UC Berkeley Improves Classroom Results with eLearning System from Presedia
UC Berkeley Improves Classroom Results with
eLearning System from Presedia
Instructors at UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering Quickly and Easily Add Multimedia
Courses to their Growing Web-Based Curriculum
Sunnyvale, CA, August 26, 2002 – Presedia, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise solutions for eLearning, compliance, certification and corporate communications, today announced that the company’s flagship Presedia Express system will be part of a new e-learning pilot project launched by UC Berkeley.
“We’re very pleased that the Presedia Express system enabled us to quickly meet our goals of providing professors and students with a convenient, easy-to-use system that will enhance learning. In addition, the rollout of Presedia Express delivers an immediate return on investment by reducing the need for physical classroom space,” stated Americ Azevedo, lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the College of Engineering. “I believe that, through the application of this e-learning technology, our department has set an example worthy of replication, and I anticipate that other universities will be motivated to implement this technology and application.”
After a preliminary evaluation of similar eLearning products, UC Berkeley chose to include Presedia Express as part of their new e-learning program. Presedia Express is providing UC Berkeley with a complete eLearning solution that delivers a number of key required features, including easy-to-use integrated course authoring within PowerPoint, online viewing across different computing platforms, full audio and animation support, and efficient use of network bandwidth. Presedia Express enables professors to instantly create, deliver and intelligently track interactive multimedia courses that combine slides, audio, animations, quizzes and surveys.
Quality of Student Interaction and Assessment Improves
Azevedo has witnessed how his virtual classroom positively impacted the dynamic of his classes, including significantly increasing socialization. Prior to introducing his virtual classroom an average of five students out of each 500 person class would respond to questions posed during his lecture. After the launch of Presedia Express, over 100 students now typically respond to questions and issues raised during class. In addition, these responses are more provocative and challenging, significantly increasing the overall learning experience for his students.
Continuous Improvement and Reuse of Content
Presedia Express also delivered a few unexpected benefits to the professors at UC Berkeley. Since Azevedo can quickly create and review his online lectures, he can now update and refine his course lectures at any time. He can also easily combine and reuse content from different lectures for current and future courses. The instructor and his teaching assistants can also use Presedia Express to track and measure the viewing patterns of his students, to help him refine future courses.
Lower Physical Classroom Requirements
Now, instead of tying up a lecture hall three times a week, the professor and his students have decided to keep the virtual classroom format in place, where they now meet online once a week, realizing a 33 percent increase in classroom utilization. This innovative format will be particularly helpful as the university will soon be required to meet a statewide mandate that all UC campuses increase their admission level by 6,000 more students.
“We’re thrilled to see the many benefits that UC Berkeley has been able to realize in such a short time period. We look forward to supporting their ongoing needs and anticipate the application of Presedia Express developing into a best practice as the University expands its virtual classroom concept,” stated Kevin Lynch, Presedia’s president and CEO.
About Presedia, Inc.
Presedia, Inc. is a leading provider of enterprise communications solutions for eLearning, compliance, certification and corporate communications. Global organizations across every industry and market sector have chosen Presedia, including KPMG Consulting, Avaya Communication, Novell, United Way and UC Berkeley. Presedia offers a powerful platform that fully leverages PowerPoint and other common business tools to instantly create, deliver and track time-critical interactive multimedia information combining slides, audio, animations, quizzes and surveys for delivery on a wide range of platforms and devices. For more information about the company, interested parties can visit http://www.presedia.com/.
