An Elluminate
Success Story

University of Hertfordshire Delivers Blended Learning with Elluminate Live!^®

As a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Hertfordshire, the goals of the Blended Learning Unit are to:

• Minimize the barriers to eLearning
• Develop new ways of using blended learning to increase flexibility
• Evaluate effectiveness from an instructor and sector perspective
• Act as an agent of influence and transformation

According to Director Peter Bullen, the BLU was looking for virtual classroom technology to eventually embed in StudyNet, its proprietary managed learning environment. Today, Bullen is leading the effort to explore the enabling technology more deeply with a wide variety of projects.

One of Elluminate's key roles involves the annual International Blended Learning Conference. For the third year in a row, the university will use Elluminate Live! to webcast and record international sessions and keynote addresses in Australia and Canada. "We run the blended learning conference in a blended way to increase the amount of dialogue in person and virtually," Peter explains. "Elluminate is an integral part of that effort."

"Elluminate Live! is very useful, useable, and effective, especially for capturing the problem solving process to help student understand the subject more thoroughly" concludes Peter. "I've found that students are actually more confident about contributing online than in the face-to-face classroom, and the virtual classroom environment makes teachers think about how to increase interactivity and reinforces good teaching practices."

Why Elluminate?

• Multi-platform, low-bandwidth support
• Unique functionality, like breakout rooms
• Attractive cost
• Positive industry reputation
• Relationship with company representatives

Elluminate Live! Activities

• Conference webcasts
• Online synchronous communication with distance learning students
• Recorded tutorials
• Student supervision worldwide
• Staff meetings
• External presentations to other universities
• Continuous personal development for working students
• Remote speakers from business and industry

Institutional Benefits

• Increase flexibility to enable anywhere, anytime learning
• Facilitate student-centered approach to learning
• Enhance student engagement and participation
• Ensure students leave with core skills required by employers
• Provide opportunities for mentoring and collaboration
• Facilitate promotion and adoption of blended learning

What Students Are Saying

First and foremost WOW! ... Why couldn’t we have this test run last year? ... I love it.

I definitely agree online tutorials are a good idea because without them I would probably not understand half this subject.