Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59979
D ATA B I T year's incoming class, he adds, is one of the first EMBA programs in the country to use Mac-based tools for distance learning. Traditionally, EMBA programs preferWindows-based technology, since most programs are designed to teach future executives how to use the same systems used in most busi- nesses, says Jacobina. "In our case, our students are already well-versed in those areas. Instead, we needed a strong communication vehicle to bridge the distance between team members," he says. "We feel that Apple's innovative approach to using multipoint video is a big advantage over the PC." Pamplin'sMac-based EMBA pro- gram will serve as a long-term focus group for Apple. The company will determine how businesspeople accus- tomed to working in PC environ- ments useMac technology. Interactive EMBA at LBS To help 74 of its executive MBA students create a better work-life balance as they also pursue their educa- tions, the London Business School has added a new tool in its distance learning arsenal. Its EMBA now will be powered by a collabora- tive learning platform, pro- vided by the French com- pany Genesys Conferencing. The new platform will allow the school's globally dispersed student cohort to hold virtual interactive study meet- ings from anywhere in the world. The new service will reduce the need for students to travel to the school's Regent Park campus for group study sessions.Using the plat- form, students can see and hear the A recent survey sponsored by America Online found that 41 percent of Ameri- cans check their e-mail in- boxes as soon as they get out of bed in the morning. Forty-five percent of re- spondents said they would like e-mail technology to allow them to retrieve sent messages before they've been read, and 43 percent would like the ability to know to whom their mes- sages are forwarded. discussion leader and give presentations in real time. They also can develop course case studies and presentations collabora- tively, seeing one an- other's comments and changes as they aremade. The service is integrated with existing desktop functions, such as e-mail and calendars. This new capability has become a near-neces- sity for global executives, especially as they face a host of obligations, in- cluding family and increasing work- related global travel, says Tony Kmetty, associate director of the EMBA program at LBS. Says Kmetty, "Multimedia conferencing will stimulate the students' study groups and allow them to become more efficient with their time." Clickers on Campus: Purdue Deploys Student Response System from eInstruction TOOLS OF THE TRADE Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, has equipped computers in every classroom with an interactive student response system from eInstruction, a company based in Denton, Texas. The system uses a radio frequency receiver, handheld student response pads, and special software to facilitate quizzes, polls, and other activities that can be enhanced by immediate student input. Purdue signed up for systemwide use on all its campuses last October and began installation in January. The use of radio frequency instead of infrared reduces the number of receivers needed and the amount of interference to their operation. In addition, new technology now allows students to carry a single $12 "universal" clicker that works in every class, rather than separate clickers for each class, which lowers the cost of the system. As a result, Purdue has been able to deploy the system more quickly to more students. The number of Purdue students using clickers this semester will more than triple to almost 8,000. So far, instructors credit the clickers with improving stu- dent attentiveness, participation, and attitudes. Professors use the system for everything from taking attendance, to playing educational games, to assessing student comprehen- sion of lecture materials. "It increases the overall pass rate and narrows the gap between the most successful and least successful students," says Tolga Akcura, assistant professor of marketing at Purdue's Krannert School of Management. Students like Brian Geddes also appreciate the new tech- nology. "I quickly found out how well I was absorbing class material, and I saw where the rest of the class stood as well," says Geddes on using the response system. "My pro- fessor could identify which sections of the course material to cover in greater detail based on the results of quizzes we took using clickers." In partnership with McGraw Hill, eInstruction has placed clickers at more than 600 institutions. For more information, visit www.einstruction.com. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 49