We demonstrate the successful implementation of the fully integrated classroom of the future as measured by pre- and post-intervention course evaluations. We synchronously engage ground and online students with both audio and video and even include breakout sessions across modes.
The successful MBA program includes the exploration of business strategies applied in different contexts. Students must be exposed to new ideas through the course and instructor, but must also internalize this to their current and future applications. For the traditional ground student, we have the classroom for full-class lecture and participation and small group discussions. What do we usually have for our online students? Discussion boards!
Our faculty, working hand in hand with our course designers, have engineered what we believe to be a viable fully-synchronous, integrated classroom - one that blurs the line of ground/online. Students can literally interact: they can see each other, they can hear each other. Students can even interact without a facilitating instructor (self-directed work team analogy).
We will demonstrate this system in our session. We will provide details on technology and pedagogy that we find enables its success. The tools we use are not in themselves unique, but we feel their integration is and that few have yet to accomplish similar outcomes. We will share anecdotal feedback from our students (ground and online). We statistically compare pre- and post-intervention course evaluations for both ground and online students to characterize changes in their perceived level of engagement and impact on satisfaction. Come to share best practices!