Using Web Conferencing Systems
for On-campus and Online Courses
Robert Zotti
Assistant Dean, WebCampus
Stevens Institute of Technology
rzotti@stevens.edu
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Agenda
• Stevens & WebCampus at a Glance
• Web Conferencing at Stevens
• Using Web Conferencing in the Conventional
Classroom
– The Hybrid Class Conundrum
• Ten years of Data from Web Conferencing Logs
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
WebCampus Operations at Stevens
• Began in 2000 with 2 online courses
• By 2011 grew to approximately 130 online classes
delivered each term
– Engineering
– Management
– Computer Science
• Accounts for 2025% of graduate
enrollments
Fall 2014 Enrollment Map
List of WebCampus Programs
18 Masters Degrees…
Computer Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science
Network Information Systems
Cybersecurity
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Engineering Management
Service Oriented Computing
Enterprise & Cloud Computing
Software Engineering
Enterprise Project Management
Space Systems
Financial Engineering
Systems Engineering
Information Systems
Systems Security Engineering
Management
Telecommunications Management
…plus the Technology Management MBA and 60 Graduate Certificates
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Web Conferencing at Stevens
Basic User Interface – a good slide to use during Orientation
Before Web Conferencing…
2000-2003
Interaction in online courses based on discussion posts and email
Worked well initially (online classes still new)
Some instructors looking for richer interaction options
2004
Students begin asking for more interaction with professors, classmates
“I think the Professor should participate in the class discussions more and
provide more guidance to the class” – student feedback
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Student Feedback (2004)
• I must be frank and say that I am very disappointed with
the WebCampus program. There has been no effort to
leverage technology to make this learning experience
more effective such as video on demand, live blackboards,
etc. Are there any plans to upgrade the WebCampus
program to take advantage of the technologies available
today? As Stevens is a technology institution I would
expect that Stevens would be leading in this area; not
behind.
• The course that I am taking now is nothing more than "read
chapters x-x", "do problems x-x" posted on a static web
page. There is little to no interaction with the rest of the
class and the professor.
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Web Conferencing Systems at Stevens
2004
Initial license: 25 concurrent seats
2008
Interwise sold; AT&T licensed for 100 concurrent seats
2009-2014
Site-wide license obtained for Wimba
2014-present
Site-wide license obtained for Wimba
2015-?
Dual approach?
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Initial Reaction
Small group of instructors loved it
• “The missing piece” that some needed (Financial Engineering, Telecom
Mgmt)
• Quickly used in a variety of roles
•
•
•
Team assignments
Orientation Week calls
Online open houses
Others interested, but did not use it
• Time/learning curve concerns
• Real-time events didn’t fit with original notion of online courses
• Real-time events didn’t fit the character of some courses
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Early Student Feedback
“I must say that the audio lectures are
amazing. Its like being in class with
you”
“I showed it to a few colleagues of mine and
they were AMAZED. It changed their idea of
what a web course should be like”
“I've personally taken two in-class
courses with you, and this web
course (via web conferencing) is
as good as being in class with
you”
“I felt I received all the benefits of
being in a classroom….This is
definitely a good tool”
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Using Web Conferencing
in the Conventional Classroom
Salvaging sessions
during bad weather
Continuing
conversations
started in class
Running sessions
from off-campus
Starting conversations
before class
Conducting flexible
office hours
Promoting team
interaction
Business Continuity
• October 2012 – Hurricane Sandy
– Stevens Campus operations halted for 10 days
– Half the city of Hoboken flooded
• Hundreds of residents evacuated
– Online courses remained…online!
– Instructors proficient with web conferencing were
able to salvage sessions that would have been
otherwise cancelled or delayed
Continuing a Class Conversation
• Pick up a topic cut short during class
– Branch out into other topics
• Encourage participation from more students
– More opportunities to engage “back-benchers”
• More ways to interact
– Verbal vs. Text Chat
– Slides vs. Application Shares & Web Tours
– Polls and Quizzes
Starting Conversations Before Class
– Review of recorded lectures
– Review of related recordings from previous
classes
– Related videos from special campus lectures
• Pioneer project (NASA)
• AZ Rt. 10 Expansion
Promoting Student Interaction
– Project Teams & Virtual Presentations
Illustration: Team E practicing for final presentation
Conducting Office Hours
(Scheduled or by Request)
• Mini-lectures
• Demonstrations
• Q/A
Running a Class from Off-Campus (planned)
Enabling Hybrid Courses(?)
Question:
Can web conferencing software designed
for a desktop be used to run a class with a
hybrid online and face-to-face audience?
Answer:
Yes, but…
To pull off a Hybrid Course, you need…
• An instructor with experience using web
conferencing technology
• A classroom that has a good audio/video
capabilities
– Camera in the back of the room (not the
computer’s default webcam)
– Wireless microphone for instructor
– Ceiling or wall-mounted microphones for
audience (not the computer’s default
microphone)
Other Suggestions for
Conducting Hybrid Courses
• Note the use of the web conferencing in course
syllabus
• Design classroom activities with hybrid audience in
mind
• Integrate a class moderator/TA if possible
• Make Level 2 Support available during the class (at
least for the first few sessions)
• Run test sessions for students to become familiar
with the user interface
– Simple polls, brief recording lectures, etc.
– Introductory recording
• (“Hello and welcome to the class…”)
One more thing…
• Classrooms equipped for hybrid delivery can be
expensive
Cost to retrofit Altorfer 501 classroom with HD
camera/Educast lecture capture system: $45,000
(Smartboard not included)
Ten Years of Data from
Web Conferencing Logs
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Web Conferencing Usage
(Data from on system logs – Fall semesters only)
Number of Online Sections
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2014
2013
2012
2011
Online Courses Using Web Conf
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Online Courses NOT Using Web Conf
On-Campus & Using Web Conf
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Percentage of online courses using the
Web Conferencing System
(Data from system logs – Fall semesters only)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
© 2015 by Robert Zotti
Questions to Ponder
(HINT: This is the topic of my PhD Project)
• Why is web conferencing embraced in some classes and not
in others?
• What are the drivers and inhibitors of the use of web
conferencing technology at the student, instructor, course,
academic program, and organizational levels?
• How often is web conferencing technology used in different
kinds of online courses?
• How can schools best institutionalize the use of web
conferencing technology?
© 2014 by Robert Zotti
So Who is Using it, Who is Not?
Fall 2013 Snapshot by Program/Department
Department
Fall 2013 online
sections
Sections using
web conf
Pct
Comments
Management
36
28
78%
Consistently high pct
Electrical Engineering
25
0
0%
Systems Engineering
13
13
100%
Consistently low or none
Consistently the highest
pct
Computer Science
1
7
1
8%
88%
8%
Consistently high pct.
Pharmaceutical Mfg
13
8
12
Engineering Management
6
4
67%
Consistently high pct
Software Engineering
5
2
40%
Varies by semester
Other
7
3
43%
Varies by semester
Financial Engineering
© 2014 by Robert Zotti
Varies by semester
Varies by semester