Academic Uses of Web Conferencing at GSE

Gino Beniamino, Instructional TechnologistJason Gorman, Instructional Designer

Spring 2009

Agenda

• Background

• Intake and planning process

• Overview of academic uses:– virtual office hours– virtual class session– simultaneous session delivery– virtual guest speaker

• Our very own virtual guest speakers!

• Q+A

Background

• What is web conferencing?

• What is Elluminate?

• Key features

Intake and Planning Process

1. Kickoff meeting with needs analysis and tool demo

2. Users referred to our knowledge center

3. Users complete synchronous online training

4. Simulated dry run

5. Actual event(s)

Academic Uses of Elluminate

• Virtual guest speaker

• Virtual office hours

• Simultaneous delivery of class session

• Virtual class session

Virtual Guest Speakers

• Challenges:– Need cost-effective way to include virtual speakers– Must work in all classrooms and be compliant with our

ePlatform– Must be easy to use while still meeting the need

• Solution: – Elluminate – presenting slides through the whiteboard– Partner technology - classroom audio systems

• Courses:– Stone Wiske – “How to Teach for Understanding”– Wendy Robison – IEP Grant Workshop

Virtual Office Hours

• Challenges:– Need to provide just-in-time feedback– Need to collaborate using common software apps– Need to address geographic/timing issues

• Solution: – Elluminate - application sharing– Partner technology - Bamboo tablet

• Courses:– Quantitative methods courses:

Terry Tivnan – “Intro to Statistics” Bridget Terry Long – “Microeconomics John Willett – “Applied Data Analysis”

Simultaneous Session Delivery

• Challenges:– Need virtual way to bring students/auditors/guests into

physical class session – Virtual guests need to see and hear class– Promote interaction between class and remote guests

• Solution:– Elluminate – live video– Partner technology – external camcorder

• Courses:– Lee Teitel – “Partnering: Leadership in a Networked World”– Tom Hehir – “Implementing Inclusive Education”

Virtual Class Session

• Challenges:– Need to hold class virtually last minute due to

unforeseeable circumstances

– Students need to be able to easily, virtually interact with each other

• Solution: – Elluminate – all features

– Partner technology – student’s hardware

• Course:– Chris Dede – “Technologies that Invite and Immerse”

Tips / Lessons Learned

• Plan early

• Storyboard

• Provide directions for student use on their course iSite

• Require training

• Conduct a dry run

• Insist on a “driver”

Q+A