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lecture room with face-to-face and eProv students
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eProv student view of classroom
When the Providence College & Seminary e-learning committee formed, one of their first decisions was that, no matter what the distance delivery system was, it had to be true to their essence. "One of the things that makes Providence different is that we’re small—and proud of it" states Bruce Duggan, a business professor in the College. "Our students develop a strong personal connection with each other and their professors during their time with us. We knew that what we were trying to do in this new initiative—what we’ve dubbed ‘eProv’—had to retain this personal connection. We could not succeed in our market simply by offering students the download-and-learn approach common to distance education.”
"We were also determined to make it possible for anyone with an Internet connection, a basic webcam and a microphone to be able to participate live in our classes. As we developed our plans, we realized that a traditional videoconferencing system would not meet this goal." explained Mr. Duggan.
With these criteria, and funding from the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program and the Buller Foundation, Providence developed a system that integrates the technology in the classroom with high-definition Internet-based videoconferencing.
Barry Carr, Inland AV Systems Designer was asked to develop the eProv classroom audiovisual system. "We installed two Epson 1925W multimedia projectors in the eProv classroom. They are 4,000 lumen, high resolution projectors that are a perfect fit for the room. Once the client confirmed the internet application it was fairly straightforward to develop a system around it. We installed an EV wireless multi-channel microphone system with mixer, amplifiers, speakers and a rack full of accessories for a great classroom audio system. There are three HD cameras and everyone is visible no matter where they are in the room".
Mr. Duggan is enthusiastic about the new system, commenting that "We don't know the limits, just the possibilities". He humorously commented that being a professor in a mixed class of face-to-face and eProv students “is more like being a ringmaster than a controller. In a recent class, an eProv student left his desk momentarily and returned with a bowl of soup, sharing the slurping sounds with the entire class."
He also commented that they have had pleasant surprises integrating eProv students into the traditional classroom. He mentioned a Youth Pastor course where a student in an isolated community in northern Quebec is participating and is currently working as a youth pastor. This student brings a very different perspective into class discussions, and the in-class students benefit greatly from his real world point-of-view that blends practical life with thinking. The twelve professors currently using the eProv system are also impressed with the ability to have outside experts interact with their classes in real time.
Mr. Duggan said they were all a little nervous if the eProv distance education system would meet their expectations. “To fulfill our goals, the solutions turned out to be more cutting-edge than we expected.” But the July launch ceremony demonstrated that their vision works. It included live participants from northern and southern Ontario, Alberta, Nunavut, NWT, and the City of Victoria. Mr. Duggan realized, "This works astonishingly well. It could change what we do, and how we connect to the world, in fundamental ways.”
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