March 17, 2014 at 4:57 p.m.
Nicolet College to upgrade distance learning offerings with telepresence technology
Nicolet College to upgrade distance learning offerings with telepresence technology
In 2014 that mission remains the same, but the technology itself has improved dramatically. Now Nicolet is preparing to upgrade its video conferencing to a level that will deliver the classroom environment to students better than ever before. Thanks to a $23 million U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to the Wisconsin Technical College System last year, of which Nicolet received a $750,000 cut, the college will soon be installing Cisco Systems' TelePresence conferencing equipment.
"It literally feels like you're in the classroom," said Chuck Komp, Nicolet's dean of Business and Institutional Effectiveness.
Two classrooms are being set up to support the new technology - one in the Northwoods Center on the Rhinelander campus and one at the Lakeland Center in Minocqua. Komp said the hope is to have the technology available at some of Nicolet's outreach centers as well.
"In the mid-90s, Nicolet College was one of the first to set up an interactive television network," Komp said. "That served us well until the mid-2000s when we converted from analog to digital. And that was good until 2010 and we started to covert to high-definition in order to get better resolution and audio on both ends. The idea is to improve the learning experience so the students at a distance feel like they're more a part of the classroom. The next step is this immersive telepresence and that's what we're doing."
"Immersive" is an apt term. Cisco Systems' equipment aims to create the illusion that everyone is in a single classroom even if they're separated by miles. Three 65-inch high-def screens depict people at full size and are precisely positioned along with the cameras to help with things like eye contact. Enhanced audio features also contribute to the "immersive" experience.
"It comes to you as if the person (at the other site) is speaking to you," Komp said. "It all gives the illusion of being in the same room."
He said the new equipment will be integrated into Nicolet's current video conferencing system rather than replace it. The plan is to test the technology in the fall and have classes begin to use it next spring. Last week, Nicolet's board of trustees approved approximately $120,000 worth of carpentry, electrical and HVAC work for the Northwoods Center and the Lakeland Center to support the new telepresence classrooms.
Komp said, when complete, the telepresence classrooms will add another level to what has become an important instructional delivery method over the last 20 years.
"Right now (our video conferencing system) connects Rhinelander, Lakeland and the area high schools," Komp said. "The college serves such a large geographic district that it can be hard for students to come to campus all the time."
There are currently five classrooms on the Rhinelander campus and three classrooms in Minocqua set up for video conferencing.
"Almost anytime during the day, Monday through Friday, they're fully booked and they're about two-thirds booked on evenings," Komp said. "We're always making decisions on what classes we should put in the rooms."
While video conferencing allows students to remain connected to the classroom at a distance, Komp said it's important to reduce how much that distance affects their learning. If students don't feel connected to the classroom, it will likely affect their ability to absorb the material, he said.
"All the research we've done and the data we've collected from students points to the need to use instructional method as well as technology to make them feel like they're more a part of the classroom," Komp said. "That's the goal - to make them feel like they're in the room because it directly affects their experience. Each step along the way, since the beginning of our video conferencing, the objective has been to make the learner feel more and more like they're sitting in the host classroom. This telepresence technology takes it to a whole new level. It's easy to forget you're miles apart."
Komp said it will be most effective for classes that require a two-way interaction.
"One where I know it will make a big difference is a class like a speech course because of the precision (of the visual and audio features)," he said. "It will greatly improve our ability to deliver a class like that at a distance."
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.