Perry Samson: A New Generation of Interactive Lecturing

What an amazing creation!! I would love Eastern Michigan University to have this capability. I find it very distracting when a student sits in front of me in a lecture and uses a laptop (especially if what they are doing on it is not class related); it is very distracting. So having a class where every student has a laptop can only have a positive result. What I found from watching Professor Perry Samson's interview is the result of students who used this program; they were more engaged and attentive. I think this may be because of the ability to send the professor questions during lecture that they will answer in the same day. Using myself as an example, when I sit in class and am confused by something the professor said, I try to interpret it in my head and miss what they lecture about after that. A lot of students are shy when it comes to asking questions in front of their classmates; so having this ability to send the professor a question through the laptop is remarkable. Professor Samson went above and beyond his competitors at creating a better system for student engagement during lecture, if he had any competitors. Building a competitive advantage seems to not have been a problem for Professor Samson; it is unique, valuable to students/customers, and difficult for competitors to duplicate. The only disadvantage to LectureTools used in universities and colleges is the fee every student must pay once a year. This small fee would benefit in the long run however by engaging more students to learn during class time and by lowering the price of textbooks. I hope more colleges implement this lecture tool and I think they will. Already having 125 universities and colleges using this tool shows how successful this idea is to education.

LectureTools seems like a great idea. I like classes that are interactive because the information is easier to understand and sticks more in your brain. But usually when professors make classes interactive it usually is done in groups. But this way the material is made interactive and the student is working by themselves. A lot of professors do think laptops are distractions but by putting the lecture and teaching through the laptop it would make them much less of a distraction and would capture the attention of the student. Something that I found extremely important was his ability to find something that was completely different than the learning tools already out there. He definietly came up with a completive edge to separate himself from his competitors. It is definitely something that appeals to his target market. It appeals to the professors that want more students to pay attention in class and be more active in the class. It appeals to students in that they can find the information more interesting and participates. Especially with the feature of sending questions to the professors, I know from personal experiences I am not always comfortable asking questions in class, and I usually wait till I get home to email the professor. But sometimes I do forget, this way I can send the professor the question immediately and get my answer back in a timely manner. The one disadvantage of LectureTools is the fee that comes with it, even though it is a very beneficial idea some people may be turned off by the idea depending on the price of it. I think that once people see how beneficial it is that the fee will not be a major problem for them. And by looking at all the universities that have already started using the program and how the feedback from it has been all positive that small disadvantage of the fee may not even be a factor.

I thought the idea for integrative learning was well thought out and provided a lot of information regarding the benefits and background research that has been involved and is still being worked on. I have heard that clickers are used Washtenaw Community College currently. The student I spoke to about using the clickers is actually a fellow employee. She did state that it was somewhat uncomforatable because you know what students have answered and they do not move to the next question until everyone has answered the one they are on, and everyone knows which student has yet to answer. This is used as a test/quiz taking method for one of her classes. I would hope there are different user methods for the clickers already available as it is stressful enough to take tests and generally test results are supposed to be private. Of course this is all hearsay from a student. Regarding this integrative learning system. I have mixed feelings regarding the use of technology in colleges. I am thankful for the availability of technology yet sometimes I feel overuse tends to create more of a burden financially and intellectually on students. Any student who does not have their own PC is at a massive disadvantage. Students who have children, work, or both, cannot feasible get a degree without having their own PC due to lack of time to spend in the school computer labs. That being said, I do realize it is customary for most people to already own one there are problems when the systems fail. I would like to say that although I do not always agree with the amount of technology we are required to use that since it is hear and steadily advancing, that this is an excellent step toward integrated learning. I have never been bothered with students in class having laptops. At this point, it is hard to keep up with notes in class and I can type much faster than write. Also to save money on textbook cost would be such an assest to students. It seems they come out with new books far too fast and they are hardly different than the last edition. To have online textbooks that can be quickly updated would be a very useful tool that would save students a lot of money. I also think the idea of being able to type in a question as soon as you think of it is a very useful tool. Too many times an instructor is teaching and there is something you need to ask but do not want to interrupt or cannot at the time, then you forget what you wanted to ask. If you could log your question quickly and wait and see if it gets answered more understanding could come from the lectures. This may also help to not focus on the question as to not forget and then lose focus on the rest of the lecture. All in all, I have a step daughter who just started college and I would be interested to know how this type of technology will benefit her in the near future and what type of changes will be related with cost of books.

My name is Dana Mattila and I am senior at Eastern Michigan University. I am currently taking an Entrepreneurship class and one of my assignments is to look on this web site and blog about Michigan innovators. The idea and development of Perry Samson's web-based technology, Lecture Tools, was genius. Lecture Tools is a great idea for students such as myself. The opportunity to use your own laptop or smartphone without purchasing anything extra is a big plus for students. Using Lecture Tools is a big asset for students and instructors, allowing them to interact with each other in and out of the classroom. The new technology in which you can link the textbook with the lecture material will I feel keep the student more attentive to lectures. There was hope of getting the publishers involved with the new technology, which would be good for all students because it would lower textbook prices and we all know that textbooks are expensive. All colleges should offer this web-based technology to their students for a better learning environment. I wish I had the use of this technology during my college years at Eastern Michigan University. Thank you, Dana Mattila

Hello, my name is Jessica and I am a senior at Eastern Michigan University. I have always had trouble learning in a classroom environment and I have always thought that it would be nice if they could come up with a new way teaching. I think that the tool that the tool you came up with is an excellent idea. Lectures can be boring and painful at times but with a better way of getting the information to the students could be beneficial for everyone. The idea of having the text books would be a great advantage for everyone just as long as they can be bought at a cheaper price otherwise students will go to the traditional method. The costs that are associated with being a student are unbelievable. Who knew that knowledge was so expensive? If there was a way that the school could pay for this kind of tool it could become a great asset to them when it comes to enrollment. If the tool proved to a successful learning tool, parents will want to send their children to that school which in turn boosts enrollment numbers.

Hello my name is Kristen Ringel and I am a senior at Eastern Michigan University. Lecture Tools is the type of Software that is the future of the college classroom experience. The Integration of classroom notes, text, and lecture is creating a more cohesive learning experience. It allows for a stronger connection between the student and the coursework. Studies have shown that there are different learning styles. Allowing for a student to view the information in several different ways will lead to increased performance. Students that may have otherwise not been involved in lecture discussions may show greater interest if their comments can be made through the computer. Frantic note taking can often take away from the message of the coursework. Having additional lecture note material may allow for students to critically think about the material and gain a greater understanding. The same students may also use text resources that they had not thought of in the past. Companion websites are a great resource and many do not even attempt to utilize them. Lecture tools will put the resource directly in front of the consumer, which will be another positive tool available to them. It also allows for real-time analysis of how the class is reacting to the lecture. Teachers will be able to collect objective data on classroom discussions, student questions and the effectiveness of lecture materials. The data can aid teachers, text book developers and the university in creating more effective coursework. The lower cost of the text material, and the availability to easily update past editions, is a great advantage. Instead of having to reprint, and distribute text, publishers may have the ability to edit their material and deliver it quicker. In closing, I am looking forward to being able to use this amazing technology. I just hope it is available at Eastern Michigan before I graduate. Thank you very much, Kristen Ringel.