The AutoAuditorium[TM] System installed at the University of Michigan at
Flint is a key component of their Cyber Classroom. A recent conference
paper concludes that "student outcomes from classes taught in the Cyber
Classroom show
The paper by professors Stephen Turner and Michael E. Farmer was presented
at the 2008 International Conference on Frontiers in Education: Computer
Science and Computer Engineering (FECS08) in July 2008.
www.AutoAuditorium.com/PressRelease/FECS08_StudentPerformance.pdf
It describes their Cyber Classroom as combining traditional classroom
education with distance learning. Each student can decide to attend a
class in-person or watch a video of it as daily circumstances require. The
AutoAuditorium System installed in Murchie 104 produces the 3-camera
programs of all the lectures which are recorded as internet videos made
available to anyone. Since most of the students are commuters and many are
employed, the ability to see a missed period is very valuable. Students
may look at a lecture to clarify or reinforce a particular class, or watch
it as a replacement for attending class. Many use the programs as study
aids.
The paper focuses on student performance in a set of computer science
courses, comparing grades before and after the adoption of the Cyber
Classroom. The courses in the study were given by three faculty members
who have taught them for a number of years. The study includes 16 course
sections taught as traditional classroom lectures (448 lectures given to
176 students) and 11 course sections taught and simultaneously recorded in
the Cyber Classroom (308 recorded lectures given to 173 students).
The authors credit the blending of on-line and in-class formats for the
student performance improvements noted above. Students who used to
"vanish" due to external problems now remain connected and pass. The
ability to replay explainations of difficult concepts improves
comprehension.
Foveal Systems' owner Mike Bianchi notes that "the AutoAuditorium System,
by completely removing the need for an operator, and producing fully edited
video in real time makes the production very economical and readily
available. The result is that the cost of capturing the next lecture is
very small. Michael Farmer tells me their AutoAuditorium System is in use
4 days a week from 9:30 am to 9 pm and each lecture is available for
viewing 10 minutes after the class ends."
Foveal Systems LLC of Madison New Jersey develops and markets the
AutoAuditorium System.
www.AutoAuditorium.com
