University Business - January 2012 - (Page 40)

Choosing Telepresence Exploring the Video Spectrum Telepresence isn’t for every institution. Have your campus leaders considered other related technologies? “Think of video conferencing on a spectrum from low cost on a student’s own device up to sophisticated telepresence systems,” says Lew Epstein of Steelcase. He explains that sharing projects outside the classroom or across the world can be done on almost any screen.” All of that can happen with the device in your pocket or on large screens in the classroom; the point is that within that spectrum, it’s all executable now and it’s all happening.” The choice for which video technology to use on campus could mean selecting another technology, like videoconferencing, for some areas and perhaps telepresence for others. That’s the case at Duke, where advanced telepresence rooms aren’t the only solution, CIO Tracy Futhey shares. “While our strategy includes a significant focus on telepresence, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach and we have hundreds of other videoconferencing classrooms, meeting rooms, and facilities, down to the desktop video level,” she says. One institution that’s had success with thinking on the smaller side of the spectrum is Temple University (Pa.). The Fox School of Business’ Online MBA, an entirely remote program, uses Cisco WebEx to allow students from California to Connecticut to obtain an MBA from the comfort of home, but with a personal approach. The two-year program, which was started in 2009, mixes synchronous and asynchronous activities and is capped at 25 students “just to keep that sense of community,” says Darin Kapanjie, managing director of online education and educational technology for the Fox School of Business and academic director of the online MBA program. For 30 percent of the contact hours (every Thursday night for two hours), students get face time with their professor and classmates using WebEx and a webcam. Using this technology, students are able to break into small groups, record presentations, use video desktop sharing, and collaborate outside of given class hours. “As far as the use of the technology, [the students] absolutely love it,” Kapanjie shares. “While they need the flexibility because of their work/life situation and can’t afford to leave their current jobs to take on an MBA full time, they also demand ongoing interaction with faculty and their peers.” For the institution, the price is right. Individual WebEx accounts go for about $50 a month, but with enterprise-wide licensing, that cost can be brought down significantly. Another perk is that the program is browser based, meaning students don’t have to install any extra software to enroll. “The beauty is the mobility and the flexibility that web conferencing provides,” says Kapanjie. professional world, giving them the experience they need to compete and succeed in an international business environment,” says Jacobs. Don’t just add a camera, design the room for it. Telepresence works best when it isn’t an afterthought. That’s why, whenever possible, it’s best to build and furnish a room from scratch, rather than just add a camera, Epstein suggests. “Sometimes there are exercises you’re engaged in where you need to move around the space. If the equipment isn’t smart and can’t respond to those kinds of changing modes, it’s limited in its uses,” he says. “It needs to be responsive to your needs, and if classrooms have different modes of learning, you’d want your technology to respond.” When Madison College built its tele- presence rooms in 2008, officials worked with Cisco to ensure the rooms met size, acoustic, and lighting specifications. In fact, shares the institution’s CIO, Igor Steinberg, Cisco would not even ship its product until company reps confirmed the room was suitable for Cisco’s product specifications. “One of the things that I came to appreciate through this process is that the technical installation of telepresence is a lot more than just the cameras and the video and the network,” he adds. “There’s tremendous value in the room specs because they contribute immensely to the end result. If I were to install a lower-cost system, I would still go through many, if not all, of the same steps we had to go through to condition a room for telepresence—that’s how important it is.” Ensure high utilization. You can have the fanciest technology out there, but it isn’t worth much if it isn’t being used. Steinberg believes it’s vital for any organization’s leaders to consider how they’re going to ensure high utilization for telepresence rooms. “It’s important that they deploy sufficient critical mass to be able to really leverage the investment.” When Madison officials decided to go down the telepresence path, one of the major considerations was how many rooms to equip, he explains. “Our provost indicated that we needed to have this at every one of our [four] regional campuses or it didn’t make sense. Six rooms was a radically large number to start with, but it was also one of the keys to success.” The result of conscientious planning is that the rooms are busy ones. “They are in constant use,” Steinberg says. To be exact? When the number of hours 40 | January 2012 universitybusiness.com  http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2012

University Business - January 2012
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Human Resources
Campus CFo
Getting Carded
Choosing telepresence
boosting the bottom line
Printer Purchase Pointers
Money Matters
Viewpoint
End Note

University Business - January 2012

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