CamTools

CamTools is a collection of online tools for University members to use in their teaching, learning and research. These tools have been specifically designed by Universities for Universities, and we hope that you will find them useful.

CamTools is what’s known as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or a Virtual Research Environment (VRE). VLEs and VREs are collections of web-based tools to support you in your teaching, learning, research and administration. CamTools puts together a number of useful tools, designed by and for academics, in one framework. This makes it ideal for staff and students at a research-led University like Cambridge, as the same set of tools can be used for teaching, research and administration. CamTools sites are protected by passwords, which means that only the people you choose can see your site.

CamTools can be freely used by any member of the University of Cambridge who needs:

• a way to deliver online multimedia teaching to students
• a password-protected online document store for private use or to share with colleagues, research partners or students
• facilities for password-protected group communication including discussion boards, real-time chat, announcements, and an email list with archive
  tools for collaboratively writing documents
• a single place with a single (Raven) password to access the resources of the multiple projects, communities and courses a member of the University may be involved in

CamTools does not need any advanced technical skills to use, beyond a general familiarity with using the internet and working with documents and folders on a computer (either a PC or a Mac).

You do not need any software to be loaded onto your computer, as CamTools works through your existing internet browser. This means that you can access your CamTools account from any computer with internet access.

You can access CamTools here.

User support is provided to staff, students and other users by the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), usually via email. The support address is camtools@caret.cam.ac.uk