Posted by Ed Lane on Tue, Feb 09, 2010 @ 05:17 PM
Effective instruction today requires the application of new skills, methods and approaches as compared to the traditional methods used in the past. Nearly every industry in the world relies on some form of technology to keep their business running smoothly, improve services, and attract new customers.
The vast majority of today's workers are required to have more than basic computer skills to keep them viable in today's fast paced job market - and higher education is no exception. Older Americans and tenured professors seem to be having the most trouble keeping up with technology, simply because hitherto it hasn't been as pervasive and they've not had to rely on it.
But we live in a new world. Technology has changed the way we interact on all levels and it's also changed our expectations. We want access (to just about anything) here, there, and now. Students today are comprised primarily of tech-savvy, multi-taskers. But even the multi-generational distance learners, who balance school with work and family, rely on technology to provide access to education and the flexibility to work it into their busy lives.
Instructors and institutions of higher learning, therefore, must be equipped to cater to a digital, disparate, and diverse student population. In other words, if you are an educator who shies away from technology, regardless of your excuse, you are doing a disservice to yourself and to your students.
The good news is that even if you are technology challenged or you have chosen to avoid it because you're close to retirement, there are plenty of computer training opportunities out there that can help you not only in your career life, but in your home life as well.
Computer career training is an excellent and convenient way to learn the computers skills you need to succeed at work, enhance your own curriculum and classroom experience, retain and attract more students. Compared to just a few years ago, most computers come with pre-installed applications and are basically plug-and-play. You can find interactive training via CDs, workshops, and webinars.
If your institution is using technology in an effort to serve the techno-based students of today, they should also provide FREE training on those applications and services.
Tegrity's training programs, for instance, are designed as interactive online workshops that deliver hands-on experiences customized to the challenges and goals of each instructor and institution. Tegrity offers training sessions free of charge as a convenience to Tegrity clients only.
Posted by Ed Lane on Thu, Jan 28, 2010 @ 05:24 PM
Higher Education Institutions realize considerable value from Cloud-delivered Lecture Capture solutions
Most other industries embraced Cloud-based solutions as a strategy for reducing costs and improving services long ago. Higher education held back, arguing that its paradigm isn’t well suited for that model. Yet institutions are continually faced with the challenge of offering more services - and improving the quality of those services - to students with decreasing budgets. Throughout 2009, this paradigm began to shift, starting with many universities adopting Cloud-based email applications like gmail.
Cloud-based solutions offer colleges and universities, of any size or type, distinctive benefits:
- Reliability: 24/7 support, redundancies, round-the-clock monitoring;
- Increased functionality: faster to deploy, configurable and easy to scale, regular updates;
- Reduced upfront costs: no purchase of hardware/software required, SaaS is subscription based;
- Reduced IT Complexity: hosted and managed by vendor, deployed via Internet;
- Security: state of the art secure data centers.
Cloud-delivered solutions keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and student expectations
In an Cloud-based delivery model, the vendor is responsible upgrading the solution. This significantly reduces the burden of managing the process for institutions and increases access for faculty and students to more innovative capabilities. As a new and emerging solution area, Lecture Capture draws from many of the technologies used in the rapidly changing digital media industry, so vendors in this space are more likely to introduce new and innovative functionality, such as advanced search, as compared to LMS and SIS-based solutions.
Today’s YouTube culture is making online video ubiquitous. That ubiquity coincides with student expectations for online accessibility to lectures and materials.
A “Cloud-based” lecture capture solution is uniquely suited for higher education when you consider that:
- Delivering instruction is no longer confined to the classroom;
- Students are taking a more active role in their own learning;
- Flexibility and scalability are key to supporting instruction; and
- Lecture capture is a rapidly evolving solution area.
Get started today. Record up to three courses for one year FREE.
Lecture Capture: A Fresh Look University Business explores the evolution of Lecture Capture, its impact on higher education, and offers evidence of its usefulness.
Posted by Jen Santaniello on Tue, Dec 01, 2009 @ 12:06 PM
According to the American Disabilities Act (ADA), students with disabilities must meet the same standards in pursuing their academic careers as those without disabilities. Educators are therefore faced with the challenge of fulfilling their teaching responsibilities for all of their students, including those who may be hearing impaired.
In order to comply with ADA requirements and to remove educational barriers for hearing-impaired students, instructors have employed many strategies, including hiring interpreters to interpret spoken English into American Sign Language and providing both visual aids and written announcements to cover important class material.
Over the years, however, educational technology has also begun to play a vital role in assisting hearing-impaired students. Technology used to support students with hearing disabilities include:
1. Assistive Learning Systems - These devices enable an instructor's voice to be transmitted from a microphone (worn by the instructor) to the hearing-impaired student. With this device, the instructor's voice is clear, enabling the student to listen attentively without the distraction of background noise.
2. Speech-to-Text Systems - These systems convert spoken language into written language, enabling a professor to provide written transcripts of each lesson to hearing-impaired students.
3. E-Learning - The growing popularity of online learning courses has allowed many hearing-impaired students to study at their own pace via a web browser.
4. Lecture Capture Systems - These systems enable professors to record their lectures and to post them online for students to review after class via a web browser, iPod, or mobile device. Professors with hearing-impaired students are finding it beneficial to record an interpreter as part of the class capture experience. When the students review the recording after class, they are able to see both the interpreter and the material presented in class within the same screen, allowing them to fully grasp the subject matter. An example of this can be found here.
5. Websites, text messaging and e-mail are also visual ways to assist hearing-impaired students.
These are just a few of the many strategies being used in today's classrooms to enhance the education of hearing-impaired students. By combining assistive technologies with other classroom methods, instructors can help eliminate the gap between the educational performance of hearing-impaired students and students with normal hearing while adhering to ADA requirements.
What assistive technologies and instructional methods are you using to ensure ADA compliance for students with hearing disabilities?
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Posted by Ed Lane on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 @ 04:52 PM
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 80 percent of the 26.4 million immigrants living in the United States are older than 18. Other reports indicate that over 2 million adults and out-of-school youths are enrolled ESL programs.
THE CHALLENGES
The classroom environment has changed from many years ago. Instructors face the challenges of a large population who speak English as a second language, are older, or don't have easy access to educational opportunities. Though most ESL or EFL students are usually highly motivated, they too face challenges. They typically work, have families and limited resources - all the while adapting to a new environment and language.
THE OPPORTUNITIES
The language needs of ESL students have motivated instructors to seek new and innovative ways to educate these students. While some students excel in written work, others respond better to aural lessons. Aim for balance.
Emerging technologies provide opportunities for even more learning experiences. Lecture capture services, software, word processing, podcasts, video, graphics, and the Internet are all sources of different learning activities for ESL students. Moreover, these technologies not only facilitate learning, but they also help students learn more efficiently and achieve better results. (Example: Pensacola Junior College ESL study).
The emergence of Lecture Capture technology, for instance, expands opportunities by allowing instructors to serve both on-and-off campus students by recording and publishing lectures with a click of a button. Students can then access the lectures through computers, iPods, or mobile devices furnished by schools, local libraries, government or privately funded programs. Student benefits include:
- Increased comfort and satifaction, knowing technology is non-judgmental
- Individualized plans/assignments; instant feedback and assessment
- Empowerment that technology provides students
- Vocabulary and verbal language development through repetition in a self-paced, self-controlled environment
- Ability to replay lectures anywhere, anytime - and to adjust playback speed, pause, repeat, or even print out lecture materials when written work is preferred.
- Increase in study efficiency by quickly finding specific points in a lecture then repeating as necessary
- Share and interact with other ESL students through live chat, or by posting comments, samples, and questions
- 508 Compliancy
Sources for educators:
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.cal.org/
FREE Lecture Capture: Record up to 3 courses for 1 year - FREE - with Tegrity Lite!
Resources for ESL students:
- Wordsmyth: This integrated dictionary-thesaurus includes a database of more than 50,000 words.
- SchMOOze University: Virtual university for ESL students.
- Your Dictionary.com: This site provides links to a variety of dictionaries, including foreign language and specialty dictionaries, as well as a number of other language tools.
Posted by Jen Santaniello on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 @ 10:43 AM
In many Higher Education institutions across the U.S., lecture capture systems are being used to record classes, giving students the ability to recall key class moments - after class - from any Web browser, mobile device or iPod. Many colleges and universities have found that enabling students to review their classes anytime, anywhere, has proven to increase grades, improve satisfaction, and, ultimately, boost student retention.
However, with the onset of the H1N1 epidemic, several institutions are finding a new use for lecture capture: business continuity in the face of a natural disaster.
Lecture capture systems have proven effective in disastrous situations as far back as 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. Thousands of college students from institutions like Tulane University and Delgado Community College were forced to flee the city; however, with the use of lecture capture technology, they never stopped learning. Lecture capture allowed these institutions to move their courses online, enabling professors to continue teaching remotely and helping students to graduate on time despite full campus closures.
Lecture capture technology can be used during a variety of natural disasters, such as an H1N1 outbreak, floods and earthquakes. When campus is forced to close down, a Web-based class capture service can:
- Be deployed quickly and easily, even if it's not already in use on campus
- Enable professors to continue delivering high-quality education, regardless of their location
- Allow students to "attend" classes online, thereby continuing the learning process
Interested in learning how a lecture capture system can help your institution affordably sustain academic operations online in the event of a natural disaster? Listen to a free webinar on how Tulane University used lecture capture technology to resume classes online with thousands of students, just one week after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. (You will need to download a Webex player to view the recording.)
Posted by Ed Lane on Tue, Nov 03, 2009 @ 05:24 PM
Many studies over past few years confirm what we already know: more students are opting to enroll in courses that allow them to review lectures anytime, anywhere. In other words, participate in accordance to their schedules.
A report by the Sloan Consortium found that on a national level, colleges and universities are reporting record enrollment in online learners. The report, Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, surveyed more than 2,200 colleges and universities and found that nearly 3.2 million students took at least one online course during autumn 2005 – up more than 800,000 from the previous year. It's safe to assume that those numbers will continue to rise.
“Distance-learning is the future for higher education and we need to be ready and poised for this 21st century learning environment,” says Joseph Hartman, Assistant Dean for Distance Education, SAGU. “The future of higher-education will mandate a distance-learning component, and our university on the leading edge of that trend."
So the question is: what are you doing to increase enrollment and revenue through distance education programs?
Leverage Advanced Technologies such as podcasting and lecture capture, they:
- provide access to eduction for those who might not otherwise be able to access it,
- expand your global reach,
- boost your competitive edge in a crowed market.
Reduce drop out rates in distance learning: - create content that is attractive to target group
- create content that is relevant to the interests or goals of your target group
- reinforce student confidence and boost satisfaction by fostering interaction between instructors and students (public and private discussion areas online; monitor and reinforce good online behavior; provide feedback)
- Provide alternative assignments and have students choose a preferred method (do not alienate first-time online learners or those w/o technical prowess)
- Keep size of online classes small
- Provide clear weekly goals and objectives
- Clearly state how learners will be evaluated
Posted by Ed Lane on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 @ 11:58 AM
Retention aside, many colleges and universities struggle with recruiting qualified new students. This is usually due to an over-reliance on portals and aggregators that supply lists of low-quality leads; an over-reliance on internal staff (who are most often not professional marketers) to create and manage collateral, websites, and internal communications; execution of marketing programs without a cohesive school-wide strategy and a means to track performance at all touch points. The adage "you can't manage what you can't measure" holds true for Higher Ed institutions just as it does for any other business.
In an effort to boost enrollment while getting more value for every dollar spent, consider the following:
- Hire a qualified marketing agency to analyze your marketing and advertising programs, as well as your collateral, websites, copy, and media choices. New insights often crystallize while looking through a different lens. Education is now commoditized and the field of competitors has grown exponentially with the advent of online education. Differentiating your program offerings so that they are unique may require professional intervention.
- Consider an outreach program to attract more students from historically under-represented groups. Get everyone involved, from admissions counselors to coaches, and others participate in the recruiting process. Invite prospective students to campus to experience what college would be like by visiting classrooms, meeting with faculty and students, and staying overnight.
- Leverage education technology, such as Lecture Capture. Technology expands instructional options for faculty and provides flexibility to students who respond differently to various formats and settings. It also allows you to reach more students, by appealing to non-residents, non-traditional demographics, and those who require a blended environment due to work and family obligations. Post a few "free" lectures on your website and social media sites to generate interest. Try Tegrity FREE: http://info.tegrity.com/tegrity-lite
- Use social media to build and enhance your brand. Connect and engage with current and potential students in an environment in which they are familiar and comfortable.
- Go Viral. Create a fun, interactive micro-site, iPhone app, or blog that kids will flock to, pass along to each other, and in an indirect way, become intrigued by fields or courses you're trying to fill. The trick in creating a viral campaign will be finding something appealing to your prospective students that's not disingenuous and on which they can put their own creative mark.
- Establish and measure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) allows institutions to test, make changes and ultimately innovate and improve performance - which translates into increased enrollment and revenue.
- Create a institution-wide action plan to move toward performance improvement (greater efficiency, ROI, lead quality and cost per lead). Better management of the enrollment process creates advantages in the market place.
Posted by Jen Santaniello on Tue, Oct 20, 2009 @ 10:23 AM
Not every student learns best in a classroom setting. In the same respect, not all students learn best in an online environment. In an effort to reach all of their students, a study by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) stated that many faculty now use blended learning techniques, combining face-to-face instruction with e-learning tools. In the words of these faculty, blended learning provides the "best of both worlds."
According to the ECAR study, blended learning courses result in high levels of student and faculty satisfaction, student outcomes are higher than in comparable face-to-face and fully online courses, and they have a higher student demand because of their increased convenience and flexibility.
Blended learning also provides faculty with more flexibilty in their courses. For example, an instructor may choose to use online learning techniques when appropriate and class time for material that is better taught in person. An example of this would be when an instructor provides basic course information (or prerequisite material) via online modules, enabling novice learners to study the material at their own pace. Class time can then be used to cover more advanced or complex topics. Instructors may also use online technology for homework assignments and to facilitate student-to-student interaction outside of the classroom. In doing so, class time becomes a resource for discussions and increased interaction between the student and instructor. According to ECAR, this shift from lecture- to student-centered instruction has the ability to increase student satisfaction and postively impact student retention.
The following educational technology tools can be used to enhance and expand the effectiveness of blended learning courses:
1. Blogs: Blogs can be used as a creative learning space for students. By authoring content in class discussions, debates or class assignments, blogging can create a collaborative effort between students, enabling them to learn from one another outside of the classroom.
2. Lecture Capture: Lecture capture enables an instructor to record his/her classes and to post them online for later review. This provides students with an invaluable resource, as they can watch the class recordings as many times as they choose to, enabling them to stop, pause, fast forward and rewind through material that may be difficult to understand. Instructors can also record supplemental material targeted towards specific elements of a course to help facilitate or motivate in-class or online discussions.
3. Podcasts: Podcasts are another way for instructors to deliver lectures to students, as they can be heard via any portable audio device, such as an iPod, or downloaded to a computer once the student subscribes to an RSS feed. Some lecture capture systems even allow instructors to provide ‘enhanced' podcasts (video and audio recordings) for students to review on their iPods.
Are you teaching a blended learning course? What tools do you use? How do you think your blended learning course compares to face-to-face or fully online courses?
Photo by rmn2r
Posted by Jen Santaniello on Tue, Oct 13, 2009 @ 10:29 AM
Since the beginning of the economic downturn, and even beforehand, the number of non-traditional students has been on the rise. In fact, recent data shows that the number of students working 20 hours or more per week has doubled since 1970. Younger students are attending school part-time while juggling full-time jobs and family responsibilities, and more working adults are going back to school to become more marketable, or to start new careers.
As the demand for educational options outside of day-time, face-to-face classes rises, institutions throughout the U.S. are finding the need to offer more distance learning courses and blended learning options. One way that they are doing this is through the use of educational technology.
Popular educational technologies include:
- Web services, including lecture capture technology
- Web-based communities
- Social networking sites
- Video-sharing sites
- Wikis and Blogs
- Email
These educational technology tools help enhance the learning process in both distance education and blended learning courses by offering easy access to course materials, providing supplemental information and enabling students to interact and share with one another. They also eliminate the time and place barriers that prevent non-traditional students from attending school full-time, giving students greater choice and flexibility in terms of when and how they learn.
By taking advantage of the multiple technologies available today, colleges and universities are making it easier for non-traditional students to complete degree and certificate programs.
How are you using education technology to serve non-traditional students?
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Posted by Jen Santaniello on Tue, Oct 06, 2009 @ 01:35 PM
Capturing classes and posting them online for later review is meant to enhance the academic experience; however, many fear that recording lectures will reduce in-class attendance.
While there will always be students who miss class regardless of the availability of online lectures - whether for legitimate or illegitimate reasons - use of class capture systems are not intended as a replacement for face-to-face instruction and tend to have little impact on class attendance. In fact, institutions that use a lecture capture solution find that students not only come to class, they also pay more attention to the material being taught instead of trying to write down every word that the professor is saying.
David Brommer, Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Alabama, had this to say about his use of lecture capture:
I find that my students are using it more as reinforcement for what we talk about in class. I've noticed that more students are actually listening. I don't see the tops of their heads as much anymore. That's a nice thing. They ask more questions when they are listening and watching as opposed to just taking notes.
When a lecture is being recorded, students tend to become more engaged in class, knowing that they can rely on the recording to review specific class moments and difficult subject matter, any time they choose. Having these recordings at their disposal often improves student grades and satisfaction with a course.
The University of Alabama surveyed students enrolled in courses using lecture capture, like Brommer's, and found that 84% linked the classroom capture system with increased satisfaction in the course; 82% felt it had improved their success in the classroom.
Vince Mangiacapra, Chief Information Officer at the University of New Haven and a Tegrity lecture capture user, also found increased satisfaction among students:
With Tegrity, class attendance has actually increased, not decreased. Students really like it and see it as a safety net.
For those instructors who want to begin capturing their lectures but are concerned about attendance, we suggest simply putting an attendance policy in place.
Photo by markdanson