Elluminate-a+continuum+of+use

**//REFLECTION//** The eFLC was an excellent opportunity for professional growth.I entered this year as a novice at online instruction, barely able to navigate through Angel and answer emails and the basics you need to lead the students in online instruction.Through the Learning Community I was able to gather confidence to try new technologies to enhance the variety of learning tools in my online courses.Now, I use Elluminate in every course that I teach.Even onsite courses, I sometimes offer an Elluminate! Session in between class times for course reviews or as an office hour.I have learned to compose short videos and launch them onto Angel.Also, I have made wide use of Talking Power Points and I have added them onto my online courses to help the students get as close as possible to a real lecture experience remotely.I am always learning new technologies.Hearing what others have done to incorporate technology into their classrooms has been very beneficial.I have learned not to be afraid of technology but to be excited at the variety of opportunities available to us in this high tech age.

**Elluminate as a Teaching Tool** Recording of Session (30 min) [] toc

 = INTRODUCTION = I have spent this academic year teaching many courses online.In my Hybrid Cell Biology Course, I made extensive use of Elluminate.I found that it enhanced students’ abilities to feel connected to each other and the course material.The Elluminate Sessions occurred at least once a week during the quarter.

=BENEFITS= E lluminate became a powerful tool not only because students could talk while offsite, but also because the Moderator could browse away from the blank screen and enhance the discussion with information from the World Wide Web or from a previously prepared power point.Often, students would be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of a concept by drawing on the Whiteboard during a session.The variety of tools provided a vehicle for understanding to every student that participated in these sessions.

Many students reported feeling empowered by the Elluminate sessions after getting used to the technical aspect of the medium.They reported feeling uninhibited in their questioning and also felt it increased their dialogue with their fellow classmates as they all struggled with certain complex topics in Cell Biology.Also, the whiteboard is anonymous so students felt they could “give it the college try” and then didn’t feel embarrassed if they got something incorrect, as often happens when you go to the blackboard in the classroom setting. Back =CHALLENGES= Some students did not participate in Elluminate sessions, but reported that they listened to the recordings over and over again to help them solidify their understanding of course material.There was a positive correlation with attending/listening to Elluminate and scores on Lecture exams.I urged many hesitant students to try to join the session or at least listen to the sessions.By the end of the course, most had tried to benefit from this great resource. Back =EXAMPLES= I am now teaching Anatomy and Physiology and see Elluminate as a way to enhance the delivery of a barrage of information.I teach in 3 hours chunks in a 6 week intensive summer session.I plan on recording lectures on Elluminate so that the students can listen to them later when they are reviewing material.Also, if a student can’t make one 3 hour session, they could listen to the lecture portion on Elluminate in this way. In my Medical Terminology course, I use Elluminate for office hours.This offers a way for students to ask me questions or ask anything about the course or the online Web environment that is sometimes so intimidating. Back =CONCLUSION= My mentor and the elearning coordinator were always helpful in answering questions about Elluminate and it was in this supportive environment that I felt the empowerment to utilize Elluminate and other web-based tools to broaden the ways that I communicate with my students.I have now requested Angel sites for all of my courses so that I can use Elluminate and store the recordings where the students can readily access them when they desire.This is very important to help the students review for exams and help them excel academically. Back