Abstract:

This paper and presentation will describe in detail the process the author used to chose an affordable and accessible web based classroom application and the conversion of two traditional courses, one undergraduate and one post-graduate, to a blended learning environment. Both courses provided students with the option of a “bricks and mortar” learning environment, a synchronous web based learning environment, and an asynchronous web based environment. The course content was delivered simultaneously in the three environments using the web based application Elluminate for the synchronous and asynchronous learners, who were not in the bricks and mortar classroom, and a bricks and mortar classroom in which each student present was provided a computer workstation. The paper will present the challenges of the course content conversion and delivery and a summary of the student responses and outcomes. The author will also provide a frank assessment of the success of each method of content delivery and their pros and cons for content mastery depending upon the participating students’ levels of technological expertise and self-discipline. A detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the web based application chosen, Elluminate, will also be provided.

Keywords:

web based application, synchronous and asynchronous delivery, blended learning environment, distance learning, classroom technology application, assessment.