Mike Behm

1
Centra SuccessWebConferencing E-Learning
Platform

• East Carolina University
• Mike Behm
• Sharon Collins
• Erich Connell
• Elizabeth Hodge
• Elizabeth Jesse
• John Southworth

2
Agenda
1. ECU Beginning
2. Centra Uses
3. Successes
4. Wrap Up
3
ECU Beginning

• Centra is a webconferencing software program
  which allows audio, video, application sharing,
  and text chat.
• Students and Faculty needed a way to have a
  synchronous learning environment for distance
  education students.
• Students needed to feel they were connected as a
  community and easily participate in the classroom
  experience.
• Beginning with a license of 50 and now using an
  unlimited seat license, ECU has successfully
  implemented Centra in the university e-learning
  community and created an effective group-oriented
  learning environment.

4
Centra Uses

• Classroom meetings
• Office hours
• Guest Lecturers
• Recorded sessions and playbacks
• Promoting social presence
• Software demonstrations
• Student group meetings

5
Successes
Behm - The MS, Occupational Safety program
required a method that was interactive and
provided oral communications.
Connell - The construction management graduate
education required a method that was flexible and
interactive for returning professionals.
Hodge College of Education integrated the use
of Centra to provide small student groups with
the ability to interact and communicate to solve
managerial case problems.
Jesse - Faculty in the School of Nursing's
graduate nurse-midwifery program integrated the
use of Centra to give student nurse midwives the
opportunity to hear and interact with national
nurse-midwifery experts and discuss professional
issues/clinical case studies, such as breast
feeding support.
6
Mike Behm

• MS, Occupational Safety program
• Distance education pre-Centra
• Uses of PowerPoint Producer Camtasia
• Project presentations
• Guest speakers
• New student orientations
• Virtual professional organization and student
  section meetings

7
Erich Connell

• Master of CMGT - Fall 2006
• Interactive (synchronous) Content
• Audio/Video communications
• Presentations/Lectures, QA, Surveys, Searches
• Faculty Student Student Student
• Industry expert presentations
• Newland Communities, Houston, Texas
• e.g. Travis Stone, Jr. LAND DEVELOPMENT
• Archival (asynchronous)
• Blackboard used as repository for course
• Student personal background, Creating a Learning
  Space
• All synchronous presentations accessible upon
  completion
• Time flexible education for professionals.

8
Centra COE Collaboration that works!

• Dynamic Learning Environment
• (Social Space)
• Social Process
• Develop Relationships
• Critical Thinking
• Interaction
• Reflective Practice
• Application
• Mimic Proximity

9
Centra in ECUs Nurse-Midwifery Distance
Education Program

• History of synchronous chats
• Balancing synchronous and asynchronous chats
• Contexts of chats
• Topics and Experts
• Troubleshooting and technology
• Facilitating chat
• Student feedback
• Future plans

10
Backend Support and Training
Academic Outreach
Tech Support
Requests
SetUp
Training