First Posted: 2/18/2015
BLUFFTON — There’s something about interaction and face-to-face conversation that encourages critical thinking and analysis.
That’s why professors such as George Lehman, professor and director of graduate programs in business at Bluffton University, hesitate when asked about online courses. It’s not a bad thing, there’s just not much to reinforce material read on a computer screen.
So, when approached about a new program using video conferencing, Lehman jumped at the chance.
Using *Zoom video software that’s offered for free for casual users or for a small fee for professionals, Lehman and a few other professors agreed to lead a virtual class beginning spring semester 2015 for the school’s master’s degree program.
Lehman’s class is small, with fewer than 10 enrolled. Once the classes met in person for a short period of time during the summer, they dispersed to their homes and jobs in various places across the country and worldwide.
Though they haven’t physically been in the same room together since initial meetings, participants know about their classmate’s lives and interests and are able to reach out for advice, thanks to their virtual chats and class meetings every Wednesday. They’re able to give presentations, share essays, articles and Powerpoints, as is Lehman, when the lesson plan permits.
The challenge hasn’t necessarily been with the technology, which is easy to use, but rather the finer details. Lehman said one potential international student struggled just to get the books for the course because of differing licenses for books, whether digital or hard copy. Students from Canada faced similar hurdles.
The program is also experimenting to see if the software can support larger classes or if it’s limited by bandwidth. As such a large system, students also run into issues with connection if they have a weak Internet connection.
Otherwise, Lehman said the new format is Bluffton’s way of reaching out to a wider base of potential students and conforming to millennial technology as companies and the workforce transitions.
Bluffton is also considering the possibility of expanding the program. It’s already using the program to offer courses for more specialized and smaller courses with professors outside the program in departments such as sociology, as well.
