Flexible teaching options for on-campus classes

If you are coming back to campus this spring to teach, you might want to consider live streaming your class to reach students who cannot make it to campus. Technology Solutions offers instructors a variety of tools to help support flexible teaching.

Echo360

Echo 360 is a free and easy-to-use tool provided to all UIC instructors. While the main function of Echo360 has always been to provide lecture capture (the recording of instructor class presentations) in selected classrooms, it also has robust live streaming functionality. With Echo360, students can participate fully in live classes by using engaging polling and multimedia tools. Consult this article to find an Echo360-enabled classroom on campus. LTS may need to create a section for your course. You can make that request for your class by filling out the form at Echo360 request.

Zoom or Blackboard Collaborate

Zoom can be used to stream classes to students via webcam and/or document camera (if applicable). With Zoom, you can also share files such as PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, PDFs, and content on a browser, as well as share your entire screen. Read this Zoom article to learn more about getting started with the tool, and where to find classrooms on campus equipped with synchronous document cameras. The same setup can work with Blackboard Collaborate. If that is the tool you are using, consult this Blackboard Collaborate article. Not sure which tool works best for your class? Consult this article to learn more about features to consider when choosing Zoom or Collaborate.

Talk to an Instructional Designer at the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE) to discover strategies to engage your students using the above options, and contact the CATE support team for any classroom technology needs.