Ado

be C

onne

ct

Cla

ssro

omTechnology Infusion in

the Classroom

FRIT 8435

By

Louise Fechter

Set

ting

Grade Level: University instructors who teach both undergraduate and graduate students

Average Classroom Size: 20

Subject: Developing an Online Course

Dem

ogra

phic

s

Sex:

Females: 63.16%

Males: 36.84%

Race:

African American: 5.263%

Caucasians: 68.4222%

Hispanic: 10.526%

Asian: 10.526%

French: 5.263%

Bac

kgro

und

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.

Usi

ng A

dobe

Con

nect

in

Edu

catio

n

Wha

t is

Ado

be

Con

nect

?

Adobe Connect is a synchronous tool that integrates with our Learning Management System (LMS), Folio.

Adobe Connect allows you to communicate with voice, text, and visuals.

It allows you to teach, learn, and collaborate over distances.

How does it work?

Why

is A

dobe

Con

nect

be

ing

used

?W

hat a

re th

e B

enef

its?

• Adobe Connect replaces the Wimba software which was our previous synchronous tool integrated in the online courses.

• Easy webinar access.

o Maximizes attendance because it is easy to use.

o Accesible through many desktops and mobile devices.

• Scalable up to 200 connections in the GSU environment.

• Provides rich, impactful experiences.

o Captures student's attention and engages students with real-time whiteboard discussions, polling, chatting, and live Q&A.

How

doe

s th

e te

chno

logy

sup

port

th

e cu

rric

ulum

?

o Share computer screens to demonstrate software.

o Demonstrate tasks using the electronic whiteboard.

o Review Websites.

o Play and share videos.

o Record live and pre-planned presentations.

o Track learner progress by facilitating test taking and improve learner interactions.

Instructors can:

Share Documents

Navigate through Slides!

Use the Electronic Whiteboard

It’s easy!

How

doe

s th

e te

chno

logy

sup

port

th

e cu

rric

ulum

? o Deliver online training to faculty and students.

o Lead presentations or video lectures <15 minutes or less.

o Collaborate with others on project based learning assignments.

o Steer small group meetings.

o Facilitate classroom discussions and chats.

o Conduct polls and live Q&A sessions.

o Manage classroom hours online.

Instructors can:

Share Desktops, Applications, and Video

Req

uest

Ado

be

Con

nect

C

lass

room

s 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=2syFXr6pRZ8before

Get Started

Ado

be C

onne

ct

Cla

ssro

om in

Fol

io

Once the request has been processed, you will see the “Online Rooms" linked to your online Folio course(s) Navbar. 

Eva

luat

e th

e Te

chno

logy

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.

Eva

luat

e th

e Te

chno

logy

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/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dHFMMTJqczR3dklMcU1yQVhxSHlLSVE6MQ&pli=1

Diff

eren

ces

in S

tude

nt

Lear

ning

with

Ado

be

Con

nect

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).

Instructor (our students) Comments After Integrating Technology:

Diff

eren

ces

in S

tude

nt

Lear

ning

with

Ado

be

Con

nect

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. “

Instructor (our students) Comments After Integrating Technology:

Sup

port

Issu

es

• 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!

Sup

port

Issu

es

• 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.

Rec

omm

enda

tions

Te

achi

ng P

ract

ices

• 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.

Rec

omm

enda

tions

and

Te

achi

ng P

ract

ices

• 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!

Sum

mar

y

Ref

eren

ces

Adobe Connect points retrieved from: http://www.adobe.com/education/products/adobeconnect.edu.html?showEduReq=no

Adobe Connect overview video retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2syFXr6pRZ8

Adobe Connect points retrieved from: http://success.adobe.com/en/na/sem/products/connect/1109_6011_connect_webinars.html?sdid=IEASV&skwcid=TC|22191|adobe%20connect%209||S|p|18154278262&ef_id=RPtOdSRykkYAAEVr:20121024155329:s

Royalty-free images retrieved from Google Images.

Wicks, David, (2008). Adobe Connect: Virtual Synchronous Classroom Best Practices . Seattle Pacific University. Retrieved from: http://www.spu.edu/depts/its/online_learning/adobe_connect_best_practices.pdf