2. Grade Level: University instructors
who teach both undergraduate and
graduate students
Average Classroom Size: 20
Subject: Developing an Online Course
4. Online courses are usually developed in an asynchronous
manner, so that students can access content
“anytime/anywhere.” However, synchronous tools that
allow instructors and students to discuss and collaborate in
real-time have become increasingly popular and appear to
increase student engagement in the online classroom.
With that said, the Adobe Connect technology is being
introduced to a developing online course for the Fall of
2012 to give the students an opportunity to see how the
technology can be used in their online classrooms.
14. Get Started
To get started using Adobe Connect
you must complete the Faculty
Request Form at:
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu
/etc/products/adobeconnect
You may want to watch the Adobe
Connect Overview video before
getting started. This video can be
found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sy
FXr6pRZ8before
15. Once the request has been
processed, you will see the
“Online Rooms" linked to your
online Folio course(s) Navbar.
16. Evaluation process:
I interviewed the faculty member that
taught the Developing an Online
Course FA12 course.
I observed one of the Adobe
classrooms in session. Comments
from the interview, classroom
observation, and the survey have
been included throughout this
presentation.
17. I also developed and distributed the Adobe Connect
Survey to assess the technology integration. A copy
of this survey can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/spread
sheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dHFMMTJq
czR3dklMcU1yQVhxSHlLSVE6MQ&pli=1
18. Instructor (our students) Comments
After Integrating Technology:
Students are more prepared for exams, because
instructors are able to key presentation points and
prepare students for exams. Thus, learning is
reinforced and reflection facilitated.
Students can access archived classroom sessions
that provide Q&A about the curriculum and pre-
recorded sessions covering specific points of the
curriculum. This will help students who may get a
little behind to stay on track during the course.
Students are able to communicate synchronously,
which facilitates the collaborative process among
students working on group projects. This will also
help the students develop more of a sense of
community in the online course (OLE).
19. Instructor (our students) Comments
After Integrating Technology:
Since I been using it, I have had ONE
complaint about online class sessions in
general, and it had to do with the scheduling
conflict. But otherwise, students absolutely
love it! They love being able to actually
""meet"" their instructor and fellow classmates
via audio and webcam. It, literally, puts them
at ease, which results in less tense and more
enthusiastic learning.
I really like the ""e-mail chat"" application in
which the chat between students and myself is
documented and, upon request, sent straight
to my e-mail. “
20. • Adobe Connect Rooms are not
automatically loaded into every online
course because of the limited campus
license.
• You cannot call into Adobe Connect like
you could with the Wimba tool.
• There appears to be frequent
maintenance.
• At times, the connection is not good and
we have not been able to successfully
complete the activities. We have to end
the meetings and go over to Google
Hangouts. I think the problem has been
that Adobe Connect is new to us, and the
administrators are having to work out
some bugs.
• Open Microphones cause bad feedback!
21. • One issue is that students are not able to
meet in the adobe connect classroom
without me. I have had students who
meet with group members for group
projects with Wimba, in addition, I have
had one case where a session took place,
was recorded, and was successful without
me even being there, in Wimba.
With adobe connect, I MUST be in the
online classroom before students may
enter. The online classroom presents an
opportunity for interaction. Now that I
have required a specific download, the
interaction quality seems to have
improved (based on the one session since
this download requirement). But, before,
the audio (unmute and mute for the
presenters) was a nightmare.
22. • Set up a practice session during the first week
nd allow students to experiment with the
technology.
• The instructor should log in before the session
begins and test the audio and video features.
If students are already present in the session,
you may want to use them as test subjects to
make sure the classroom is operating
properly.
• Do not require that students attend Adobe
Connect sessions, when they are used for
classroom hours.
• Give bonus points to students who do attend
Adobe Connect classroom hours online.
• Set up Adobe Classrooms for group projects
by request to allow students to collaborate on
assignments.
23. • Share your desktop, so that whenever you
change applications it will already be shared.
• Provide students with written instructions and
a short overview video on how to use Adobe
Connect technology.
• Set up Adobe Connect classroom(s) ahead of
scheduled sessions.
• A few minutes before class starts, do an audio
test with any live or remote students.
• Depending on what you are trying do, you
may want to use Powerpoint or some other
type of presentation software in lieu of the
electronic whiteboard rather than Adobe
Connect’s whiteboard.
• Recommend that students invest in a good
headset for courses using Adobe Connect!
