Online Collaboration Across University Campuses: An Analysis of the Usage of Adobe Connect within the Penn State Community Sonali Kumar Jennifer McCauley Hansa Sinha

Outline Groupware and Adobe Connect Methodology Data Collection Findings Implications Q & A

Groupware and Adobe Connect

Methodology

Data Collection

Findings

Implications

Q & A

Groupware and Adobe Connect Collaboration and Conferencing tool Functionality includes A/V support Synchronous & asynchronous interaction File Sharing Supports various types of events Research Question: “ How does the Penn State Community utilize Adobe Connect?”

Collaboration and Conferencing tool

Functionality includes

A/V support

Synchronous & asynchronous interaction

File Sharing

Supports various types of events

Research Question:

“ How does the Penn State Community utilize Adobe Connect?”

Methodology Grounded Theory Qualitative Interviews Interpretive Analysis Coding

Grounded Theory

Qualitative Interviews

Interpretive Analysis

Coding

Data Collection Interviewee identification ITS collaboration & email Forum Networking 8 interviews Diverse professional background All self identified as high usage of technology 6 University Park, 2 off campus

Interviewee identification

ITS collaboration & email

Forum

Networking

8 interviews

Diverse professional background

All self identified as high usage of technology

6 University Park, 2 off campus

Observations Likes Chat File share Desktop share Lack of anonymity of attendees Poll Recording session No third party involvement Dislikes Technical issues with audio Delayed audio responses Difficult to toggle Full screen mode Desktop sharing limited to mac and windows platform only Difficulty in adding guests (Friends of Penn State) Discussions are increasingly problematic as group gets larger than 5.

Likes

Chat

File share

Desktop share

Lack of anonymity of attendees

Poll

Recording session

No third party involvement

Dislikes

Technical issues with audio

Delayed audio responses

Difficult to toggle Full screen mode

Desktop sharing limited to mac and windows platform only

Difficulty in adding guests (Friends of Penn State)

Discussions are increasingly problematic as group gets larger than 5.

Findings Collaboration technology works well for Standardized practices such as announcement and presentations “ customizes it for training, creates a Lobby with welcome note and learning objectives, analysis layout- uses poll pod “ Decreasing time and space barriers “ the extension educators find it 'wonderful‘.” Reviewing past meetings

Collaboration technology works well for

Standardized practices such as announcement and presentations

“ customizes it for training, creates a Lobby with welcome note and learning objectives, analysis layout- uses poll pod “

Decreasing time and space barriers

“ the extension educators find it 'wonderful‘.”

Reviewing past meetings

Findings Challenges for usage Lack of leadership and initiatives Technology “ I think its underutilized because of … the meeting … where a few of them did not have the equipment - so if the leadership of the organization is not using the technology, the people in that organization will also not use it either “ Awareness Word of mouth “ motivate faculty who may have reason to use, show videos of how to use AC prior to meeting, make more people aware of the tool.“ Technical capacity and features 75% never used poll and Q&A feature Of the 75%, 100% were not aware of it

Challenges for usage

Lack of leadership and initiatives

Technology

“ I think its underutilized because of … the meeting … where a few of them did not have the equipment - so if the leadership of the organization is not using the technology, the people in that organization will also not use it either “

Awareness

Word of mouth

“ motivate faculty who may have reason to use, show videos of how to use AC prior to meeting, make more people aware of the tool.“

Technical capacity and features

75% never used poll and Q&A feature

Of the 75%, 100% were not aware of it

Findings Challenges for technology Bandwidth restriction “ audio feedback is a huge problem, dial-up can have bandwidth issues“ Lowest Common Denominator “ Sometimes the interaction and the new technology are overwhelming to our users so we still have the phone as a backup in case they want to ask questions instead of using the chat...but in our small group we use audio, chat... there is a different interface and a different mentality of using the tool between the two groups". Scaling-Large groups Microphones “ large no. of participants pull down network, takes longer time, microphone is not used effectively “ “ Audio issues - sometimes she can be heard sometimes she's not - like fading in and out. Sometimes audio recording has not worked.” Video

Challenges for technology

Bandwidth restriction

“ audio feedback is a huge problem, dial-up can have bandwidth issues“

Lowest Common Denominator

“ Sometimes the interaction and the new technology are overwhelming to our users so we still have the phone as a backup in case they want to ask questions instead of using the chat...but in our small group we use audio, chat... there is a different interface and a different mentality of using the tool between the two groups".

Scaling-Large groups

Microphones

“ large no. of participants pull down network, takes longer time, microphone is not used effectively “

“ Audio issues - sometimes she can be heard sometimes she's not - like fading in and out. Sometimes audio recording has not worked.”

Video

Implications Future Plans Report to ITS Other Research Opportunities Social and Group awareness Breaking down barriers to buy in Redesigning Adobe Connect Orientation

Future Plans

Report to ITS

Other Research Opportunities

Social and Group awareness

Breaking down barriers to buy in

Redesigning Adobe Connect Orientation

Questions ?

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