University View Academy started with a dream of helping students access quality trainers and a state-approved curriculum, remotely. Today, it ranks among the most innovative online charter-schools in the country. A 100%-online school since inception, UVA has adopted Adobe Connect as their virtual classroom; their instructors are of the opinion that the capabilities and flexibility it allows for their everyday classes is remarkable. Rather than having to fit their instructions to the tool, Adobe Connect allows them to use the tool that meets their need.
Teachers spend a lot of time on teaching platforms and Adobe Connect makes their job easier by doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Features like Layouts help teachers toggle between segments of their session like formal instruction, group-activities with students, assessments and more. Particularly for small group activities, different breakout rooms can be viewed and accessed in the same view, allowing teachers to monitor all students at a time and ensure class discipline. They also have the ability to take one student aside for a one-on-one chat. Such features help make the learning experience similar to that of a real classroom for both students and instructors.
Joan Magee, an Online Instructor at UVA believes that when it comes to duplicating a real classroom on digital, Adobe Connect is second to none. It outshines other virtual classroom solutions when it comes to providing instructors with greater control over what the students can access and do in the class.
Features like Quiz and Live Polls also allow teachers to effectively track learning retention and student engagement. Sara Mungall, the technology facilitator at UVA says that Adobe Connect is especially superior when it comes to class-based group work.
With Adobe Connect, there is just as much focus on the student experience as there is on the experience of the teachers. The ability to engage the students just like in a physical school is a top priority at the University View Academy – something they looked for when they opted for the platform. Learning alongside peers, anonymity to encourage shy students, and accessibility for students with disabilities are some of the other areas that Adobe Connect excels in.
Along with the formal instruction, it also enables students to have social and emotional interactions with their classmates, successfully mirroring what a physical classroom should be like in an online format. In the end, this is what really sets Adobe Connect ahead of the rest.
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