In the realm of online education, creating engaging and accessible learning experiences is paramount. At the Open University (OU), the largest university in UK, Adobe Connect has revolutionized the way virtual training is delivered for 200,000 learners. its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the OU has empowered its 5,000+ tutors to deliver stellar virtual training experiences. The OU’s commitment to a user-centered approach, coupled with the advanced features of Adobe Connect, has resulted in enhanced collaborative learning, classroom participation, digital accessibility, and overall satisfaction.
The Open University model
The OU’s virtual training environment (VLE) is designed with user experience (UX) and digital accessibility in mind. Students can easily navigate a central hub for course materials and resources. Consistent user interface elements across all modules ensure familiarity and ease of learning. Let’s explore how the OU journey with Adobe Connect began.
Operating at scale
The Open University (OU) is the UK’s largest university, offering flexible and accessible virtual training to over 200,000 students annually. As a leader in virtual training, the OU has designed its VLE with a strong focus on user experience (UX) and accessibility. The online training platform ensures that students can easily navigate a central hub for course materials and resources, maintaining a consistent user interface across all modules for familiarity and ease of use.
In fact, around 1 in 2 OU students are employed, and 26% of students have a disability. The OU is committed to ensuring that its courses are accessible to all students, regardless of background or circumstances. This massive scale of virtual training underscores the OU’s commitment to providing flexible and accessible education to students around the world. So, they needed an online training solution that could deliver virtual training that is interactive, accessible, and scalable.
Meet Zoe Gipson! Passionate about building digital accessibility into all online learning events, Zoe has been instrumental in shaping the OU’s virtual training environment. Her primary focus has been on interactive virtual classrooms and managing them at scale. More recently, she has turned her attention to Open STEM Labs, the OU’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Her challenge was to find the right solution that not only fits well into their user-friendly learning environment but also helps them deliver world-class virtual training engagement.
Why did the Open University choose Adobe Connect?
After a thorough evaluation process, Adobe Connect emerged as the preferred choice for managing hundreds of virtual classrooms efficiently. The platform’s secure single sign-on (SSO), flexible layouts, and robust features make it an ideal virtual instructor-led training platform for higher education. Its ability to accommodate the diverse needs of learners while maintaining engagement and collaboration made it the clear choice for OU.
Adobe Connect offers a range of interactive features that enhance the virtual learning experience. Tutors can pause shared content, annotate on top of it, and incorporate interactive polls and quizzes with ease. The platform’s breakout rooms allow for differentiated activities and student collaboration.
Accessibility is a key consideration for the OU. Adobe Connect enables tutors to customize the room layout, focusing on webcam or text chat as needed to accommodate diverse student needs. The persistent content feature allows for seamless integration of polls, quizzes, and other activities. The OU has integrated Adobe Connect with its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), ensuring a smooth transition for students and staff. This integration provides a dedicated landing page for accessing Adobe Connect sessions.
Accessibility features that make a difference
Accessibility is at the heart of OU’s approach to virtual training. With Adobe Connect, students benefit from features like keyboard accessibility, automated captions, speech recognition, and customizable chat interfaces. The platform also supports private communication with sign language interpreters, ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities, can fully participate.
One standout feature is the ability to anonymize recordings, encouraging more students to actively participate without feeling judged or pressured. By maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment, Adobe Connect helps build a stronger sense of community among learners.
Streamlining the learning process
The OU’s integration of Adobe Connect with its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) provides a seamless user experience. Staff and students can easily access their designated rooms through a dedicated landing page, which includes essential information and a direct link to the Adobe Connect session.
Upon entering the room, participants can view a list of recordings associated with the session. This feature allows staff to track attendance, edit recordings, and identify students who may require additional support.
Flexible content management
The OU maintains control over the availability of recordings. While most recordings are downloadable, the institution has the option to disable downloads for sensitive content. Staff can further customize recordings using the Adobe Connect recording editor. This tool allows for editing, trimming, and downloading recordings in MP4 format, providing flexibility for various use cases.
Adobe Connect for teaching and learning
The Open University experiences a surge in activity every October when thousands of new students join the university. During this peak period, the OU delivers over a million minutes of live virtual training through Adobe Connect in just one day.
Flexible interaction and engagement
Adobe Connect offers a diverse range of interactive features, empowering attendees to engage in the learning process in ways that suit their preferences. The platform’s flexibility is crucial for creating dynamic and engaging online learning environments. The OU encourages tutors to utilize a combination of text chat, microphones, and interactive activities to promote student participation.
Anonymous features, such as polls, quizzes, and drawing tools, create a safe space for students to contribute without feeling judged or pressured. The ability to customize the chat environment, including the use of multiple chat pods, provides flexibility for group discussions and activities. These features enhance engagement and facilitate effective collaboration.
One notable feature is the option to anonymize recordings, which has proven beneficial for students who may feel hesitant to participate in live sessions. This feature has encouraged participation among a sizeable portion of the student body.
Collaborative learning
Multiple chat pods facilitate effective communication and engagement, even for those who may be hesitant to use microphones. The ability to quickly type messages and engage in discussions fosters a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
One of the unique features in Adobe Connect is the support for peer sharing and review. Multiple share pods allow students to collaborate on projects, share their work, and provide feedback in real time. This feature is particularly valuable for courses that involve coding or other collaborative activities.
Tutor productivity
The customizable layouts in Adobe Connect enable seamless transitions between different activities, such as presentations and demonstrations. Tutors can effectively plan and structure their sessions by creating different rooms for presentations, demonstrations, and general discussions.
The “prepare mode” feature allows multiple hosts to work collaboratively, preparing content or assisting students while the main presentation is ongoing. The host and presenter area, a backstage area for hosts, provides a space for collaboration, content preparation, and support. This feature enhances efficiency and ensures a smooth flow during presentations.
Accessibility in Adobe Connect
The Open University prioritizes accessibility in its online learning environment. Adobe Connect offers several features that enhance accessibility for students with disabilities:
Automated captions and transcripts: While the platform provides automated captions and transcripts, the OU ensures compliance with UK legislation by offering manual editing services for students requiring accurate transcriptions.
Customization options: Students can customize the text chat appearance and enable sound alerts, while the overall interface can be adjusted to dark mode or other preferred settings.
Keyboard accessibility: Adobe Connect is fully keyboard accessible, allowing users to navigate and interact with the platform using keyboard shortcuts.
Speech recognition: The platform supports speech recognition for text chat input, making it accessible to students with disabilities.
Zoom and full screen: Users can easily zoom in and out of content and enter full-screen mode for improved visibility.
Private communication with sign language interpreters: The OU utilizes the host and presenter area to facilitate private communication between students and sign language interpreters, ensuring a discreet and inclusive learning experience.
By leveraging these accessibility features, the OU aims to create an inclusive and equitable online learning environment for all students.
Key Takeaways
- Enhanced student experience: Adobe Connect provides a safe and collaborative space for students to interact with peers and tutors. The platform’s customizable templates for online virtual classrooms allow for tailored room setups, including dedicated student rooms for independent collaboration and discussion.
- Seamless integration: The integration of Adobe Connect with the OU’s VLE ensures consistency and flexibility. This enables the creation of bespoke websites with multiple reusable virtual rooms for various purposes, such as research projects and staff conferences.
- Continuous improvement: The OU actively seeks feedback from students and tutors to ensure that its use of Adobe Connect meets their evolving needs. Regular surveys and ongoing communication help identify areas for improvement and inform future developments.
- User-centered approach: The OU prioritizes a user-centered approach, focusing on providing a seamless and intuitive experience for both students and staff. By understanding user requirements and engaging in open communication, the OU can effectively leverage Adobe Connect to enhance the virtual training experience.
The Open University saw a 150% increase in live online learning events over four years using Adobe Connect.
Want to experience Adobe Connect in action? Start your Free 30-day trial now!