Virtual Classrooms Coming to Life

We may not be able to travel at warp speed, and we may not have the capabilities to beam a student from the Spori building to the Ricks building, but we do have some technology that you might only have seen on Star Trek.  It's the ability for Captain Picard to look at a screen and see and speak with another individual as if he or she was present, live and in-person.  Professors like Don Campbell in the Accounting Department are honing into this technology and using it to supplement their online courses. 

Adobe Connect is the software that makes it all possible.  It has audio and video capabilities.  If two or more stations are equipped with the proper cameras and microphone equipment, teacher and student can have interactive discussions online.  During such a discussion, the screen you are working with displays several boxes: chat, PowerPoint, a section for taking little quizzes, another displaying the "host" and "participants," and a whiteboard.  The session is recorded; therefore, students can refer to the lecture multiple times. 

Campbell reports that he has had up to seven or eight users on at the same time.  He doesn't require them to have cameras on their computer, but they are able to type in questions and get instant feedback.  The software still has its quirks and Campbell has had his frustrations, but overall he feels his online discussions are a greater help than a hindrance.  While his forte is in accounting, he believes that, "...the program can be used effectively in other disciplines [as well.]"