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Collaborative teaching and video-conferencing

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Edited by Sue Capener, Tuesday, 23 Feb 2010, 20:12

I’ve been looking at Swansea University ’s project on collaborative teaching and video-conferencing in Classics (http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/swansea/index_html1)

I've evolved my own categories for comparing one project with another. The headings don't necessarily correspond to those on the JISC site.

Context and aim of project

Video conferencing is used to enable a lecturer at one university to teach students at their own and two other institutions. Thus modules could be pooled between the three institutions.

 Level and nature of learners

This is for MA students at traditional universities.

 Training and experience required of teachers

This form of teaching was undertaken mainly by teachers who were already comfortable with the technology, although some training was available.

 Learning design

The sessions were two-hour seminars, apparently fairly conventional in nature, using an interactive whiteboard

Special equipment and/or facilities

Rooms set up for video-conferencing (for lecturer and for students at 3 locations)

Interactive whiteboard

 Key benefits

1)      Greater collaboration and pooling of expertise between teaching staff at different institutions.

2)      Students see academics discussing, disagreeing and resolving scholarly disputes.

3)      Greater variety of modules available to students.

4)      Low resource and economical of staff time.

 Key lessons learned

1)      Training issues, especially for those lecturers only involved for a small number of classes and especially during the initial period of adjustment, need addressing.

2)      Excellent and timely technical support is essential.

3)      Students in small groups who are remote from the lecturer can feel isolated and need local academic support.

 Potential for further development

Involving ‘visiting’ lecturers from overseas and/or key researchers in particular discipline areas.

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