Virtual Synchronous Classroom Workshop

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Virtual Synchronous ClassroomWorkshop

• January 2008
• SPU 2007 Technology Grant
• Sponsored by ITS, CSFD, and CIS

Awarded to Engineering (Plett, Gjerding,
Peter, Scott) Business Economics (LaBrie, Van
Duzer)
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Virtual Synchronous Classroom
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Virtual Synchronous ClassroomTodays Agenda

• Demonstrate the system
• Provide a brief history and motivation for this
  technology
• Discuss details of equipment and costs
• State where we are
• Suggest where we are headed
• Answer questions and hold discussion

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Virtual Synchronous Classroom - Vision

• Students off campus interact live with our
  classroom
• Students who are absent can view recorded lecture
  (work, athletics, illness)
• Students who were present can re-visit portions
  of the class time
• Faculty can hold virtual office hours
• Remote students can participate in group work
  virtually

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Background

• SBE noticed students missing class for business
  travel
• Two ISM graduate students studied various options
  and recommended Adobe Connect
• 2005/2006 informal piloting in SBE (LaBrie) with
  an old laptop with a cheap webcam
• 2007 to present SBE and Engineering joined
  forces for this tech grant

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Required Equipment

• IN THE CLASSROOM
• Bare minimum
• high tech classroom
• instructor mic (web cam, PC mic, lapel mic, )
• Enhanced
• Tablet PC (for electronic whiteboard
  capabilities)
• Webcam(s)
• Room microphones
• Instructor lapel microphone
• Audio mixer
• FOR THE REMOTE ATTENDEE
• Minimum computer with speaker and internet
  connection
• Enhanced mic headphones and/or a webcam

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Costs

• Money
• Classroom 10-3500
• Tablet PC 2500
• A/V for campus classroom (approx. 1000) mics,
  web cameras, mixer, cables, etc.
• Campus Adobe Connect license (3330 per 10 seats)
• Currently has a 10 simultaneous seat license
• Setup (initial, daily)
• Initial setup in a particular classroom, A/V,
  technical issues
• daily setup time (5-30 minutes)
• Learning curve
• Adobe Connect and Tablet PC (3-4 sessions)
• Mental energy and time
• Teaching to two groups simultaneously
• Logistics of homework, labs, exams, office
  hours

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Current Challenges

• Off campus student interaction
• Initial training (10-20 minutes)
• Small file download and one-time setup
• Ongoing and/or one-off student A/V issues require
  attention
• Still determining optimal campus A/V
  configuration
• Web cam placement, number of webcams
• Audio levels and settings
• Microphone selection
• Quality assurance
• Real-time monitoring
• Alternatives for when technical failures arise
• Formal institutional adoption plan
• Logistics homework, labs, exams

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What Went Well

• It is working!!
• Daily live-sessions
• past used by one student for an entire class
  (two days from Turkey!)
• current regularly used for five students in
  three courses (students come to campus
  weekly for labs)
• Daily recordings
• past used by one student for an entire
  independent study course
• current regularly used for three remote
  students in two courses (students come to campus
  weekly for labs)
• Additionally
• used by a professor to teach from out of town
• used for global meetings (China to Seattle)
• used by a professor to pre-record a class session

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What Did Not Go Well

• Its working but.
• Its not working perfectly
• Camera issues remain
• multi-point focus, whiteboard, classroom panning,
  etc.
• Audio issues are constantly improving
• Technical difficulties still occur, thus backup
  plans need to be in place
• sometimes the off campus student cannot be heard
  due to microphone problems on their end
• laptop issues updates, locking up, etc.
• sometimes the projector on campus fails
• Our training procedures for further adoption are
  limited
• We are developing (limited) training materials
  and best practice guides.
• Most of our training is one-to-one

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The Future

• We are planning to use this for current students
• needing to participate in class from a distance
  (illness or work)
• needing to miss class (view recorded lecture)
• desiring to review the class session (recorded
  lecture)
• when the professor needs to be out of town
• Possibilities for further adoption
• Advertising to potential students in our
  community
• Advertising to faculty for many possible uses of
  the technology
• Ongoing VSC management would require
  institutional plan
• Training of students and faculty
• Monitoring/maintaining hardware and software for
  quality delivery
• Exploring other appropriate technology tools (see
  last slide)
• Monitoring for updates and new tools
• Money for more Adobe Connect seats

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Technology Grant Outcomes

• Overall Conclusions
• In general, positively accepted but not
  perfected
• Publications
• 1 accepted and presented, 1 submitted, and 1
  still to be developed from this work.
• Utilization
• approximately 100 students served in 8 different
  courses
• 8 students regularly dependent on the VSC (Winter
  2008)
• Survey Results
• Student feedback is favorable, especially from
  students dependent on the VSC.

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Further Investigation Needed

• Adobe Connect is not the only alternative out
  there.
• Microsoft Live Communication Server
• New RoundTable 360 camera could be a viable
  option for current camera limitations
• Elluminates Elluminate Live!
• Marketing materials suggests that it integrates
  well with blackboard
• Additional Possible Technology to Include
• Smart boards, touch screens, and AV capture card

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Thank you

• ITS
• CIS
• CSFD
• David Wicks
• David Sundquist
• Daryl Siu
• Eric Deister

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Questions

• This technology is being utilized elsewhere
• What are we (SPU) going to do?
• Is this is a practical way that we can Engage
  the Culture through our classroom experience?
• Questions or comments you may have?