A fully interactive lecture experience free from commute, cross-campus treks uphill, and classroom distractions is now fully possible. Suggesting that to students and professors 20 years ago would likely have evoked scoffs and Star Wars jokes. However, CSULB's exploration of high-tech teaching materials has manifested itself as a series of useful, accessible programs designed to reach students in a large variety of ways.
John Ferretti, Director of Instructional Technology, helps students work with these tools every day.
"We implement new programs as often as we find one that serves our purpose and is practical for the campus to adopt. There's always a need for those resources," he said.
Simulated classrooms often involve a real-time chat board for interactive learning, visual presentation (sometimes live video feeds of the professor lecturing), and a moderating function to allow the instructor control over the course of the lesson.
CSULB uses the program Elluminate Live! for virtual lecture sessions. Professors can use the program for distance education or as a supplement to their regular classes. The program was chosen over several other brands of web conferencing software, including
GoToMeeting, e-Lecta, and Vmukti.
"The financial aspect is a big one… some of the programs we use aren't perhaps the newest on the market [but] the school always has the cost to students in mind," Ferretti said.
Also in CSULB’s arsenal of technological teaching tools is the virtual world program Second Life, developed and released by Linden Lab. Features of the Second Life “Beach World” include a virtual version of the Walter Pyramid where students can play beach volleyball or basketball well as an Espresso Lounge and Beach Shops that link to an actual online store.
“Second Life is a unique teaching tool,” said Walter Gajewski, Coordinator of Multimedia Services for the Office of Instructional Technology, “Universities can host their own private ‘island’ with realistic territories.”
Many aspects of the “Beach World” are true to life except that there, students and teachers can fly to class and teleport with a click to anywhere on the “Grid” (the in-game term for the Second Life virtual world).
Amey Tawde, formerly a project manager for the Calif. State University system,
coordinated the nearly system-wide adoption of Second Life virtual campuses for both educational and recreational purposes.
“With this program, we can bring in guest speakers without any constraints on travel cost or space,” Tawde said. “Young people are dealing in a wide range of virtual realities right now with games and social tools and this is an approach that we thought would make them feel more comfortable and engaged in their college experience.”
Students can even take a virtual tour of the campus before signing up for their classes.
Karena Chichester, Anthropology major, feels that this is a realistic step for CSULB to take.
“I had no idea [CSULB] was on Second Life!” she said with a smile. “I’ll have to check that out. It makes sense; I know a few people who are really into that game.”
With our ever-advancing technologies and consequently shifting worldview, CSULB will continue to build upon its experience with the innovative application of educational programs.
As Stephen Adams, Associate Professor of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling puts it, “We should be directing our research efforts toward things like environmental education.”
A proponent of technological learning tools in the sciences, Adams would like to see these tools used for “global issues, social and ecological alike.”
As a constantly forward-thinking institution, CSULB cannot help but benefit from the input of many brilliant and dedicated minds, both on staff and enrolled in its classes. Those who are dedicated to using the technology that is constantly around us will continue to contribute to our virtual toolbox, helping to craft inventive new sources of engaging and informative education for the benefit of all.
On this page is a video introduction to CSULB on Second Life.
Elluminate Live!
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