The Tegrity product can automatically capture, store, index and catalog every class across a campus.  Key moments or entire classes can be replayed online, or on iPods or cell phones.  Students can tailor personalized study spaces. 

Engineering technology student Jason Maderski says his study group has used Tegrity in a network analysis class. When they had trouble with a particular concept, the group first went to the professor’s course guide on WebCT. Upon finding those notes unhelpful, they replayed the “chapter” in which the instructor explained the concept on Tegrity while viewing the supporting graphics.  

“A chapter is like a slide image on PowerPoint," Maderski says.  “You can see a little picture of the instructor or the document camera image and go right to the place you want.” He goes on to say that the technology can eliminate the need to go to class. 

Nayfeh disagrees with that statement.  But he says it does reduce the need for “seat time.” Instead of meeting three times a week to be lectured on formulae and numbers inherent in engineering courses, the class can meet once a week without a lecture, and ask questions, enjoying peer interaction, peer tutoring and problem solving.  

Recording may have improved learning in the lecture environment.  Instructors talk ten times faster than students write. Knowing they can revisit the lecture, students pay attention, rather than taking notes.  Instructors control a mixer with the option to toggle back and forth between themselves, the document camera or a computer. Recordings can be made anywhere, anytime, from home, office or while at a conference; no elaborate studio is required. 

Professors create a smorgasbord of production values. But Nayfeh cautions, “While the bells and whistles are nice, they can get you into trouble. More important are clarity and legibility. The real value is high quality content at your finger tips.” Maderski agrees and has seen the improvement.