Sep 24

Sep 24 Lenoir Community College bridges the gap between in-person and online learning

Lenoir Community College installed smart technology in their classrooms including interactive whiteboards, cameras, and microphones that bridge the gap between in-person learning and online learning.

“What we did this summer, in conjunction with our IT department, was installed cameras that can follow the instructors and installed smart boards throughout the Waller Building and the LAP Building,” said Dr. Timothy Maddox, Dean of Arts and Sciences.

All general education instructors received Microsoft Surface Pros to connect to the classroom equipment that allows them to interact with students who are in-person as well as learning online. The Surface Pros connect to the smart boards which are essentially a large-screen computer and allows work to be saved and uploaded for later use.

“We’ve gotten good responses. In the beginning, there was a learning curve for the instructors to adjust their teaching and figure out how to adequately engage the students in the online platform and get them to participate,” said Maddox.

About 37% of LCC’s enrollment comes from high school students enrolled in Early College or Career and College Promise (CCP). The goal of utilizing the smart boards, camera, and microphones is to promote student engagement and allows the students to interact with their peers.

“With an online class a lot of times it’s just a student logging on and doing the work, and sometimes you miss out on that engagement piece so we were trying to figure out how do we ensure our students online are getting the same quality instruction they would in a classroom,” said Maddox. “So, this synchronous option allows those students to receive that engagement.”

LCC offers both in-person and online learning. Students who choose to attend in-person class will be screened with their temperature checked.

“After COVID is over, and we don’t have to worry about 50% capacity in the classrooms, we will work to tailor the smart technology for future classes,” said Maddox.