Retired technology
TMU’s software offerings and standards are constantly evolving, so occasionally supported tools and/or options accessed through D2L Brightspace become unavailable.
This may be for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
- A tool being available for a set amount of time
- Replacement by other option(s)
- Removal if they no longer align with TMU’s standards.
On this page, you can find details about tools that were previously available, and alternative options (where possible).
On this page:
Retired supported tools
As tools are licensed by the university in multiple ways (see: Adding New Tools), the duration of their availability varies. If a tool no longer meets TMU’s standards, is no longer funded, or is replaced by an alternative through a procurement process, it is then retired. Prior to a tool being retired, all impacted users are notified.
If a tool you previously used has been retired, the resources below provide support for changing to an alternative tool that TMU supports with similar functionality, or selecting a tool to use independently.
PollEverywhere was an online interactive polling platform that allowed the audience to respond in real-time to questions displayed by the presenter. This was a pilot at TMU from January 2022 to June 2024. At the end of the pilot, we were unable to transition to a longer-term commitment.
TMU does not have a site license for any other polling tool. iClicker continues to be supported for classroom polling, however it comes at a cost to students. We advise consulting with your department to determine if your unit has purchased a license for another polling tool.
Opinio was an online survey tool previously available to the TMU community. Due to security and accessibility issues that could not be resolved, support for it ended in August 2022.
As Opinio has not been replaced with another survey solution, a Survey Tool Selection Guide has been developed to help you when looking for another survey option. We advise consulting with your department to determine if your unit has purchased licenses for any of the survey tools listed on the guide.
Ryecast was the video streaming platform available at TMU. However, as it lacked many desired features, in 2020 CCS initiated a project to find a new video streaming tool that met our changing requirements. The search committee found YuJa Enterprise Video Platform to meet the needs of the TMU community.
The new streaming service, Stream Video Platform (powered by YuJa), was launched in Spring 2022 to replace Ryecast, which was retired in April, 2023. Content that was actively used on Ryecast has been moved over to Stream.
Respondus 4.0 is a Windows-based tool that instructors can use for creating and managing exams that can be printed on paper or published directly to D2L Brightspace courses.
TMU's campus license and support for Respondus 4.0 ended on August 1, 2024. Individuals may choose to purchase their own license from Respondus' website (external link) .
Our teaching support team will be happy to assist with alternative workflows for creating Brightspace Quizzes.
In addition to centrally supported tools that have been retired, some tools that were previously integrated into Brightspace (but not directly supported by the university) have since been removed. These tools may be eligible to be requested again, but may need to be re-assessed. To learn more about this request process, visit our Adding new tools resource.
| Tool | Description | Reason for retirement |
|---|---|---|
| Ametros Learning | Practice-based learning modules | Not compatible with TMU’s security standards (2023) |
| Labster | Virtual lab simulations | Course use ended (2020) |
| LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) | Anyone who works or studies in Toronto is eligible for a Toronto Public Library card, and Library cardholders can access LinkedIn Learning. |
License expired (2022) |
Mobius |
STEM Interactive Learning Platform | Course use ended (2023) |
| Panopto | On-demand video sharing | Departmental use ended (2023) |
| Proctortrack | Virtual proctoring system | Pilot ended (2021) |
| Zoom (Brightspace Integration) | An option to schedule and launch Zoom meetings from within a course. A small pilot was run with any instructor-user that requested the tool. | Functionality did not meet needs; no user interest in continuing beyond pilot (2022) |
If a tool is not available and ineligible for integration, you may consider using the tool without a Brightspace integration.
Before doing so, please visit the guide for using third-party tools for your course.