Attendees at our recent Active Learning Conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago learned first-hand about an initiative at the University of Cincinnati that is developing a set of integrated hardware and software tools designed to benefit the entire institution. The initiative, called Canopy is described as a “learning ecosystem.” Within it, students will be able to view lectures, complete their assignments, check their grades, and even interact with one another. Echo360 is being piloted at the university as the lecture capture component of the Canopy ecosystem.

The approach used by the university can serve as technology implementation model and roadmap for other institutions. A key element to their approach is the close interaction between instructor (content knowledge expert), instructional design services (pedagogical expert), and information technology services (technology expert).

According to a recent article that appeared in Inside Higher Ed, “faculty members at the university are free to use – and are encouraged to experiment with – whatever tools they want in their classrooms.” Before a tool can be approved as part of the Canopy system, a set of committees that includes administrators, faculty members, staffers, and even students, must vote and approve the product. This process helps to ensure that all of the institutional stakeholders are represented in these important technology adoption and implementation decisions.

Learn more about Canopy and the University of Cincinnati’s comprehensive approach to technology selection, adoption, and integration. Listen to the presentation by Christopher J. Edwards, MS, Assistant Vice President for eLearning Technology at the University of Cincinnati.