatbed, and sheet-fed document scanner (8.5x11) with character recognition for creating accessible course materials.