The Problem
UMBC was looking for a new way to conduct its training using an online synchronous learning model. The challenge was finding a product that offered everything a brick and mortar classroom would provide including seeing the instructor, asking questions and talking with classmates. Students needed to be able to give presentations;teachers needed their desktops to be accessible to students and to be able to see and control a students’ desktop as well.
The Solution
Mindgrub turned Adobe’s Connect software for use at UMBC so that the classroom time could be synchronously conducted online with the teacher and each student. Adobe Connect allowed for cross-browser compatibility delivering customizable video, audio, chat boards, instant messaging, desktop share, as well as recording of the entire meeting for future reference.
Another feature of Connect is the ability to remotely connect to a users’ computer so that a teacher may be able to view and solve an issue while the student watches. Each student would also have the ability to present their projects and portfolio of work to the class asynchronously so that everyone in the meeting could see.
The Results
Each student has given very positive feedback during the first semester of this program and wants to continue with this style of learning in the future. Curriculum additions will be made for upcoming semesters, such as providing a library of self-paced simulations using Adobe Captivate to provide help using visualizations when not in the online classroom. This enables users to complete assignments and projects in an asynchronous format but still within the realm of online classroom model with the help of Adobe products and solutions.
