Today's tech focuses on the ability to bring people together and that connectedness has opened the gates for one of the biggest tech-driven paradigm shifts in the history of education: the advent of the virtual classroom.
Now that technology enables educators to create a personalized, flexible, and connected learning experience, the virtual classroom is starting to more closely resemble the physical learning environment. In a study of more than 600 students attending an online university, the research nonprofit Ithaka S+R found that online and hybrid learners produce equivalent or better learning outcomes when compared to on-campus students.
The University of Miami — where UOnline courses offer master's degrees in everything from Sport Administration to Nursing Informatics — embraces those results every day. Here's how technology helps make that happen.
The Classroom Goes Virtual
UOnline's flexible virtual classroom environment will revolutionize the way you think about going to school. When classes call for interaction, platforms like Adobe Connect allow for immersive and inclusive webinars, dynamic discussions, and intimate face-to-face meetings during teacher's office hours. For more independent study, cloud sharing enables an a la carte environment in which you can watch video course introductions and download coursework on the go — even when you're offline — so you can study no matter what life throws at you.
With the cloud, UOnline's virtual classroom turns just about any environment into a study space. As long as you've got a laptop, tablet, or smart device handy, you can attend class — and by accessing your syllabi online during your preview period, you'll know exactly when your assignments are due well in advance. Because you can access course content whenever you want, you can choose to learn at your convenience. Study on Sunday after family breakfast, start on an essay when the kids are asleep, or immerse yourself in coursework any time you've got a device nearby — UOnline course content is always mobile-friendly.
A Whole New Type of Blackboard
Think of the Blackboard Course Management System as the driving force behind the virtual classroom. This intuitive portal for online and on-campus learners is available 24/7 and features syllabi, faculty info, course announcements, and grades. Innovations like this keep the classroom discourse flowing long after the hall doors close. Professors can share digital presentations, examples of past exams, links to further reading, and forum discussions at any time. The Blackboard platform is optimized for your tablet, smartphone, PC, or even smart TV because today's learning environment should be able to travel with you.
Blackboard's interface isn't just for organizational purposes, either. The online video platform, Kaltura, enables professors to share video content easily with their students. Once the video is over, Blackboard acts as an interactive platform for various assessment tools including live discussions, scoring rubrics, and memory exercises.
The technology that drives the virtual classroom makes for a more empowered and personalized educational experience. As Anuj Mehrotra, Vice Dean of UM's Graduate Business Programs and Executive Education, puts it, "The number one priority is to ensure that we are delivering the outcomes our students want. [Online students] are seeing immediate results in their careers as they apply what they've learned in our customized online learning platform."
This distinct combination of an accessible Blackboard interface, e-learning techniques, and leading distance-learning tech is what makes UOnline a force for learning without limits and stand out from the pack.
References
University of Miami: Online Master's Degrees
University of Miami: Mobile App
YouTube: Online Classroom Experience UOnline
Ithaca S+R: Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities Evidence from Randomized Trials
