What exactly does technology mean for the modern student? Faster note-taking in class? Sure. More immediate access to information? Definitely. Live videos of lectures? Increasingly so.
According to a recent survey conducted by InterCall Streaming, 78 percent of students surveyed reported that professors had either streamed their lectures live or made video recordings available online.
InterCall Streaming is one of the largest providers of video-conferencing services, and Senior Vice President Ben Chodor reported that colleges and universities are "probably the largest growing segment" of its clientele. "The day will be here in the next 12-24 months that I don't think there will be a college or university that does not have live or on-demand streaming of their classrooms."\nSo, where does the University stand with this rapidly developing technology?
Stephanie Conley, assistant director for instructional technologies, said University professors have two options for recording or streaming live presentations. The NCast Telepresenter is currently installed in five of the University's large auditoriums. Additionally, every classroom supported by the Information Technology and Communication office has a Panapto Focus program installed on its computer system to enable the recording of lectures.
The technology is mostly used for recording lectures for later review by students or by teaching assistants who cannot attend lecture portions of a course, Conley said.
"Live streaming is not widely used," Conley stated in an e-mail. "The number of faculty who use these options vary, but historically usage has been low."
During the last 12 months, however, the University purchased a site license for a new software package called "Elluminate Live!" James Groves, assistant dean for research and outreach in the Engineering School, said this software creates "a more interactive class session," using webcams and recording equipment to enable students to participate actively in an online classroom. This software has previously been used by the Nursing and Engineering Schools and, within the last eight weeks, has become available to students and faculty through Collab, Groves said.
Even before the development of this program, many faculty members had been using video technology in their classrooms. Physics Prof. Lou Bloomfield chose to incorporate video technology into his classes this year, both to record his lectures and post them online and stream them live to an enrichment classroom at Monticello High School. For his on-Grounds students, Bloomfield said such videos are helpful for those who need to review or who had to miss class for an excused absence.
He also expressed concerns, however, about classroom attendance and participation, noting that "posting videos of the class without any incentive to attend the class is not necessarily a good idea."
This is the case, he said, because video recordings may limit participation and classroom dialogue and therefore create a less engaged learning environment.
Such a change would not be beneficial he said, because "almost all of the education we do is about dialogue."
This year, Bloomfield has begun using clicker questions in his class in the belief it may give students all of the benefits of video recordings while sustaining lecture attendance.
Meanwhile, the new Elluminate! software might help alleviate some of Bloomfield's concerns by creating a more interactive learning environment.
Groves said this technology allows students to virtually raise their hands and ask questions out loud, to communicate with the professor and other students either verbally or through instant messaging and even to break into online discussion groups.
Such technology is already being applied across Grounds. Groves is teaching a class to 71 students this semester, 12 of whom are based in other areas of Virginia. On Tuesdays, Groves does not appear in the classroom at all - he conducts the class entirely online, for students who are both on and off Grounds. On Thursdays, he is in the classroom but does not require the students to be present, allowing them to have the option of attending online instead. During one recent class day, Groves had 28 students who were logged in and actively participating but were not physically in the classroom.
This new learning environment comes with its own set of temptations. Groves points out that such an environment "requires more personal discipline" because of the plentiful distractions offered by the Internet.
Groves, however, said putting courses online has actually increased his attendance rate. He cited an average attendance rate of 90 percent in a fully online course he taught last year, a rate that he attributes in part to the ease of conducting class online. Nevertheless, online learning environments have much larger implications than allowing students to sleep an extra 30 minutes before class.
Having a class where a student only needs an up-to-date computer and a high-speed Internet connection to participate fully opens up many opportunities at a fairly minimal cost, Groves said. Students could study abroad, coordinate their work or work on semester-long service projects while still attending classes required at the University.
"Teaching with this environment gives both the faculty and the students the opportunity to get the best of Charlottesville and on-Grounds while also going out and getting the best of what is offered around the globe," he said.
As a result, this technology is helping to establish a global education.
Groves cited several current examples of the program's possibilities. He discussed, for example, an Engineering initiative that allows students across Virginia to participate in Engineering classes at the University, a class that is being taught cooperatively by professors from different universities and even a graduate-level Engineering class that incorporates some students living on Grounds and some living in Shanghai.
On Grounds, such technology is "growing but at the present time, is a little bit limited," Groves said, adding that he does not see it as any better or worse than a traditional classroom.
In the future, there is potential for this non-traditional classroom, which he said provides valuable opportunities for engaged learning, to expand on Grounds.
"It is applicable and it can be a positive addition to any discipline or to any department," Groves said, especially if faculty members are "creative and willing to do it" and if the students are willing to demand the opportunities opened up by this environment.
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