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Asking the instructor aÌýquestion in class from home is possible withÌý'sÌýtechnology.ÌýÌýWhen Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ BoulderÌýDepartment of Psychology'sÌýLinda Watkins taught with Be Boulder Anywhere technology for this first time this past spring semester, she could call on distance learning students during class to ask questions.ÌýÌýFirst,Ìýdistance learning studentsÌýlog inÌýviaÌý--the program that Be Boulder Anywhere currently uses to engage distance learning students.Ìý Watkins explains it this way: "Students tap in by web. ÌýIn real time.ÌýÌýTheyÌýcan ask questions in class."ÌýÌýÌýBe Boulder Anywhere provides staff to filmÌýthe instructor while they lecture. ÌýThis way,ÌýcamerasÌýzoom in, and track the instructor throughout the classroom as she walks and talks.Ìý Watkins says that the distance learning students, "... can see and hear everything in the classroom."Ìý Like the video capture system that OIT providesÌýfor Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder lectures, two screens are captured simultaneously.Ìý Students can see the corresponding PowerPoint slides at the same time that they watch their instructor lecture.Ìý However, with Be Boulder Anywhere, the instructor can include distance learning students live, during class.Ìý The instructor can call on a distance learning student, and everyone present in the Engineering Center classroom, as well asÌýall of the students watching the class in real time from home,Ìýwould hear that distance learning student's voice projected.

This past spring was also the first time that Watkins taught theÌýIntroduction to Neuroscience course that was aimed specifically toward Neuroscience majors.Ìý That requirement meant thatÌýthe course materialÌýwas more intensive than the Biopsychology course that Watkins had taught in the past.ÌýÌýHowever, thanks to Be Boulder Anywhere's video capture technology, students could re-watch lectures if theyÌýmissed classÌýor forÌýconsecutive timesÌýto, "refresh their memories," Watkins said.

Through D2L,ÌýWatkinsÌýtracked the statistics of students' usage of theÌývideo capture technology.ÌýÌýShe says that sheÌýobservedÌýthatÌýmany studentsÌýlogged intoÌýthe video capture system regularly.ÌýÌýWatkins said that students told her that they usedÌýthe programÌýto reviewÌýcourse material andÌýto fill in anything they missed while taking notes during lecture.

Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ 100 students enrolled in the course.Ìý All studentsÌýhad the option of coming to class or watchingÌýthe course live from home.Ìý This spring, the students in Watkin'sÌýIntroduction to NeuroscienceÌýcourse nominatedÌýher for anÌýASSETTÌýTeaching with Technology Award.Ìý TheyÌýwrote about the value of video capture for their learning.

The ASSETT awardÌýis not the first formal recognition for excellence in teaching that Watkins has received.Ìý She became a Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Presidential Teaching Scholar in 1996.Ìý WatkinsÌýsays that she thinks video capture technology is valuable to students' learning, and she says that she plans toÌýuseÌývideo captureÌýin her future classes.