Teachers and lecturers often spend too much time on admin instead of teaching. The right digital tools can reduce this burden, speed up tasks, and give educators more time with students. Below are the main types of tools that support this goal, what they do, and why they matter.
Digital Assessment Platforms
These platforms manage the full exam process, from creating questions to delivering tests and marking results. Features often include computer-based testing, adaptive testing, item banks, secure delivery, and reporting. Strong systems also manage moderation and re-marking, and they scale easily during busy exam periods. Well-established providers like janison.com combine all of these features in one place, so staff don’t need to switch between multiple systems.
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
An LMS is the central hub for teaching materials, assignments, and communication. It allows staff to share resources, collect work, mark submissions, and post updates in one place. When connected to assessment platforms through tools like Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) and single sign-on (SSO), marks and feedback flow directly into the LMS. This reduces duplication and helps educators focus on course delivery rather than admin.
Content Creation and Curation Tools
These tools make it easier to build and share teaching materials. Item banks and templates reduce duplication, while version control and collaborative editing help teams create high-quality content quickly. Integration with open educational resource (OER) libraries also saves time by giving educators access to ready-made learning materials.
Automated Marking and Feedback Tools
These tools save time by automatically scoring multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions. They can also flag answers for review if needed. Rubric-driven marking for essays also speeds up consistency checks, and comment banks reduce repetitive typing. Some systems use natural language processing (NLP) to draft personalised feedback that educators can refine, making the process faster without losing quality.
Analytics and Reporting Dashboards
Dashboards turn raw data into insights that are easy to understand. They can show overall class performance, highlight difficult questions, or identify students who may need extra support. These views help educators quickly see what is working and where to adjust their teaching, instead of spending hours on manual analysis.
Classroom Engagement Tools
Engagement tools such as live polls, quizzes, and interactive Q&A sessions allow teachers to check understanding during lessons. They encourage participation from all students, including those who may not speak up in class. Many tools also record results automatically, so educators can track progress without extra effort.
Academic Integrity and Proctoring Solutions
These tools help maintain fairness in exams. Features may include online proctoring, secure browsers, identity checks, or randomising questions. Importantly, good systems let staff choose the right level of security depending on the type of exam, so the focus stays on learning rather than policing.
Accessibility and Inclusion Tools
Tools with built-in accessibility features help every student take part in assessments fairly. Options such as text-to-speech, captions, adjustable fonts, and layouts make it easier for learners with different needs to engage with the content. Many systems also allow educators to set support settings—such as extra time or rest breaks—for a student, and these are then applied automatically across all assessments. This removes the need for repeated manual adjustments and ensures consistency.
Timetabling and Workflow Automation
Scheduling tools manage exam dates, venues, or online windows, and automate reminders for both staff and students. Workflow tools can route scripts for marking and moderation or send notifications at each stage. This reduces manual chasing and keeps everything on track.
Where the Right Tools Meet Good Teaching
When these tools work together, assessment, marking, LMS, analytics, engagement, integrity, accessibility, content, scheduling, and integrations, educators regain hours each week. The result is faster feedback, clearer evidence for decisions, and more headspace for what matters most: great teaching and meaningful learning.
