Online software helping more students learn from home

Computer software technology at Colchester Institute is helping more students learn from the comfort of their own home. Online conferencing from Cisco WebEx is a great online learning tool available at the College which has the capacity to allow lectures to take place at any time or place via the internet in real time.

One of the main reasons that the WebEX system was first introduced at the College last summer was to allow students to undertake distance learning from across Essex. The software enables learners to join in with other class members using a headset and microphone, and can add a visual dimension through the use of webcams.

Adrian Rowe, Managed Learning Environment Trainer at Colchester Institute explained, “This new software really does take the learning to the learners. Many of the students that use this online learning facility either work full-time or live quite a distance from the College, so without this software many would find it difficult to access learning and training programmes. Although the software cannot replace the experience and interaction students have in the classroom, there’s no question that this helps make learning accessible to many more people across the country.”

Other key areas of use for WebEx include:

• Managers working in collaboration with their team members that are located in other college locations away from the main campus site in Colchester.
• Senior management members working with people from organisations outside the college located in the UK and elsewhere in the world.
• Delivering training and support to college employees in their own homes when their schedule prevents them from attending onsite training sessions.

The College’s use of the WebEx system has been profiled on various IT industry websites. Please click on the links below to take a look at a few examples:

• British Computer Society's IT Training:
  
  ITQ learnt at a distance
  
• Public Technology:
  
  Colchester Institute chooses video conferencing for distance learning