Classroom lectures now available online
Students and teachers at the University of Alabama have a reason to relax. Technology is now available to digitally record entire classroom lectures, which are then posted online for students to view. The program, Tegrity, allows teachers to record their lecture, including any PowerPoint slides, online material, and group discussions. So long as high speed internet access is available, students and teachers could both benefit from this new technology.
The prospect of online lectures is appealing to some more than others. Many fear that it will deter students from coming to class, if they know the material will be online anyway. But others feel the benefits outweigh the concerns. The University of Alabama Geology Professor Dr. David Brommer has found the program quite helpful:
Two student polls taken at different points in the semester indicate use has jumped from 30 percent after the first exam, to 60 percent after the second. "Most of the students I've talked to said it has helped them in studying, because they can jump around within the lectures if they need to," he says. "They can listen, and watch what's going on."
The introduction of Tegrity exemplifies the potential high-speed internet holds for education. It allows educators to close the gap between what is said in the classroom versus what students have the capacity to absorb in a single class period. In order for this technology to be properly utilized, users must have a high speed internet connection. While many colleges and universities provide high speed access in dormatories, students living off campus or commuting could be left out, especially in rural areas where the digital divide is more prevalent.
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