Chichester, England – July 24, 2006 – WiredRed®, a
technology leader in real-time communications software,
today announced that the University of Dundee has chosen
e/pop® Web Conferencing to enable distance learning for
students facing the steep learning curve of joining its
Applied Computing degree in the second year of the
four-year program.
The University of Dundee just started offering the
Applied Computing degree, where students can enroll
directly into the second year if they have sufficiently
advanced qualifications. However, students entering the
program via this route rarely have prior knowledge of
object-oriented programming and therefore experience a
steep learning curve at the start of their university
studies. There was a need to readdress this deficit for
new students who were otherwise qualified. A project,
Java Online, was set up to consider how to take the
existing Java module currently delivered face-to-face to
the first-year students and deliver it remotely to those
applying to join the second year. For example,
applicants can study Java Online during their college
studies or during the vacation immediately prior to
university.
“It is essential that the course is able to teach
students as effectively as an offline course would, and
communications is viewed as an essential aspect of
that,” explained University of Dundee Learning
Technologist, David Walker. “Each lecturer has their own
multi-modal style, including talking, drawing on the
board, answering questions, involving students in
examples and providing written notes. The challenge is
to include this ‘human dimension’ through online
learning.”
WiredRed’s web conferencing solution, e/pop, is being
used to provide an interactive weekly hour-long live
tutorial incorporating audio, video, instant messaging,
interactive whiteboard and document, application and
desktop sharing that students can use in a tutorial
group. The tutor is able to interact with students
utilising methods that relate to different learning
styles (read/write, aural, visual, kinaesthetically) and
allow group involvement and interactivity on tasks.
“We did an intensive options appraisal of a number of
different video and web conferencing solutions on the
market,” said Walker. “e/pop was the most
cost-effective, easy to use, most secure and boasted the
largest range of features – in short, it was a natural
choice.”
Tutorials were designed around existing face-to-face
student/tutor activities to provide elements of
interaction that would otherwise be missing. This also
ensured that technology was not included without good
reason and the teaching style could remain constant.
“e/pop represents a highly cost-effective approach when
compared to video conferencing solutions and competing
web conferencing solutions,” enthused Walker. “The
ability to provide instructor-led lectures as well as
interactive tutorials and conferencing them in from
their own desks is very liberating and makes both the
teachers and students life a lot easier.”
“e/pop enriches the whole experience for all those
involved,” says WiredRed UK MD Tom Sloan. “The ability
for staff to share documents saves valuable time and the
different ways that students and staff can collaborate,
in real-time, means that they can experience the thrill
of the classroom wherever they are based and with
whatever type of project they are involved with.”
About WiredRed
WiredRed Software is a technology leader in real-time
communications. The Company's secure, multipoint routing
technology powers its e/pop product line, which includes
multiparty video conferencing, web conferencing and
secure IM software. All e/pop products are designed to
provide busy, security-conscious IT staff with fast and
easy to maintain solutions compatible with their
existing networks.
More than 3,500 commercial and government customers are
using e/pop software. Customer installations include
Birmingham University, Loreto College, Digital Media
Interactive, Tutoreasy, Derwent Shared Services, Routeco
Plc., Barry Callebaut, ADP, Scottrade, Wells Fargo,
Mercury Insurance and Florida Rock. The company licenses
its software to corporate and government IT
organizations and a growing network of business
partners.
WiredRed has offices in San Diego, California,
Chichester, England and Sophia-Antipolis, France. For
more information visit http://www.wiredred-epop.com.
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e/pop and
WiredRed are
registered trademarks of WiredRed Software.
All other marks are property of their respective owners.
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