Our 8,000 Classrooms series returns today to the campus of Case Western Reserve University (@cwru) where we spotlight Barbara Kuemerle, an instructor in the Department of Biology. Case Western Reserve has pioneered the use of classroom video lecture capture and active learning methods such as flipped classrooms to improve student engagement and outcomes.

Tell our readers a little bit about what you teach and about your experience using Echo360.

I teach Biology 216, Development and Physiology. It’s one of three core courses that all students majoring in biology have to take. I’ve been using the Echo360 system for about 7 years and my classes range from 170 students to almost 300 one year!

How does Echo360 help your students?

Most of my students watch the lecture videos after attending class. They come to class and then they’ll go back and use the recorded lecture to review. But, it has helped in other ways. I have one student who is struggling with a medical condition. He can watch the video lectures on his computer and that allows him to keep up with the course. It’s also been helpful for our student-athletes and pre-med students. These students sometimes have to miss class, but can keep up with things by watching the recorded lectures.

So, it sounds like even though you record your lectures, students still come to class.

Absolutely, yes! They come to class because they don’t know if I’m going to give them a pop quiz or a bonus question, so they definitely come to class. Usage of the system really gets high as it gets close to the exams. Students use it to review, review, and review!

If you were trying to get a colleague to use this technology, what would you say to them?

I think our job is to facilitate learning with our students. It’s up to us (instructors) to provide students with the tools they can best learn. This is another tool. Back in the 80s, when I was a student, I took a tape recorder to class so that I could listen to lectures over and over again. Now, with Echo360, students can just log into the system and watch lectures on just about any device, such as their iPhone. It’s very convenient for them. For us, it’s about providing another tool to help students enhance their learning.

Watch the video below to learn more about how Case Western Reserve University uses Echo360 to transform teaching and learning!

 


Learn more about Echo360.

Contact Us