An Elluminate
Success Story

Integration of Elluminate Technology Provides Easy Access to Live and Recorded Sessions from eCollege® Environment

I was already familiar with using Elluminate Live!^® for real-time tutoring sessions in Algebra, so when I discovered ClassLive Pro, the enhanced version of eCollege’s whiteboard tool, I decided to implement weekly live chat sessions for both my Quantitative Research Methods and Discrete Mathematics classes. Powered by Elluminate, ClassLive Pro is a full featured synchronous suite with video, audio, and desktop sharing capabilities that provide a more robust and engaging experience.

The chat sessions have been well attended with as many as 10 students per session, and students report that they regularly use the recorded archived sessions as well. The archive links are conveniently located just below the ClassLive link, so both live and recorded sessions are in the same place in eCollege, providing easy, one-click access for students.

For me, the audio and desktop sharing features are the most important. With my headset microphone, I can lecture freely while demonstrating class material on the whiteboard or my desktop, or while discussing textbook examples and problems. Students type their questions and comments in the chat window, so I’m always watching that as the live sessions progress.

First I ask if students have any particular problems with which they need help. I usually work a similar problem to the homework problem, and perhaps give hints that will get the students going on the problem in question. If no more questions are forthcoming, I then launch into a lecture covering all the types of problems on the homework, referencing the page in the textbook and pointing out the relevant theorems and examples.

While working example problems, I usually share my desktop and show how the problems can be solved using my Excel tutorials, or I open a new Excel workbook and work the problem from scratch. I also use Word for writing equations or drawing diagrams, especially in Discrete Mathematics. I’m not very good at using a graphics tablet, but others may have better success with that. ClassLive Pro has given me the ability to recapture the in-class live lecture experience and connect directly with students in a way that asynchronous online instruction cannot achieve.

I just wanted to thank you for the time you take to do the live chat sessions. Although Tuesday nights do not work with my schedule, I have watched the recordings and think they are soooo helpful!! I wish some of my other teachers would have done this. It would have been very beneficial for my first statistics class and my economics classes, especially seeing how to do all the calculations in Excel. Anyway, I know you don’t have to do this for us, but I just wanted you to know your students appreciate it!