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Reviewing for a test could be just a click away on your iPod

By Sherry Saavedra Monday, March 24 2008, 05:52 AM EDT Views: 252

HIGH TECH TEST

Students who space out at a critical moment in their college chemistry class can now recapture that instruction on their iPods.

Today's classrooms are increasingly high-tech with electronic "chalkboards" that work like touch-screen computers, wireless access, Web cams and clickers that use infrared rays to project students' responses on a screen.

So perhaps it was inevitable that an electronic version of the daily class lecture is now available to students anytime, anywhere.

Students who space out at a critical moment in their college chemistry class can now recapture that instruction on their iPods.

Today's classrooms are increasingly high-tech with electronic "chalkboards" that work like touch-screen computers, wireless access, Web cams and clickers that use infrared rays to project students' responses on a screen.

So perhaps it was inevitable that an electronic version of the daily class lecture is now available to students anytime, anywhere.

College campuses are using software that synchronizes digital recordings of lectures with visual aids, so students can replay them on computers or download them to iPods, other MP3 players and some cell phones.

The technology enables students to review instruction in preparation for exams, clarify confusing concepts and make up for missed classes.

Students say it allows them to focus less on note-taking.

"When the professor is talking, you can just listen more and enjoy the class," said Pete Naschak, a graduate student at the University of San Diego.

At the University of San Diego, the technology enables military students in one graduate program to continue their studies after deployment to Iraq. At California State University San Marcos, some professors use it so students can replay complicated material until it sticks.

"The various Web software applications are responding to a growing student demand that everything be available to them online, even their classroom content," said Sean Brown, vice president for education at Sonic Foundry, a Madison, Wis.-based firm that serves more than 500 colleges and universities, including Cal State San Marcos.

At California's Santa Clara University, 10 instructors use it to record every lecture, and at Philadelphia's Temple University, more than 50 classes in the business school are captured this way.

"The average professor speaks about 120 words a minute, whereas the average student can jot down about 20 of those," said Kathryn Hughes, vice president of marketing for Tegrity, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based company that has sold its technology to nearly 400 colleges and universities.

University of San Diego uses the Dulles, Va.-based Echo360 system in its Master of Science in Global Leadership program, which is a hybrid distance and classroom education program that serves mostly corporate professionals and midlevel military officers.

The software has other uses.

Some professors record supplementary lessons so class time can be used for more discussion. The technology is also used to enhance online education programs.

Here's how it works: Everything is recorded, synchronized and posted online. On the screen, students can view a video of the professor's lecture along with any visuals used in class such as PowerPoint presentations, Web sites or software applications. The visuals are captured in full motion. Students can view a video of what's happening on the instructor's laptop. A navigation tool allows students to jump within the lecture.

The Univeristy of San Diego's Bob Schoultz, director of the Master of Science in Global Leadership program, said instructors frequently record lectures when students aren't present. Live lectures are captured to a limited degree, and the school is looking to do so more. Schoultz said he believes the benefits outweigh the risk that it could hurt class attendance.

Some schools that regularly record live lectures report no spike in students skipping class.

"We have found that contrary to what we expected, this didn't affect attendance," said Scott Finkeldei, associate director of mediated education at the University of Kansas, where about 50 instructors capture class sessions.

Universities have posted course content online for years, but it tended to be more static. This technology makes podcasting easier, and allows technology-challenged professors to capture every component of the classroom experience and convert it into an electronic form because the systems automate everything.

"The only thing they have to do is put on a microphone," said Echo360 spokeswoman Mary Young.

But not everyone has embraced it.

"Some faculty are actually a little afraid of it," Schoultz said. "Some of the older faculty are being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century."

Echo360's system has been on the market for three years, and the company serves about 200 colleges and some K-12 districts. The University of San Diego has spent $15,000 in startup costs and $1,900 a year for software maintenance.

California State University San Marcos has been using similar technology from Sonic Foundry since January 2006 and is beginning to make it iPod-compatible.

Assistant sociology professor Marisol Clark-Ibanez said, "I know students go home and they can't remember how to do something, but now they have a tool they can use at 2 in the morning or 7 a.m."

The university has spent $115,000 on the technology and is using it to capture full, live class sessions to a limited degree. But it's more common for instructors to use the system to record lessons on difficult course material, improve online classes and create digital lectures that prepare students for class labs.

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